Choosing A Curriculum

It's Summertime, school is out, kids are home and you are beginning to think about next years curriculum.  What route will you take this year?  Will you continue with the curriculum you used last year? Will you try something new?  Perhaps you have decided to homeschool for the first time.  That is wonderful, you have made your decision and now it is time to select your 'books'.  Where do you begin?  The homeschool market is flooded with books and materials that when used properly produce excellent results. Making a decision can be difficult and confusing. Will you use a pre-packaged curriculum? Make your own? Use workbooks only? Life experiences? Or will you be among the thousands of homeschool families who will turn to the computer for your child's education?

The best part of homeschooling is that it can be tailored to fit your family and your situation.  Allowing you to concentrate on the specific needs and interests of each individual child.  Diagnostic testing is available to assist you in finding the courses which are right for you.  Once you have decided where to begin academically with teaching your child, the next step is to select the teaching approach which will most benefit your family.

The traditional approach is run much like a traditional school.  Each child has textbook to work with and a 'scope and sequence' is followed. 

Other approaches include, Unit Studies (A topic or theme is studied for one to six weeks) Unschooling (Using the real world and real experiences to teach) Workbooks (a self contained curriculum with all the instructional materials as well as tests included.)

A new addition to this list is, Cyber School.  Cyber School, sometimes referred to as distance education or Online education provides many opportunities to supplement a students curriculum with subjects which may be beyond the expertise of their teaching parent.   Online education as a full curriculum is a tool which will heighten the students educational experience beyond that of a text book.  For instance, if your son is interested in taking a Geography class, a high quality online course will not only provide the text information but also bring the world alive for him.  Distance education courses can be utilized both for an individual as well as in a group setting.  The flexibility of online education will fit not only your child’s learning style but also your current circumstances and schedules. Online learning focuses more on the student.  More information i.e. questions or comments often flow from the student to the system.  The result of learners constructing their own learning, is that they are active learners.  This type of active learning forces the learning program to be a guide to the learner.  Online learners have more responsibility for their learning, and as such develop more advanced learning styles.

 

Note of caution: The books and materials cited in this article in no way represent all the materials available. There may be resources of equal or superior value that were not mentioned. It is your responsibility to research and determine which materials are best for you. We have merely suggested a few to get you started.