Two key questions to help choose your homeschool curriculum
Our journey into homeschooling has been so enlightening. We had no idea where to begin when we first started researching it. We're only at the very beginning of our journey, but we have done some research and managed to refine down our preferences. The best books we have read so far in helping us are The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. The Read-Aloud Family Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace. We're still reading and learning and I'll post about this in our journey. But, so far, here's our wisdom...
So, I thought it may be helpful to others in our position to write down some helpful questions we asked that enabled us to come to a conclusion of what curriculum was right for us.
So here goes:
1. What are your reasons for homeschooling? This is a massive question, I know, but answering it will help to direct you to the right homeschooling approach. In my experience there are broadly three camps of people, unschoolers, curriculum-based families and unit based families: So firstly, unschoolers. These are families that react against (not school in itself) but the one-size-fits-all model of school where learning is chosen for the child. These families wish to see their children setting their learning agenda by watching their interests and spring-boarding from there. This approach is called unschooling. This is what one unschooling family say about their approach: (you can read more here):
So, I thought it may be helpful to others in our position to write down some helpful questions we asked that enabled us to come to a conclusion of what curriculum was right for us.
So here goes:
1. What are your reasons for homeschooling? This is a massive question, I know, but answering it will help to direct you to the right homeschooling approach. In my experience there are broadly three camps of people, unschoolers, curriculum-based families and unit based families: So firstly, unschoolers. These are families that react against (not school in itself) but the one-size-fits-all model of school where learning is chosen for the child. These families wish to see their children setting their learning agenda by watching their interests and spring-boarding from there. This approach is called unschooling. This is what one unschooling family say about their approach: (you can read more here):
We believe that children are natural learners and that given adequate support, guidance and resources, they will learn everything that they need to learn without coercion or force. As ‘unschooling’ parents we spend a lot- a lot– of time with our children, watching what they are interested in, seeking out resources for them to pursue their interests; challenging them and opening up new and exciting ways to explore and learn from the world. [Quote from Adventure Travel Family]
Secondly, there are those who do want a set curriculum to follow, but just don't want their children to be following it IN school for a variety of reasons. They do like the idea of their children being exposed to a broad nature of subjects, but may want to do it in a more flexible way than school or add some other subjects that are not offered in school (for example Latin), or maybe the overall goal is different.
Once you have decided that you are part of this camp, there are many 'flavours' or approaches within it such as Classical Education, Charlotte Mason, text-book orientated, literature based or history based. I'll go into these in more depth in a later post.
Thirdly, you may be someone who doesn't like the approach of teaching in subject specific blocks. You may feel that a more wholistic approach is better where children see all subjects intertwine and compliment one another through broader unit studies. The unit study approach may be for you.
2. Are you looking for a flexible or set approach?
Once you have decided on your approach as unschooling, curriculum-based or unit based, you may want to consider what kind of person you are in terms of routine and planning as there are boxed curriculums that give you everything you need to homeschooling, even including lesson plans. There are also approaches that are more flexible. They give you a broad scheme of learning and you are free to create resources within that. Obviously, your approach will dictate this to some extent, but within each camp there are many different options.
I am a very routine-based person who likes to follow (and adapt) plans. So for us, a boxed curriculum that we could adapt if needed was our preference. I would get very frustrated if I had to create my own resources within a loose framework. But, for others, a set curriculum with lesson plans and a day to day structure is their nightmare (although I'd always say that the benefit of homeschooling is flexibility. You can always adapt and change even if you buy a boxed curriculum.)
So there goes... If you answer these two questions, I believe that you are well on your way to choosing a curriculum. But, it doesn't end there. There are options within each category and I'll go into these in future posts.
Once you have decided that you are part of this camp, there are many 'flavours' or approaches within it such as Classical Education, Charlotte Mason, text-book orientated, literature based or history based. I'll go into these in more depth in a later post.
Thirdly, you may be someone who doesn't like the approach of teaching in subject specific blocks. You may feel that a more wholistic approach is better where children see all subjects intertwine and compliment one another through broader unit studies. The unit study approach may be for you.
2. Are you looking for a flexible or set approach?
Once you have decided on your approach as unschooling, curriculum-based or unit based, you may want to consider what kind of person you are in terms of routine and planning as there are boxed curriculums that give you everything you need to homeschooling, even including lesson plans. There are also approaches that are more flexible. They give you a broad scheme of learning and you are free to create resources within that. Obviously, your approach will dictate this to some extent, but within each camp there are many different options.
I am a very routine-based person who likes to follow (and adapt) plans. So for us, a boxed curriculum that we could adapt if needed was our preference. I would get very frustrated if I had to create my own resources within a loose framework. But, for others, a set curriculum with lesson plans and a day to day structure is their nightmare (although I'd always say that the benefit of homeschooling is flexibility. You can always adapt and change even if you buy a boxed curriculum.)
So there goes... If you answer these two questions, I believe that you are well on your way to choosing a curriculum. But, it doesn't end there. There are options within each category and I'll go into these in future posts.
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