Choosing the Right Curriculum

Choosing curriculum is perhaps the most daunting task of a homeschooling parent. The choices are seemingly endless and thus overwhelming. Before you choose a curriculum, you must establish your educational philosophy. Once you have done this, your choices are narrowed a bit. For example, if you subscribe more to the traditional philosophies of education, you will likely want to choose a "curriculum in a box", one that provides all materials and textbooks for you. These types of curriculum may even come with scripts which tell you what to say when teaching a particular topic. However, if you are a classical educator or agree more with Charlotte Mason's philosophies, your homeschool bookshelves will be filled with "living books" rather than textbooks.

A second consideration are the learning styles of your children. Your kinesthetic learner may require a math program with lots of manipulatives, while your visual learner may prefer charts and flashcards. Of course if you have multiple children, catering to the learning styles of every child can be a bit burdensome. Thankfully, many authors take varying learning styles into consideration when writing curriculum, so many curriculum options offer activities and strategies to reach the various styles of learning.

Aside from educational philosophies and learning styles, and while there is no magic formula to match your specific family to that perfect curriculum, there are places to turn for help. And this is key: Go to these places and research, research, research. One of the first places you should visit is Cathy Duffy Reviews. Her website is very comprehensive. Additionally, she has a book called 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.