Choosing curriculum may be one of the toughest jobs you'll ever love. There are literally thousands of different options available, and each was surely created because somebody thought it was the best way to teach children.
How, now, shall we then choose?
Prayerfully. Year by year. Child by child. Considering what works best for your whole family.
For instance, I've discovered that my boys thrive with visually engaging textbooks where the lessons follow a pattern that makes it easy for them to work very independently, but we also need to do some subjects together so that we all kind of stay connected.
Here are a few other things to consider:
1.Is the curriculum easy for ME to follow? It's important that you feel comfortable with how to use the curriculum. Just as our children have different learning styles, teachers have different teaching styles. If something looks too complicated or labor-intensive, it probably is.
2.Does it appeal to my children? There are so many choices out there; it's a shame to battle with your children over a curriculum that they don't like.
3.Do we really even need more curriculum? Many homeschool families have bookshelves full of barely-used materials. You might have what you need at your fingertips already. Just do a little digging and be realistic.
Terri Johnson has a great article titled How to Avoid Over-buying Curricula on the Homeschool Corner at Creation.com. Plus, you'll want to remember that education isn't all about the books.
"Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire." - William Butler Yeats
~Nancy Carter
THM Editor
(From July 9, 2009 THM)
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