How to choose a homeschool curriculum

My husband and I decided on homeschooling our children from the earliest months of my first pregnancy. We spent the years leading up to her kindergarten year looking into programs and various curricula.

Chances are, if you are reading this, the decision to homeschool has been a sudden one due to restrictions put in place by the pandemic. Whether you are ready to switch over forever or just as long as the COVID-19 restrictions last, here is a list of things to think about, resources and curricula that can help you find the best fit for your family.

The first thing to think about is the approach you want to take to your child’s education. If your goal is to make it as much like traditional schooling, then you want to look at the traditional curriculum options. Perhaps your school does a classical approach, or you have always wanted that for your kids; if so, then looking at those options would be perfect for you. Or maybe you have heard about Charlotte Mason or want a unit study with all grade levels on the same topic but at their own level.

Another thing to think about is whether you want a boxed curriculum, with online help and even outside graders, or if you want to pick and choose from different curricula and do all the grading yourself. Further, it is important to be aware of your state’s regulations on homeschooling and make sure you follow the laws.

The following options are just a few among the many available options for families considering homeschooling.

Traditional

A traditional curriculum basically takes what your child would experience in a traditional school setting and makes it homeschool friendly.

Catholic Heritage Curricula is a curriculum where you order all of the books and do your own teaching and grading at home. It covers all the core subjects. You could also choose to do some subjects from CHC and pick others from different curricula.

Seton Home Study School is an accredited Catholic curriculum and school. You enroll into the school and do all of your subjects with the school. This makes it easier to transfer your children in and out of traditional schools.

Our Lady of the Rosary is another curriculum and school in which you enroll your child and receive all of the materials.

Classical

The classical approach is based in the classics such as language, literature and history of ancient Greece and Rome, focusing on the liberal arts and grammar. Many of the curricula in this category are taught in a traditional schooling method while others are not.

Kolbe Academy is a Catholic program that describes itself as classic and contemporary. It has options to enroll and receive grades and transcripts, but also has a bookstore that one can purchase materials from. Further, there are online course offerings.

Mother of Divine Grace School is a K-12 Catholic classical program that is accredited and provides transcripts and diplomas. It is based on the book Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum by Laura Berquist.

Aquinas Learning is a classical and Catholic integrated curriculum that is set in a three-year cycle. All children are covering the same content but for their appropriate level, from pre-K to 12th grade. There are in-person learning centers that meet once a week in several cities, but you can also simply purchase the curriculum and do it at home.

Angelicum Academy is an online school and a classical Catholic curriculum you can use on your own at home that is based in the “Great Books” for high school, as listed by Mortimer Adler and Robert Maynard Hutchins, and for elementary school the “Good Books,” as listed by John Senior.

Memoria Press and online academy is a Christian classical curriculum in which one can enroll, or simply purchase the curriculum and lesson plans. Many homeschoolers use their Latin program.

Well-Trained Mind is another classical curriculum, and while not specifically Catholic, it has many elements of a classical education. Many homeschoolers use the history curriculum The Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer.

Charlotte Mason

Charlotte Mason was an Anglican at the turn of the 20th century whose approach to education many Catholic homeschoolers have found appealing and very compatible with Catholicism. A fellow homeschooling friend of mine, Jenni Mass of St. Paul, Minnesota, explained that Charlotte Mason’s approach is rooted in “an understanding that all that is true, good and beautiful is for everyone and should be laid out as a banquet for the education, formation and edification of all children.”

Ambleside Online is a Christian website with free recommendations of books and how to teach according to this method for each grade level.

Mater Amabilis is a Catholic curriculum using the Charlotte Mason approach. It is also free.

Salt and Light is another Catholic curriculum heavily influenced by Charlotte Mason and also Marie Montessori and the Waldorf approach to learning.

Unit Study

Doing a Unit Study is another alternative to traditional school formats. They focus on one subject for four to five weeks at a time and then move on to the next one. They are nice for families because, like some of the above curricula, all of the family is on the same topic, but at different levels. Two examples that are not Catholic but Christian are Gather ‘Round Homeschool and Tapestry of Grace.

If you want more details on these curricula or want to see the hundreds of other options out there, I highly recommend the PDF book How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum by homeschool curriculum expert Cathy Duffy as an affordable, easy way to learn about the different methods. We used her book to find what works for our family and always look at her curriculum reviews, which can be found on her website, when we are thinking about switching curricula.

In How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum, the first five chapters remain largely the same as in Cathy Duffy’s prior book, 102 Top Picks. In 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum, Cathy included charts so that you could apply what you learned in the first five chapters to sort through the best 102 products on the market.

Now, to make it easier to apply your preferences to thousands of products, we have created an advanced search tool on this website so that you can apply (directly on the website) what you have learned from either How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum or 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. It will search from among all the products Cathy has reviewed instead of just her Top Picks. (Access the tool by clicking on “Advanced Search.”) The sixth chapter in How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum describes how to use the advanced search feature on the website.

What Top Picks readers have said:

“This has been such a lifesaver for me. I’ m still fairly new to homeschooling and checking out curriculums here first has saved me countless dollars in purchasing unnecessary curriculum that would simply end up on the bookshelf. This book (as well as her website) is an invaluable source of information! We are now homeschooling in a way that is perfectly tailored to my child. finally!”
– Kathi W., Co-op Member

“Our first attempt at homeschooling was, at best, a dismal success. We used pre-packaged curriculum and only one child out of the three was happy with it. At the end of that year, I purchased Cathy’s first book but we decided to enroll our children in a Charter school so the book was never opened. After much prayer, we felt that it was necessary to give homeschooling another chance. I pulled out Cathy’s book and set to work planning an approach to this school year. Her website was another great resource and on it I found a link to update to the latest version of her book. What a goldmine! We are using curriculum tailored specifically to each child in each subject. While homeschooling still has its difficult moments, I’m happy to say that they are not caused by the curriculum. I’m looking forward to calling this year a success thanks to this book.”
– Christina Jay, Homeschool Buyers Co-op Member

In 102 Top Picks, Cathy simplifies the curriculum selection process with questionnaires and charts. She walks her readers through the process of figuring out their preferences in terms of a philosophy of education, learning styles, and goal setting.

Note: This book is only available in PDF format.

Pricing Information

When prices appear, please keep in mind that they are subject to change. Click on links where available to verify price accuracy.

How To Choose Homeschool Curriculum

We know choosing a homeschool curriculum that fits both your child’s learning and homeschooling style can be overwhelming. With all of the different types of methods, techniques, and options out there it can be daunting to try and find the best one for your child. We know it can be challenging to find resources best for your family especially when you are just starting off. All of the curriculum options can be overwhelming. You end up spending precious hours searching and sifting through different providers. It can be exhausting. And you would much rather spend that time actually teaching your child or grabbing that 30-minute nap you never have time for… Well, we are here to help. We are going to tell you just how to pick a homeschool curriculum for your child. All you need is a few minutes to take 3 online quizzes.

How it Works: Steps To Finding a Homeschool Curriculum

• Step 1: Find your Homeschooling Style
• Step 2: Find your child’s Learning Preferences
• Step 3: Find your child’s best fit homeschool curriculum

To start your curriculum search journey, you will need to understand and identify your child’s learning style. Start by taking our Online Quiz: Homeschooling Styles to figure out which homeschooling style aligns best with your family’s lifestyle. If you already know how you’ll be teaching in your homeschool, then you’re ready for step 2. This is finding your child’s learning preference. If you’re not sure off the top of your head how your child learns or what motivates them, then go ahead and take our Online Quiz: Learning Styles. This will help guide you in step 3. So once you know both your child’s learning preferences and your homeschooling style, you’re ready for our Online Quiz: Best Fit Homeschool Curriculum . All 3 of these quizzes are designed to work together to land you on the perfect result in our Resource Guide. We added these features because we know it can be overwhelming to figure out exactly what you’re looking for. So we figured 3 simple steps would help moms (and dads) that are wondering where to start the daunting curriculum search!

How it Works: Homeschool Curriculum And Resource Guide

We strive to make our Resource Guide, which you may be familiar with, the most comprehensive and up-to-date database of curriculum and resources available for homeschoolers. This is why we are constantly updating and adding new providers to our Resource Guide. We want everyone to be able to find their perfect curriculum. Our researchers focus on pulling well-rounded data. This means that if we have a gap in special needs resources, we will go out and search extensively until we find the very best providers to close the gap. The data we source is carefully chosen to make sure it is helping parent educators make the best decisions for their families. We research information like pricing, homeschool method, and even the company goals. This way, our Resource Guide can provide you with information from real moms and real people who care about making a difference. We currently have over 1,000 providers (and counting) to choose from – which sometimes makes it difficult to narrow it down to 1! But this is actually a fabulous thing. Because this means that you have access to all the best options in 1 easy place! And this will allow you to make the best decision for your child!

Now, you absolutely can skip the quizzes and go straight to our Resource Guide if you know exactly what you want in a curriculum. We use search filters to help you narrow your search. On the left-hand side of the Resource Guide, you will see filter options for subjects, grades, categories, formats, and methods. Feel free to pick and choose from the filters; they allow for multiple choices in each category or you can skip over the filters that don’t apply. We’ve defined some of the logic behind the filters below.

• Subjects: These filters are self-explanatory, for the most part. Just note that if you select one of the core subjects (Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies) the results will also show you the curriculum providers who provide the subject you selected, in addition to other the subjects they may provide. Grades: Grade filters include PreK-12th. Again, pretty self-explanatory. If you have more than 1 child and want them to share a curriculum, you can search for multiple grades at once.
• Categories: categories include the Homeschool.com Top 100 award winners, faith-based, special needs and more. Be sure to check out our Featured providers too! We wouldn’t be able to bring you great articles and content without their help!
• Formats: Lots of formats to choose from here! These filters make it easy to drill-down and select online-only, games, books, virtual schooling and much more. This is where it is helpful to know your child’s learning style! If you don’t know off the top of your head how learning style translates to ideal formats, then use our Online Quiz: Best Fit Homeschool Curriculum !
• Methods: Here’s where it helps to know your homeschooling method. If you’re not sure what to pick, you can always skip this filter or take the Online Quiz: Homeschool Style that we mentioned earlier.

Once you select the appropriate filters, you can search to generate your best-fit curriculum. You can also search directly from our search bar. This way if you were recommended a curriculum from a friend or if you’ve been using the same curriculum for years, you can plug it right in. If you know the name of the provider, the Resource Guide will bring you right to it!

Within the guide, you can click any of the results to arrive on the curriculum page. This will have a description of the curriculum and, in some cases, helpful videos and reviews. Be sure to review the curriculum you’ve used; your feedback will help out the next homeschooling mom who’s on the search!

Online Quiz: Find Your Best Fit Homeschool Curriculum

Now for the most exciting part… The Online Quiz: Best Fit Homeschool Curriculum ! These questions are designed to help you filter the Resource Guide results. If you have a full house and are homeschooling multiple children, then be sure to take the quiz multiple times, focusing on each student. Also, don’t be afraid to play around and take this quiz a few times for each child. Changing your answers slightly might give you a different or new option. When you take this quiz, pay attention to the tips we provide. These are supposed to help you understand why we are asking certain questions and to help you keep key ideas in mind when answering them.

When making this quiz, we wanted it to do the hard work for you. So, by answering the questions, you are efficiently filtering the Resource Guide. This way we can show you exactly what you want and what you’re looking for. Once you hit submit, you will be given personalized curriculum suggestions. It’s that easy!

Share Your Homeschool Curriculum Results

What curriculum did you get? Did you learn something new about your child’s learning style or homeschooling style? Did this make your curriculum search less overwhelming? If you found something you like, help out other homeschooling families by writing a review and giving it a rating to tell us what you think! We love hearing from you!

Last Updated: September 1, 2019 References

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There are many academic curricula available to homeschoolers. Here are the steps for choosing a homeschool curriculum.

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Wondering how to choose a homeschool curriculum? Next to making the decision to homeschool, choosing a homeschool curriculum will be one of the hardest decisions you will make. These homeschool tips will help you choose the right curriculum for your homeschool family.

Next to actually making the decision to homeschool, choosing a curriculum is one of the hardest decisions you will make. The worst part about it is that you will not just make this decision once, but every. single. year. after you begin homeschooling.

Resources to Help You Choose a Homeschool Curriculum

There are many resources out there that can help you choose a homeschool curriculum. We are going to take a look at some resources that may help.

The top recommendation is to go through Cathy Duffy’s book, 101 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. This book breaks down learning styles for you and your child. Understanding your child’s preferred learning style is key. I can’t even count how many curriculum choices we have made over the years. Some have worked out very well, and others we never made it through lesson 3! Had I taken into consideration my child’s preferred learning style I could have saved myself, and my child a lot of frustration. After you know your child’s learning style, the book then offers you some examples of curriculum that may work for your family.

The next recommendation for homeschool resources that will help you choose a curriculum is to peruse homeschool blogs. Read as many reviews as possible about the curriculum you are considering. Often a user review will explain more than the sales material from the publisher.

Find a Way to LOOK at the Curriculum You are Interested In

The next thing I recommend is to find a way to actually “look” in person at the curriculum you are interested in. Find someone who uses the same curriculum or go to a curriculum fair or homeschool convention. If none of these options work then order just the teachers guide from the curriculum you are considering. This gives you the opportunity to look at it, and decide if it is right for you. If you don’t like it, you can send it back (most of the time). YouTube will also be a huge help as you can see the curriculum as well and hear from people who have used it.

Remember NO Curriculum is Perfect

It is important to remember one thing when you are choosing a curriculum. No curriculum is perfect. Not the one I use, the one you use, or the one your homeschool friend uses. Also, what works for one family, may not work for yours. What works for one of your children, may not work for the next child. If the curriculum you decide on doesn’t work, ditch it! Don’t torture yourself, or your child with something that doesn’t fit your family’s needs or learning styles.

Also, if a curriculum works for your family to an extent, it is okay to take bits and pieces as you go. Find out what is really important to you, whether that is a Christian base, a spiral approach, or living literature base or whatever. Find a curriculum that’s aligned with what’s important and be flexible on the rest. You are the teacher, and you get to pick and choose what to do, the curriculum is just a guide.

Curriculum shopping will be one of the most difficult things you do as a homeschool mom. Just remember to relax, find out your child’s learning style, look at the curriculum in person, and remind yourself there is NO perfect curriculum!

Author: Misty Bailey

Misty is a homeschool mom of three and has been homeschooling for over 4 years. You can read about her homeschool journey and more on her blog, Joy in the Journey.

Have I ever considered homeschooling my kids? Ummm, no- I don’t have the patience for that! However, Spring of 2020 schools were canceled with the COVID-19 and quarantine schooling happened and well- my mind was changed. Distant learning was exhausting as a mother of four. Constantly drumming to someone else’s rhythm and never getting the day right. Our family was just surviving those last months of school. And then summer happened, breath of fresh air! This is my favorite season with my children. We sit down and talk about our summer bucket list and one by one we learn, grow and explore on our timetable and cross off one item at a time. Turns out- this season I love most, is a form of homeschooling. – Mic drop-

Fall of 2020 is already shaping out to be a unique start. The regulations for school attendance is changing. Some of them are for our good- yes. But for the most part, I feel bad for our kids who have to go to school under these different rules. My daughter has cried to me nearly every day about how she misses her friends. How she wants things to be back to normal. Me too girlie, me too. I know many parents are looking into different options to create stability for Fall such as homeschooling. I know I am. Therefore, I have started doing an extreme amount of homework on the topic and most importantly- curriculum options too. So without further ado… here’s all the homeschooling information I have gathered thus far…

*Disclaimer* I am not a homeschool expert, but I have done lots of research on programs and curriculums and the ones that I plan to share- come from my own research, talking with others and joining homeschool conversations with others. These online programs are available through Utah- you will have to check with your own state if you are not living in Utah.*

Introduction to Homeschool:

I found this documentary an excellent sneak peek into what Homeschooling looks like when it is supported and grown by a community. I am fortunate enough that this group the documentary is based on, is local to me (Morgan). So this documentary took the guessing game of “What does homeschooling looking like as a whole?” out of the equation for me. And especially, “is there a community of kids my children can still associate and grow with?”

You can check out this incredible homeschooling documentary here. Because so many are looking for answers and this video gave me lots of hope for our future of possibly homeschooling. I absolutely loved watching this with my family as we came to understand what homeschooling looks like for different families. The documentary is beautifully done.

Schools Online:

1- Utah Online

“Utah Online K-12 is part of the Washington County School District. We are a FREE public school. We are open to ALL students in grades K-12 living ANYWHERE in the state of Utah. UOS currently has over 50 staff and faculty members serving more than 3,000 students. We are committed to providing quality educational services that encourage the personal progress of our students. We believe that by transforming traditional educational methods we can champion individual growth.”

2- My Tech High

“My Tech High helps innovative public school districts provide personalized education options to students who learn best at home. We are dedicated to helping today’s tech-savvy kids become tomorrow’s successful entrepreneurs. Our company is the brainchild of Matt Bowman, the CEO and founder. In 2008, Matt fulfilled his dream to start a program allowing young people to access online courses focused on technology and entrepreneurship. My Tech High is based in the “Silicon Slopes”, a cluster of booming high-tech companies located in the beautiful mountains of Utah. Watch the 3-min video “You Got Schooled” which was produced by an education policy think tank who promotes innovation within public education.”

UPDATE: This is the program I (Morgan) am going with. The major reasons are: for the 1-8 grade there are core classes everyone takes: Math, English and Tech. Students decide on science, or social studies. And then can choose up to two electives courses. Plus, there is a tech allowance. What I like about this program is how they give you the option to take all My Tech High direct classes for all subjects, let you go through a third party (like dance, piano) or you can custom build/buy everything for each subject. The best (in my opinion) is the reimbursement funds available per subject,per child (it almost adds up to $1500, per kid!). Originally one of my major concerns about homeschooling was the “set up cost”. Now that I have found MTH I know that I won’t be financially be paying for everything to cater the education my kids are most excited about. Again, click on the link to watch their video and see if it’s the right fit for you.

3- Harmony

Every child has different capacities, interests and passions. We understand that students flourish when education is individualized to their unique needs. Harmony provides a variety of courses and programs for all ages, ensuring a truly customized learning experience. Utah students who want to participate in the Harmony Program for free do so by enrolling with a Harmony partner public school. Families also have the option to purchase a curriculum package directly from Harmony. This gives families the flexibility to learn at home, access online curriculum and attend on-site programs (where available).

**You do not have to fill out an affidavit for any of these options since you are staying in the system. All of these are either public school online options or charter school options which will make it easier when you put your child back into public school. For more info on any of these, please check the websites listed above.**

4- Easy Peasy– All in One Homeschool-

“We exist to help families homeschool. We enable families to homeschool who thought they couldn’t because of a lack of finances, a lack of time, or a lack of know-how. Others join EP because it’s easy and fun and they’re confident of the quality of education. EP seeks to free families from the burden of pursuing the “perfect” and encourages them to let it be “enough.” Each family and each child is different and we seek to provide the resources to enable your family to be who you were created to be.”

5- The Family School Online–

“American Heritage School Online is a powerful tool for families. Our educational offerings allow parents to be as involved in their children’s learning as they can and want to be. Whether you are the teachers or need more flexible options, we’re here to meet you where you are and help you succeed. Family School is the simplest and most academically strong curriculum for teaching your children history, science, literature, geography, art, and music. First launched in 2012, it has been used by over 30,000 children in over 100 countries around the world! The beauty of Family School is that it allows a mother to teach strong academics at multiple levels to children as young as PreK and through middle school, together. Although children learn together, the post-lesson assignments and activities are specific to their level.”

The choice of a curriculum is based on your educational philosophy and the learning styles and developmental stages of each child.

Questions to consider:

• What are my children’s learning styles?
• Where are they developmentally?
• Are they far ahead in certain subjects, while lagging behind in others?
• How much freedom do I think children should have to follow their own interests?

What curriculum you choose will be governed by your personal educational philosophy. The two ends of the educational spectrum may be represented by E.D. Hirsch, author of Cultural Literacy, and John Holt, author of Instead of Education and other books.

Hirsch believes that there is a core of knowledge which every child should know. He has attempted, through his Core Knowledge Foundation, to publish works defining the body of information he believes children should learn at various ages. He believes a coherent body of shared knowledge is more democratic and helps create cooperation and solidarity in our nation. The facts and skills he identifies are based on reports issued by state departments of education, professional teachers’ associations, and the educational systems of several other countries, like Japan, France, Sweden, and Germany, which he considers successful.

In contrast, Holt writes, “Next to the right to life itself, the most fundamental of all human rights is the right to control our own minds and thoughts. That means, the right to decide for ourselves how we will explore the world around us, think about our own and other person’s experiences, and find and make the meaning of our own lives” Instead of Education, pg. 4). Holt’s philosophy of education has been termed child-led interest or unschooling. He believes that each child, while pursuing his/her interests, will develop the necessary skills and accumulate the necessary facts for success in the enterprise of his/her choosing.

In Hirsch’s model, the teacher is the source of most information; while in Holt’s model, the teacher is the facilitator, providing resources, guidance, transportation, and funding. In Hirsch’s model, shared knowledge leads to increased cooperation in society; in Holt’s model, the infinite variety of choices leads to self-directed, self-knowing individuals. If you lean toward Hirsch’s model, you will probably choose a pre-packaged curriculum. If you lean toward Holt’s model, your children’s interests will drive the variety of resources you choose.

Customizing for your children’s needs

When you choose your curriculum it is beneficial to be familiar with one or more of the learning style modalities so that you can decide what materials best mesh with your child’s learning styles. For delightful and thought-provoking reading, try Thomas Armstrong’s In Their Own Way or Dawna Markova’s book, How Your Child is Smart: A Life-Changing Approach to Learning.

Homeschooling allows you to speed up or slow down in order to match your child’s developmental readiness in various subjects. In meeting developmental needs, a packaged curriculum gives you less leeway than one customized by you to meet the distinct developmental needs of the child.

Other resources for finding curriculum gems are local support group members, curriculum fairs, and exhibit halls at homeschool conferences. In curriculum, as in other areas of homeschooling decisions, your approach may change over time. Some new homeschoolers start with a packaged curriculum because the parents are concerned about their abilities, or because it is what their child has been used to in school. Later some find the pre-packaged curriculum too restrictive and time-consuming, and opt for a more individualized approach.

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So, you’ve made the big decision to homeschool your kids. Now comes the fun part! You get to decide which homeschool curriculum you want to use! Choosing a curriculum can seem like a daunting, monumental task, but it doesn’t have to be! With these six easy steps for choosing a homeschool curriculum you can find just what you need for our kids!

Choosing Homeschool Curriculum

First, don’t panic about choosing the wrong curriculum. You won’t know if something truly works until you try it! Now that we have that out of the way, here are some tips for making your curriculum choices!

Consider Your Time Commitment

How much time per day can you devote to homeschooling? If you’re able to sit down with your child for every subject, you can choose curriculum that is teacher intensive. I consider many of the traditional box curricula like My Father’s World and Sonlight teacher-intensive. The Good and the Beautiful also requires quite a bit of your time, especially in the early years.

If you have less time, you can choose online curricula such as Easy Peasy or Teaching Textbooks for math.

Consider Your Child’s Learning Style and Your Homeschool Style

I decided when I began homeschooling that I leaned toward a Charlotte Mason homeschool style. I’ve looked into programs such as Ambleside Online and Simply Charlotte Mason before deciding to use My Father’s World and The Good and the Beautiful while adding my own Charlotte Mason twist.

Do you have more than one child?

One of the biggest factors that led me to choose My Father’s World was the family style curriculum. As a large family, it is important for me to be able to teach my children as many subjects together as possible. Consider choosing curricula that spans multiple ages to maximize your time and create a culture of learning in your home.

Take Advantage of Bundle Sales

I love online bundle sales such as Build Your Bundle because they allow me to choose a variety of curricula to save and use when I need to fill in the gaps. I love doing fun unit studies with the kids and adding in other fun things, and bundle sales allow me to do that at a great price!

Need more homeschooling help? Read these posts!

Enter to Win a $50 Gift Card to Build Your Bundle

It’s time again for Giveaway Wednesday! Are you ready? We have a fantastic sponsor this month – Build Your Bundle.

If you’ve participated in Build Your Bundle in the past, you know what amazing resources are available at a steep discount. (And if you haven’t, you’re in for a treat!) Over the last six years, Build Your Bundle has offered homeschool families some of the best curriculum and resources from homeschool bloggers and companies around the world. Together we strive to infuse confidence into homeschool families while offering quality educational materials at unbeatable prices!

And this year will be no different!

In the past they have had bundles for Early Learning, Elementary, Middle & High School, Homemaking, Special Needs and much more. They also offer a Premium Product section with online courses discounted up to 50% off!

This month, Build Your Bundle is offering a $50 Gift Certificate to their upcoming sale starting May 11th. Past bundles have started at $9.95, so you can get a lot of curriculum for just $50! Be sure to enter this month for your chance to win and sign up now to be notified when the sale starts.!

It is your responsibility to read the terms and conditions upon entering. Entering the giveaway signs you up for the following newsletters: Build Your Bundle, The Fervent Mama, Homeschool on the Range, Making Room 4 One More, The Art Kit, Beyond the Stick Figure, In All You Do, Hess Un-Academy, Heart & Soul Homeschooling, Hide the Chocolate, Simple Living Mama, Peace Creek on the Prairie, Clarissa R. West, and Orison Orchard.

Enter in the form below! Each entry increases your odds of winning, and you’re sure to find some new bloggers to follow. This giveaway ends at midnight CST on April 26, 2020.

About Joanie Boeckman

Joanie Boeckman is a simple girl who loves Jesus. Her husband is her American hero and her five children are her world. She loves to encourage women in their roles as wives, mothers, and homeschool teachers. You can find her blogging about homemaking, homeschooling and simple living at Simple Living Mama. Also check her out on Facebook for fun updates!

Published by Hannah Canavan. Last updated on February 20, 2020 IF YOU USE ADBLOCKERS YOU MAY NOT SEE ALL THE CONTENT. PLEASE ADD US TO TRUSTED SITES 🙂 POSTS MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS INCLUDING AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS

Sharing is caring!

As you lovely readers probably already know, we are a UK homeschooling family. We started thinking about home education & homeschool curriculums when our eldest daughter was a newborn and we now thoroughly enjoy homeschooling our three children. We share our information and experiences with other parents considering or undertaking homeschooling in our home education blog posts. Our most popular posts are:

After extensively researching the subject, including which UK homeschool curriculum to use, we were pretty sure we wanted to home educate but we looked around a small private school to see if it could sway us. Although there were many aspects of it that were lovely we remained confident that home educating was what we wanted to do.

But which method? Do we use a homeschool curriculum? When people ask us now how “homeschooling” is going, I often wonder what they imagine our days are like. Do they think I ring a bell at 9am, present classes like a teacher and structure in playtime? Do they imagine Patrick holding homework sessions after dinner?

Our family doesn’t use one specific homeschool curriculum but we researched them intensively before starting homeschooling. Purchasing a curriculum can be a great way to have on-hand activities and resources if:

• Your child has recently come out of school and you want to keep some kind of routine
• You would like your child to take the usual exams such as GCSEs
• Your child may go into school at a later date and you would like them to keep up to the same year standard as their peers

I will outline how to decide if getting a curriculum is best for your homeschooling family, and how to choose one, below. My absolute favourite homeschooling resources that we use all the time can be found in this homeschool room & homeschooling resources post, which also has plenty of info on setting up a homeschool room and recommendations of our favourite homeschooling equipment.

What is a Curriculum?

The dictionary definition of curriculum is: “the subjects comprising a course of study in a school or college”. Please note that the subjects chosen in any curriculum- school, homeschool, college or otherwise- do not necessarily reflect what a child will need for life. There is no way to ‘cover all your bases’ with either a school or homeschooling curriculum; it is simply a path to follow.

I say this because some people think that you have to have UK homeschooling curriculum, when they aren’t a legal requirement or necessary for all children. They are simply a resource to use to help on the educational journey, and should be treated as such.

List of Homeschool Curriculum Types

The spectrum of home education ranges from doing the national curriculum at home during school hours (this can take as little as an hour a day because of the high adult to child ration and fewer distractions/ interruptions), to using an alternative homeschool curriculum, or a child-centric philosophy such as unschooling and everything in between. Some often-talked-about methods or educational philosophies are:

Traditional (National curriculum at home)

This would perhaps suit families with children who have had to leave school for some reason and who want to ensure they stay learning the same things as their school peers for a time. The requirement for a UK local authority to provide a child temporarily out of school (for example, for reasons of illness) is just 5-6 hours of tutoring per week; this begs the question what the rest of the time spent at school is for!

That leaves a LOT of time for other fun stuff! If you don’t mind doing a lot of planning yourself I would recommend a selection of the Collins Easy Learning workbooks for primary children, and you can get a good idea of how to deliver the national curriculum to your child with this handbook:

Comments

We’ve done almost all of those options in our nine years. Like literally. Except that we are Canadian, so no common core here. And we have never enrolled with the province. We have a lot of freedom to do what we want–and we have definitely taken it. In the beginning, I searched to find my identity in homeschooling-home educating. Now it’s a lifestyle, that ebbs and flows as we live out our lives.

That’s so cool that you have tried everything! Did you have a favourite? Where do you travel to? I absolutely agree that it is a lifestyle, and one that we totally love! Thanks so much for reading! X

We travelled half our life for seven years. Right now, I want to build roots in our small town. We’ve been around Europe, arctic, all over Canada & Bc and twice to Africa.

I like variety–so I want to change up our seasons. Literally. More traditional from October to April and unschool the rest of the year. Classical homeschool content done charlotte mason style. Susan weise bauer for ideas and guilt. John holt for freedom & ease. Also, whatever works & whatever makes you (& the kids) happy!

Ranee Anderson says

Hello. I would like to ask for some insight into UK home education curricula. I have been home educating my 8 year old daughter for a few years now, on a US curriculum and am getting quite weary of common core. Plus, How do I go about accreditation, as her father would be more settled if she held official papers just in case we must swith to a conventional school?

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Welcome! My name is Hannah and I’m a homeschooling Mum of three from the UK. I write about home education & homeschool resources, gentle parenting and family travel. Find out more about us here!

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Things to Consider When Choosing a Curriculum

With a million different opinions on the “best” homeschool curriculum, it can be hard to know which curriculum to pick. Here’s a guide to choosing the best homeschool curriculums for you and your family.

Note: I include a * for Christian-based curriculums.

1. Types of Homeschool Styles Explained

Some students learn best with videos and a checklist of things they need to get done. Others prefer a more self-paced style. Still others are eclectic and do a mix of everything! There are several different options when it comes to homeschooling.

Charlotte Mason inspired

Charlotte Mason believed that a person should be educated fully, not just their mind. The Charlotte Mason curriculum includes living books instead of textbooks and uses narration (repeating back what they learned) instead of tests to show comprehension. Because of its literature-driven approach, this can be a great option that doesn’t break the bank.

Examples of Charlotte Mason based curriculums:

• Blossom and Root
• BookShark
• Five in a Row*
• My Father’s World*
• Sonlight*

Classical Education

Classical education involves a three-part process of training the mind. It includes the Grammar Stage for young learners, the Logic Stage for middle schoolers, and the Rhetoric Stage for high school. It’s language-focused and most subjects are interrelated. (Here’s a more in-depth summary of classical education.) It’s called “classical” for a reason and has been around for centuries, but might not be a good option for students who really don’t like reading.

• Memoria Press*
• My Father’s World*
• The Well-Trained Mind

Traditional

Traditional curriculums closely mirror public schools. Each day includes a formal lesson plan and is structured. For those who like structure or who want no questions about what needs to be done for the day, traditional might be right for you.

• A Beka* (strongly Christian and strongly advanced)
• Bob Jones Homeschool*

Unit Studies

If you’re a DIY type person, unit studies might be the best option for you! Unit studies are flexible and are often student-led. They can be used to supplement a curriculum or to create your own curriculum.

Where to find unit studies:

Online Learning

Online learning is just that – courses fully online. These may mimic public school in some ways. Most of the major online learning options have all subjects for all grade levels, making it an easy option.

Examples of online learning curriculums:

Unschooling or Deschooling

Unschooling is a nontraditional, student-led type of education. It is highly adaptable to a student’s interests and passions. Unschooling can be used for all grade levels but I think it works best for grades K-6. At this stage, actually learning and continuing to spark curiosity, instead of testing to death, should be the main goal.

Unschooling is multi-dimensional and includes a mix of activities, experiments, books, videos, museums, etc. However, it does require a fair bit of organization and dedication to actually learning. For college-bound students, in the secondary years, I think a mix of traditional curriculums combined with student-led interests can be a happy medium and can prevent knowledge gaps.

Where to find resources for student-led learning:

Check out this list of homeschool curriculums, with notes about the style/worldview of each.

2. What’s the worldview?

Many traditional homeschool curriculums are Christian based, but there’s a lot of secular options out there. Some curriculums may lean more secular (ie omit all religion or loosely mention evolution) or more religious (ie mention God or going to church). Others may sway more heavily both ways. You can look up most curriculums on Cathy Duffy Reviews and quickly find out the worldview of the curriculum.

One of my favorite curriculums out there is Sonlight. It’s comprehensive, Christian based and the book lists are top-notch. Sonlight developed a religious-free alternative called Book Shark, which is a great option if you want the book lists and literature-based nature of Sonlight without Christian themes.

3. How many kids am I homeschooling?

By high school, students should be mostly working independently, especially if they’re college-bound. In the meantime, if you have kids that are close in age, you more than likely can homeschool several subjects them together!

For language, history, Bible, and fine arts, it’s often easier to teach the subjects together!

Remember:

1. If something doesn’t work, that’s okay! There’s always next year, or if something really isn’t working, you can switch up curriculums for another kid. Homeschooling is a journey, and that sometimes comes with trying to figure out which curriculums or learning styles work best!

2. You’re not limited to one option!

3. Never underestimate the power of free books and movies from the library.

Homeschool parents have a unique problem that other parents don’t have to worry about: choosing a curriculum. There are a lot of options. Some of these options focus on the traditional pen and paper coursework, while others are focused on using technology. Additionally, not all curriculum choices will offer elective courses that your child will find interesting. This can make it difficult for some parents to determine their best option. So how do you choose a homeschool curriculum?

When you start homeschooling, you need to know the requirements that need to be met to pass the grade. Aside from that, you are free to choose a curriculum that works best for you, your child, and your family as a whole. Here are a few tips for choosing a homeschool curriculum .

1. Determine How Much Time You Want to Spend on Schooling

As a parent, it is important to be involved in your child’s education—whether you homeschool or not. However, homeschoolers will need more involvement from their parents. Some homeschooling curriculum will require parents to be extremely hands-on. Others will give children a lot more responsibility for their own education.

If you want to be heavily involved, you should select a program that fills that need. If you work full-time or have other responsibilities that take up a lot of time, you might want to choose a program that doesn’t require your attention as much. Online curriculum is a good option for busy parents.

It is also important to remember that age plays a big role in parental involvement in homeschooling. Young children will likely need a lot of parent support regardless of the curriculum.

2. Decide How Much You Can Spend

Some curriculums are very expensive. It is okay to stick to a budget for homeschooling curriculum. Cost is a factor for many homeschooling families. Price doesn’t determine the quality of the curriculum, so choose what works best for your family based on a variety of factors instead of trying to pick the most expensive options.

3. Focus on Grade Level Definitions

Not all curriculum will place the same child in the same grade. Age isn’t nearly as important as where a child truly is in their education process. Just because your child is 10 doesn’t mean that they would qualify as a fourth grader in all curriculums. Finding a curriculum that will teach your child the material that they are ready for is much more important than focusing on where they should fall in the system based on birthdate.

4. Consider Learning Style

Is your student a visual or a more hands-on learner? Do they do better when they hear things or do them? These are questions to consider when selecting a homeschooling curriculum . If you can choose a curriculum that allows them to learn in the way that they already have success with, you are setting them up to do their best in the coursework.

5. Focus on the Future

Choosing a curriculum based on what your child plans on doing post-graduation can greatly benefit them. While this might not be something you think about until you have a high schooler, think about whether or not your student is planning on going to college or starting a vocation or business. There are some great curriculums that include introductions to vocations instead of getting students college-ready.

While your student may not know their plans for the future, you can still find a curriculum with classes that interest your child.

6. Think About Teaching Style

Learning style is very important to consider for the student, but if you are teaching your child, then you need to have a curriculum that you feel comfortable teaching. Figure out what your teaching style is and try to find something that fits your teaching style and your child’s learning style. There is something out there for everyone; you just have to find it.

7. Browse Course Options

What are the must-have courses for you and your child? Not every curriculum will offer art or music. Is religion an important class for your family? You might have to search for a curriculum that has all of the class options that your family wants and needs. Keep in mind that you might really have to do some digging to find the perfect curriculum.

We know that homeschooling parents have a lot on their plate. These tips should help you determine the best homeschooling curriculum for your student, yourself, and your whole family.

Truth among the stuff of life

Creating our “gap year” curriculum

When we decided to withdraw our kids for their 4th and 6th grade year this year, I barely knew where to start. Choosing the right curriculum and method for your students can make or break your school year.

The pressure was compounded for me since we are not planning to homeschool indefinitely. We are open to it, but we plan to take it year by year. So our curriculum needs to be close enough to what their classmates will be learning in public school so that they will not need remediation when they return.

My process may be entirely different from yours, but perhaps seeing how I broke down the decision making can help you.

The first step was to ask my experienced homeschooling friends to just point me in a direction. Then I searched the school district’s general plan for the grades I will be teaching. And then I read and watched so many reviews of particular curriculum.

Ask for help

Thankfully the Internet connects us to people from all walks of life, right? I went to friends who have taught their kids for at least a few years, and who have children around the same age as mine. “What curriculum do you like?” Their recommendations carried more weight than those of internet strangers.

Next, there are gobs of curriculum review videos available. If you start leaning toward one math book or another, search for reviews of that book. When you keep hearing about some curriculum, watch reviews. Honestly, I like watching “why we stopped using ___ and why” style reviews. I want to know why people chose not to continue the same series for a second year. Their reason might convince me or it might not matter to me.

There are also Facebook groups of all kinds. Search “curriculum for sale” in your county. There are homeschool groups online. Ask questions. Something I’ve observed with gratitude is that good homeschool moms love to teach–even newbies who sound like puppies lost on the vast sea of homeschool possibilities.

If there is a certain style of homeschool or curriculum or special need that you are interested in, search for a group around that series. There is sometimes nothing more helpful than being able to ask a specific question and have a few experienced parents say, “I’ve been there and here’s what I did…”

Hint: if you are asking questions, do a little bit of searching first, so you have specific questions besides, “Help! How do I teach my kid?!” And be clear on the front end about what grade, age, subject you are asking about.

Compare and contrast curriculum options to state standards of learning

After dipping my toes in the water, I went to the county website to review the Academic Standards for each subject and each grade. This is based off the state’s educational standards.

If you want to make sure your kids are staying on track with their public school classmates, search “[your state]’s educational standards” and you’ll find it pretty quickly. In fact, as I wrote this paragraph I just found a great curriculum map for Georgia’s standards. (Thanks, Joy, for sending me the detailed Social Studies maps for the girls!)

Now. I realize these standards refer to Common Core. Some people have very strong feelings about Common Core, and honestly, I’m not one of them. Common Core is often vilified among conservative circles as having hidden agendas and complicated math. Really, the basic concept is that all the states in the U.S. use the same pattern and goals for each grade. This is what I’m using as a guide for the scope of their entire educational career. If my kids need to learn Astronomy this year so that they aren’t lost next year when they go back, then we will cover Astronomy. This avoids redundancy and missing whole topics of study.

The goal is to serve my kids and equip them for success–not to entertain any dreams I might have of “the right way to homeschool.”

When I was homeschooled, we changed curriculum so frequently that somehow I learned about the ancient civilizations for several years yet never learned about modern history. It is a huge gap. To be honest, I am looking forward to learning our Social Studies material this year because it will fill in so many holes in general world history knowledge.

If you plan to keep homeschooling for a while, you can jump on one of the programs that runs through a several year cycle, or can choose to focus on material that’s entirely different from what your school district does. That is the beauty of homeschooling. You are now the boss of your school.

Take notes, buy books

I used my calendar, which I wasn’t using to keep track of anything else, to jot down the books and programs that sounded promising, for one kid or the other. And I wrote down the YouTube channels that were helpful. I checked off the subjects for each of my kids as I found and ordered the materials we needed.

Most of my books have come from Christianbook.com. They usually have free shipping for orders over $35, and something is always on sale. Anything that wasn’t on sale that I knew I wanted, I just left in my cart for a while until it became 30% off.

Meanwhile I kept my eyes on the Facebook groups for used books. I’ve checked it a few times a week. We chose a couple of things based on what was available for $25 and 20 minutes of driving, instead of $60 and a few weeks of waiting.

I have noticed that there are a lot of books on backorder from the publishers, which is kind of wild. These are unprecedented times, after all!

And then… start.

We plan to start on August 12, when the schools around us start. (They will be beginning digitally, and then plan to bring a few classes at a time, until later this year everyone is in school. We shall see.) I am not quite ready, but nearly all my books are here or on their way. But without a start date, I could prepare indefinitely.

As the chief administrator and director of your educational establishment (your homeschool), you get to decide how you start, when you start, and how much work you do each day. Don’t have your science books yet? That’s fine – start without science. Kids in school do not do every subject every single day.

As I’ve planned, it has been important for me to step back periodically. Since I spent a good deal of the weekdays trying to figure out our goals and needs and requirements, on the weekends I chose not to open any of those tabs on my computer.

I could very easily obsess over making sure everything is thought of and covered and that I have every book we need before we start. But the truth is that if God is calling us to this new venture, He can provide what we need to complete it.

A post is coming shortly with the specifics of what we have and why we chose it. And what is still undergoing construction.

June 17, 2020 by Melissa

Confused by all the homeschool curriculum choices? Choose the perfect homeschool curriculum for a large family with these seven simple steps!

*This contains affiliate links. See full disclosure below.

The key to choosing homeschool curriculum is knowing your children, the way your home runs, and knowing yourself. We know that just because a curriculum or method works for one child, that does not mean it will work for another. The same is true with larger families. One style of teaching or curriculum may work well for one family and not the next.

Homeschool Mom Gear!

How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum for a Large Family

What does each individual child need?

Even though we are homeschooling our children together, they each have very individual needs and learning styles. Some have strengths in areas where others have weaknesses. Ask yourself these questions:

• Do any of your children have learning disabilities?
• Do you have special needs children?
• What are each child’s strengths and weaknesses?
• What is each child’s learning style?
• Do you have gifted children that need to be challenged?

What are your homeschool needs as a family?

Even though our children may be in different grades or age groups, they may be able to work together on some subjects? Sometimes an older child can help a younger child with phonics, reading or early math.

• Can any of your children work independently?
• Are their pairs that work well together?
• Do you have an older child that likes to work with the younger ones?
• Do your children get along well enough to work together?
• What subjects could be overlapped one room schoolhouse style?
• Could they be split and grouped by age ranges for certain subjects?

What homeschooling space do your have to work with?

This is a more logistical consideration, but it is important nonetheless. Some curricula require lots of read aloud time while others require heavy independent work. Some require lots of hands-on activities while others offer more of a written or workbook approach. Still others require the gathering of lots of resources while others could be completely online or in a DVD format.

• Do you have a space that will accommodate you and all of your students at the same time?
• Do you have storage space for materials?
• Do you have outdoor spaces for nature walks?
• Do you have equipment for online or DVD driven courses?

Family Style Homeschool Curriculum Options

Assuming for the sake of time and expense, you will choose a curriculum with a multi-age or one room schoolhouse approach, you will need to search out the available options and determine the one that is the best fit for your family. There are several curriculum companies that offer at least one multi-age option. Some of our favorites are:

How much does homeschool curriculum cost?

The price of curriculum varies as much as the kinds of curricula available. Budget is always an important factor in choosing homeschool curriculum, especially for a larger family. There are three approaches you can take when purchasing curriculum:

• Purchase a separate curriculum for each child.
• Purchase separate grade level packages from the same vendor than can be handed down to other children.
• Purchase a multi age level curriculum that can be used for all children at once.

Parents always have the option to evaluate each child and purchase curriculum tailored to each child’s learning style and preferences. As I said before, there are many options.

You can also find one vendor that offers a product that you like and purchase the different curriculum packs for each age you are schooling. Many times these packs will have non-consumable materials that can be handed down through the years. This will save some expense.

The third option is by far the most budget friendly, and offers the most time savings in the daily routine. Purchasing a multi-age curriculum allows you to teach subjects like history, science, bible, art and music appreciation to multiple age levels at one time, thus decreasing your time spent teaching.

How long does it take to homeschool?

We could all use more time in the day for homeschooling. It seems that I am never able to accomplish all that I want to with my children in a given day or even a school year. Evaluating my time and schedule before each school year helps me choose the curriculum that I will attempt to incorporate for a given year. Before purchasing a curriculum, ask yourself these questions:

• How many hours each day to I have to be actively engaged in the homeschooling process?
• How many hours does each child have?
• Which subjects can be managed independently by each child?
• Which subjects require my active involvement with each child?

I keep in mind all that I need to accomplish in my homeschool day by providing each child with a simple weekly assignment sheet. This helps the older children manage some of their activities without me.

What is your homeschool style?

When choosing a curriculum it is important to know your own personality. Some curricula offer a clearly defined, rigid schedule where others are more flexible. Some are designed almost entirely around literature. Sometimes the best fitting curriculum for a family is the one that lends itself well to mom’s personality.

• Are you a read aloud mom?
• Do you need heavy structure to keep your day moving?
• Do you work best in a less restricted schedule?
• Do you need a strong lesson plan for each day?
• Do you work better one on one with your children or in a group?

Homeschool Curriculum We Use and Recommend

Free Printable Homeschool Assignment Calendar

How many children are you choosing curriculum for this year? I would love to hear about your choices in the comments on in my facebook community here.

To start homeschooling, you need homeschool curriculum. But how do you choose?

In this part of the world we are blessed with an abundance of homeschooling resources. There is a wealth of free information online and with the click of a button you can have homeschool curriculum shipped to your door the next day. But with so much available, many mothers feel overwhelmed.

When you’re learning how to start homeschooling, it is difficult to decide which one to go for. How do you choose between them all? They all look so good! Right?

In episode 26 of the Raising Mums podcast, I talk LIVE on Facebook and Instagram about what you need to think about when you start homeschool curriculum shopping. I also teach you the three things you need to think about before you buy anything!

If you want to know which homeschool curriculum to chose for your children,

How to Start Homeschooling Course

Launch your Homeschool is an online course designed to help Muslim families who want to start homeschooling. It will guide you as you navigate and design your own path home-education. Built upon a foundation of Islamic values, and the framework of the Charlotte Mason Philosophy, I’ll be there supporting you step-by-step!

I strongly believe that there is no one-size-fits-all curriculum for homeschooling. So in this program, I give you the tools you need to find your own way, based upon your values, your unique children, and your family dynamics.

A large part of learning how to start homeschooling is the planning. That’s why I’ve dedicated several modules in the course to Homeschool planning and time management; so that you can begin your homeschooling journey positively and with confidence.

I also go into detail about common mistakes homeschoolers make in their first year so you can avoid them!

The aim is for everyone who enrols in the Launch Your Homeschool course to go from feeling overwhelmed, unsure and confused; to confident, excited and well prepared for coming homeschool year.

Sign up for our FREE Resources Library!

You’ll get access to HUNDREDS of FREE Educational Resources to use with your family!

How to Choose a Homeschool Curriculum
The Happy Homeschool

One of the best pieces of advice I received about teaching my own children was that the parent-child relationship far outweighs any curriculum choice. To put it another way, there is probably no really good or bad curriculum choice that the parent-child dynamic will not supersede. If the parent is engaging with the child, considering the needs of the child, and paying attention to the learning progress of the child, any curriculum will be a springboard for your child’s education. On the flip-side, if you browbeat the child with a schedule and comparative results, or neglect relationship and discussion, then even a well designed curriculum will likely leave a child unmotivated and detached from learning.

Curriculum can seem like the lifeline to expertise and comprehensive teaching, but this is only possibly true at higher levels of some specialized subjects. Even then, it can become an unnecessary burden if approached in a dry classroom style. But it also depends on what is meant by curriculum.

Broadly speaking, curriculum can mean any material that is used to guide or supplement an area of study. In this sense, it can include basically any book, video, discussion, or activity outline. However, many people think of curriculum as a pre-packaged set of resources that cover all educational subjects expected or required at a given age. This leads to false expectations and many frustrations for homeschool families.

It helps to remember that most people think of curriculum in terms of what has become typical for a Prussian-modeled public school classroom. (If you are new to this, you may not know that the American institutional school model was very purposefully modeled after the Prussian one.) Such a classroom has far too many students for one teacher to significantly interact with on a personal level. Besides which, that is not the point of the system. The system wants impersonal uniformity and compliance.

There can be only minor adjustments made for individuals or the classroom system breaks down. Every child needs to be moving along at basically the same pre-determined pace, learning information deemed important by government bureaucrats, and getting test scores that show the information is being appropriately absorbed. There is just enough foundational education mixed in to make the propaganda palatable. And it takes several hours every day to make this work.

There is NO need to mimic this in a home setting! To do so is akin to running your family life after an orphanage model. Would you leave your child locked in their bedroom until some neighborhood-wide bell rang for the next activity of the day? Would you feed your child only what all the other families on the block are feeding their children, according to a government approved menu. Well, some people obviously will, because either they don’t want to think or they get convinced some faraway person somehow knows what is best for everyone. But if you are homeschooling, you are already realizing this isn’t right. You know your family and your child have unique qualities, abilities, and interests.

For these reasons, after the first couple years of homeschooling, I evaluated learning materials differently. Here are some of my basic guidelines for using anything thought of as curriculum:

A. Young children, roughly up to age 8, need little or no formal study material. If you provide them with interesting books, read many of those books with them, and give them access to interaction with the real world, they will happily learn many foundational things. (I will plan future posts about specific things I used, but to include that here would make this post too long).

B. The goal of learning is understanding and application, not checking off boxes in a curriculum’s list of goals and activities.

C. The more pre-packaged a curriculum is, the less it encourages thinking, evaluating, and problem solving.

D. No curriculum has to be used a certain way, even if it claims such a thing. Fit the curriculum to the child, not the child to the curriculum.

E. Curriculum tends to abnormally segment life, so feel free to re-attach it across “subject” lines.

F. In this segmentation, curriculum makes learning longer and tedious because it misses opportunities to smoothly segue into other areas of learning.

G. No curriculum has to be finished in a certain amount of time. Guiding or training children in diligence and the benefits of continuity should be separated from unimportant administrative goals of meeting schedules or impressing onlookers.

H. Testing is of value only to help a child or tutor/parent evaluate comprehension or to plan future learning strategies. If a curriculum stresses testing, do not be tempted to emphasize that or teach to the test. And don’t move on just because a test score is good enough. Proceed when it is best for the child.

I. Grades are also an unproductive measure of or help in learning, especially for young children. Grades imply things like accepting a low, but somehow acceptable, level of understanding and still moving on; then oddly expecting the child to grasp future concepts well. Or grades can give a child the impression that that is the goal of learning, which often leads a child to miss both the joy and depth of a subject.

J. Curriculum tends to provide a lot of busy work. This should be avoided. Busy work is there to fill time in the classrooms and to make the course look like it is worth more money.

K. No curriculum can substitute for real life experience and good discussions.

It is easy as a homeschooling parent to feel pressure to be able to exhibit that he or she is teaching correctly, because, “see this curriculum just like what the schools use?” It is better to understand and be able to cheerfully explain why teaching your children at home is better for them than anything a classroom can offer. Classroom style, pre-packaged curriculum is the only way an institutional school can function, but that does nothing to recommend it. There are more effective and personal opportunities possible in the home setting. Let your curriculum choices reflect that.

Curriculum. There is just something about that word that makes me want to get on my computer and start researching and reading reviews. I love reading reviews about different curriculums and resources to use for my homeschool.

The amount of homeschool curriculum options we have available to us today is a blessing, but it can also be very overwhelming. So, how do we choose the perfect homeschool curriculum? Now I realize that perfect is a strong word. But I do believe it is possible to pick out a curriculum that even if not absolutely perfect, will be a really great fit for your family.

Decide on your homeschool style.

One of the best ways to narrow your curriculum search is to know your homeschool style, also referred to as your homeschool method, philosophy or approach. There are five main homeschooling styles:

• Traditional: Often referred to as school at home. Uses textbooks, workbooks, and tests. Usually, aligns with what the schools are teaching.
• Classical: Teaches children based on the three stages of learning: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Emphasizes repetition and memorization of facts, Latin, and the great books. Teaches the seven liberal arts: grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy.
• Charlotte Mason: Uses living (real) books, not textbooks. Learning through narration, copy work, dictation, and real-life experiences. Emphasizes habit training, short lessons, and nature study.
• Unit Studies: The whole family learns together. Thematic teaching of multiple subjects to multiple ages at the same time. Uses a lot of hands-on and multi-sensory activities.
• Unschooling: Emphasizes child-led learning where the child decides what and when they learn. Does not usually follow a strict schedule or a specific curriculum.

There are multiple curriculum options for each of these styles, so if you know your style then you can narrow your focus to the curriculums that align with that style. A lot of homeschool moms categorize themselves as eclectic, meaning their style is a combination of two or more methods. If you categorize yourself as eclectic you should still be able to eliminate some curriculums that do not fit with your style at all. If you don’t know your style check out this homeschool style quiz.

Choose your subjects.

Depending on where you live, your state may have specific requirements about what subjects you must teach. So, first make sure you know what your state requires. Next, you need to decide what is important to you. If you use the classical style of homeschooling, you are most likely going to incorporate Latin at some point. Are you planning on sending your kids to public or private school at some point in the future? If so, then you probably want to make sure you teach the same subjects and topics they do. This is where it helps for you to have a vision for your homeschool.

Personalities and Preferences

Your personality is probably going to play a part in which homeschool style you follow, but there are other aspects of your personality to consider.

Do you love planning or does the thought of planning make you stressed? If you hate planning, there are boxed curriculums available that have every subject for the entire year planned out for you. If you prefer to do more of your own planning you might want to piece your curriculum together using resources from different companies. Most curriculums do come with some sort of guide but you can always make changes so it fits your family.

Do you love crafts and hands-on projects or do you cringe at the thought? If craft projects cause you more stress than joy, then you don’t want to pick a curriculum that relies heavily on those types of activities.

What is your teaching style? Do you enjoy being the authority and teaching lessons to your kids or would you prefer to act more as a guide or even as a fellow learner with your children?

A curriculum that is mostly teacher led is going to require more of you. That might work if you are only homeschooling one child and like to be in a teacher role, but if you are homeschooling more than one child you don’t want everything to be teacher intensive. This will wear you out and won’t give your child a chance to practice working independently.

Determine your budget.

Your budget is also a determining factor for which curriculum you use. Most boxed curriculums that include material for every subject are usually very expensive. Buying resources individually can also add up quickly. This is why it is important for you to know what your budget is. Some curriculums may be out of your price range and that’s okay. There are plenty of other options.

However, if you do have your heart set on a specific curriculum there are ways to get curriculum cheaper. You can buy used curriculum on eBay and even Facebook. A lot of curriculum publishers will run sales on their resources throughout the year. Sign up for their email list and keep an eye out for sales or discounts. You can also find a lot of curriculums at deep discounts through the Homeschool Buyers Co-Op.

Read curriculum reviews.

Now that you know your homeschool style, the subjects you’re going to teach and your budget, it’s time to read reviews of curriculums. You can find reviews for probably any curriculum or resource you want. Cathy Duffy has reviews of hundreds of curriculums and resources on her website. You can also find curriculum reviews from other homeschool moms that have used the curriculums at Homeschool Reviews. Of course, you can always do a search for a review on a specific product.

A few final thoughts.

Choosing your homeschool curriculum can be both exciting and overwhelming. Using the guidelines outlined above can simplify the process and help you select a curriculum that will be the best fit for your family.

A word of caution. Hold your curriculum loosely. Your curriculum is a tool to help you homeschool, it is not your master. Don’t be afraid to tweak a curriculum to fit your family or to even stop using a curriculum if it is not working.

What are your favorite tips for choosing curriculum? Leave them in the comment section below.

I’m Cherryl, a former public school teacher turned homeschool mom. My husband, Nic, and I are high school sweethearts and we have three children: a 6-year-old son, a 4-year-old daughter, and a 1-year-old daughter. But most importantly, I am a follower of Jesus Christ, who I try to glorify in all that I do. I’m passionate about homeschooling and will talk about it to anyone who will listen (just ask my family). We are in our second year of homeschooling and are loving it! Find me at

STEP 3-HOW TO FIND A CURRICULUM

A curriculum is the set of tools that you use to teach with. Picking a curriculum is one of the hardest parts when you first start to homeschool. There are just so many choices available and companies more than willing to take your money. There are religious and secular curriculums. There are online and print based curriculums. There are literally HUNDREDS of them to choose from. A quick search on Google will make even the calmest of us get freaked out with all the choices.

Here is what I suggest. Figure out what you want to teach. For a lot of people, that is ‘grade level curriculum’. Figure out how best your child learns. You can google for “learning styles inventory” to learn more. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a site that I think is a good recommendation. But simply, if your kid is a workbook learner, look for those. Alot of kids like those “Everything You Need to Know For Grade _” ones that you can buy at Costco. My kids learn best online. I like that I don’t have to grade or plan. The program does it for me. The program also gives me a nice little scope and sequence and monthly report that I can print for my records. (Don’t worry, Nevada does not require you to submit a portfolio, I just like to) For that reason, we use Time4Learning My oldest wants more math then that so we also use Math-U-See which is DVD/workbook based. He really likes it. My younger didn’t. It is important to realize that you don’t have to pick just one company. Mix and match to get what your kids need. It is also important to remember that works for your kids this year may not next. We do a lot of real life activities. We go on tons of ‘fieldtrips’ and read lots of books. We do a lot of science experiments (mentos and diet coke, anyone?)

Reading other peoples experience with curriculum will save you a lot of time and money. I recommend that you join this Yahoo Group: A Homeschool Review to get more advice. It is an active group with lots of discussion. Don’t try to take it all in at once. In fact, what I do is wait until something interests us then I go there to search for discussions on it.

Here are some of the big names in homeschool curriculum right now in no particular order:

• Time4Learning – online program that my kids use. I highly recommend this.
• Math-U-See- DVD/Workbook/Manipulative’s based. I think it is great program.
• K12 – online curriculum. Very comprehensive. Nevada Virtual Academy uses this.
• Singapore Math- I *believe* this is a more advanced math curriculum but I don’t have experience with it. It has a good reputation among homeschoolers.
• Sonlight Curriculum – Christian based complete curriculum.
• ABeka-Christian based complete curriculum.
• Alpha Omega-Christian based complete curriculum.

In addition, there are two Learning Stores in town where you can go and look at things. Neither of them carry the above curriculums (that I know of) but they have lots of things you can piece together yourself.

• Lakeshore Learning-I think this is the better of the two companies we have here for homeschoolers. The have a lot of hands on activities and my boys will look around here more as it is child friendly. I have been told the manager is a homeschool mom.
• Learning is Fun-This has long been nicknamed by teachers as “Learning is Expensive”. This is truly a classroom teachers store. They cater to that market. That is not to say that you can’t find some great stuff there. I have, but as a former teacher I am very used to the way the store is laid out. My kids don’t like coming with me to this one.

There are also two public schools in the area that operate “Virtual Schools”. You should know that these are public schools and come with the restrictions that public schools do: mandatory attendance, testing and assignments. For some people these schools are a great service. Others hate them because they are not true homeschooling.

• Nevada Virtual Academy-I have looked into the Nevada Virtual Academy and decided that it wouldn’t work for my family. That doesn’t mean it won’t work for you though. If you want the K12 Curriculum but price is an issue, this is an option.
• Odyssey Charter School-I have never looked closely at this but I have a friend who had her two kids in it and was very happy with the program.

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How to choose the best homeschool curriculum for your family and their needs.

Homeschooling is simply teaching your children at home but there are a thousand ways to get this done.

You may have a variety of different needs based on your location, your personality, how your children learn and your budget.

There shouldn’t be any shame in what style you choose to homeschool or what curriculum you use.

Often moms can feel pressure from other homeschool families to “do what they’re doing” and conform.

Here are some things to consider when choosing your homeschool curriculum.

How to choose the best homeschool curriculum for your family.

What is your homeschool style?

Curriculums range from textbooks and workbooks to unit studies and hands-on projects.

You will need to take into consideration your needs and how your children love to learn.

I personally can’t handle a project for every single subject. We usually pick a subject like science or history for hands-on learning.

I’m not a huge crafty/experient mom so it’s important for me to account for this before I pick a curriculum.

Other curriculums are very reading heavy and can be hard for struggling learners.

What is your homeschool budget?

I recommend setting aside a budget for your homeschool. Many families use a portion of their tax return to purchase what they need for the year.

That being said, you can homeschool on the cheap or spend thousands per year.

Sites like Easy Peasy Homeschool provide completely free education that is very rigorous and all you need is internet access.

Other curriculum companies like Sonlight provide extensive book packages for the year but can run up to $1000 depending on what package you purchase.

For our family, I normally spend about $1000 per year to homeschool all 4 kids.

This amount varies depending on what I can find used or books I can reuse on my bookshelf.

I could absolutely homeschool way cheaper but I choose not to because I am a curriculum addict.

You need to decide what an appropriate budget for your family is and that needs to include extracurricular items like piano lessons, art lessons, sports, field trips, and school supplies.

What is your homeschool teaching style?

What curriculum you use will greatly depend on how you like to teach and the amount of parent-directed time you want to do.

Some curriculums like Christian Light Education are written to your child and can be done mostly individually with you checking the work at the end of school time.

Other curriculums like My Father’s World are parent-led and you will need to guide and teach out of the teachers manual for the majority of the lesson.

I like to visualize how the school time will run and see how much time I have to actively sit down with my children and work with them.

Can you just supervise them and answer questions while working on the computer or do you want to be teaching the whole time?

For younger children, you will be heavily involved no matter what curriculum you choose as they learn to write and read.

Another thing to consider is how scripted you want the lessons to be. Personally I don’t want the teachers manual to tell me exactly what to say word for word.

Many new homeschool parents appreciate having exactly what to say included though.

Before purchasing a homeschool curriculum

Before purchasing a curriculum, try to see a sample lesson and visualize what it would be like in your household.

Are you teaching the whole time?

Can the kids work independently?

Does it come with everything you need or do you have to source library books?

It can be helpful to ask other homeschool parents or ask in a Facebook group what they think of a curriculum.

You don’t want a huge surprise after you purchase an entire year’s worth of something.

Try to attend a homeschool convention

It can be helpful to look at curriculum choices in person to get a feel for what you are buying.

Try to attend a convention if you are able or at least a used homeschool book sale so you can get the curriculum in your hands.

Before purchasing anything I always find an online sample or email and ask for a sample to see what the lesson would look like.

If every other page is a project or craft, it’s not going to work for my family.

Usually, you can give a sample to your kids to see how they react as well.

Remember, you will be using this curriculum the entire year (except for if you hate it and decide to buy something else).

You have total freedom to chuck any curriculum out the window (or sell it) and try something else that will work better for your family.

Sometimes we go through seasons where a certain book doesn’t work for us but I find if I pull it out later, it is the right time.

Good Curriculum for Beginner Homeschoolers

What are my other top curriculum picks?

Christian Light Education for workbook-style/ independent learning.

Abeka Books for the most “school like material”.

BJU Press is also similar to traditional schools with great Christian content.

Christian Liberty Press uses a variety of publishers and has some workbooks of their own. Some homeschools just order their lesson plans because they are simple and inexpensive.

Gather ‘Round which is a new unit study curriculum by HomeschoolOn which I love and have a full review in the link above.

Easy Peasy Homeschool is an online curriculum that is free for anyone to use for any grade. The content is very rigorous in my opinion and a great option for those on a budget.

Power Homeschool is an online video curriculum covering all grades but perfect for older grades needing video for those harder math and science lessons. They cover every subject as well as electives.

The Good and the Beautiful is known for their language arts but does have great history and science as well. Language arts grades 1-5 are currently free to download and use but can be purchased as well.

Master Books provides a variety of homeschool curriculum and I have written reviews on their Language Arts for a Living Education and Math Lessons for a Living Education.

These are just a few of the wonderful curriculums available to homeschoolers.

How to choose the best homeschool curriculum for your family depends on your style, budget, and personality.

Select from K-12 courses and curriculum kits.

Our total care accredited academy programs offer an all-inclusive homeschool solution.

This section is for our school partners and families. You can view our products and place an order.

Choose individual courses, full-year kits or academy programs.

Explore independent textbook or online courses, full year kits or a Total Care program.

Earn high school credit independently or enroll in Bridgeway’s private homeschool program.

How to Choose the Perfect Homeschool Curriculum

By Cheri Stutzman, November 5, 2019

Choosing a homeschool curriculum can be a daunting task. There are hundreds of different programs out there all advertising to be the best. You want the right program for your kids, but which one do you choose?

Good question! Here are some things you can ask to help you narrow down your options and choose the perfect program for your kids.

Does it match your child’s learning style?

Every child learns differently; your kids are no exception! Maybe your first grader is extremely active and can’t sit still for hours at a time. They might be a kinesthetic learner and need a program that keeps them active and engaged. Your fifth grader, on the other hand, might be a visual learner, learning best through books or textbooks.

Knowing your child’s learning styles will help you narrow down curriculum options so you can find one that will help them learn best. You wouldn’t want to choose a textbook-based program for your kinesthetic learner and a program geared toward auditory learners for your visual learner. Try to match the program with your child’s learning styles and it will help your school year fly by smoother.

Don’t know your child’s learning style? Discover it using our Learning Style Assessment!

What do you want your year to look like?

Homeschooling will look different for every family. Before you start looking for a curriculum, decide what you want your school year to look like. Do you want it to be more traditional? Or do you want your kids to have more freedom and learn through life and play?

Different homeschool programs will cater to different homeschooling styles, and you want to make sure you choose one that matches your vision for the year.

What are your child’s needs?

Every child has different strengths and weaknesses, and you should choose a program geared toward those. Do they struggle with numbers and math? Pick a curriculum that breaks down math concepts in an understandable way to help them fully comprehend what they are learning. Or maybe your child is the opposite and loves math. Look into math curricula that are harder and will challenge him/her. There are hundreds of different curriculum options that cover a wide range of levels; your job is to choose which one will help your child learn best.

How much time do you have to invest?

Sometimes life can get in the way of homeschooling. Before you choose a homeschool curriculum, look ahead to the year or semester and determine how much time you’ll have to invest.

Do you have a lot of time to spend homeschooling? Then look for programs that allow you to interact a lot with your kids! Are you working part-time (or full-time) or involved in multiple activities? Maybe look into programs that allow your kids to learn independently, or check out Live Online Classes where the teaching and grading are done for you. Trying to do a homeschool program that involves more time than you or your kids have to invest can lead to a bumpy school year.

Does it have good reviews?

There are TONS of homeschool programs out there; some good and some not so good. Before you invest in a curriculum, read some reviews about it. What do other people say? Did they like it? What aspects were good about it and what weren’t? Many homeschool bloggers like Simple Homeschool, and YouTubers such as Homeschool On The Hill, provide detailed reviews on the curriculum they use and can help you determine whether or not it’s something that will work for your family.

It isn’t impossible to find the right homeschool curriculum for your family! Take time to research and ask questions like these to help you determine your family’s curriculum needs.

A homeschool curriculum can make your homeschool year a success or a failure. Taking the time to choose the right one from the start will help you have a successful year.

What specific things do you look for in a homeschool program? How do you choose which ones to use?

Cheri Stutzman

A Professional Writing major at Taylor University, I attribute my love of writing and words to my childhood years of homeschooling where my mother saw my love for it and encouraged it with books and blank pages of paper. Because of being homeschooled for 12 years, I know the impact homeschooling can have to help someone learn more about the world in real and meaningful ways. It developed in me a never-ending love for learning and I never tire of learning more about this wonderful world God created for us to enjoy.

This post may contain affiliate links.

It can be so easy to be overwhelmed when trying to choose the right curriculum. There are so many homeschool curriculums on the market now and it seems more are being added every year.

How are you supposed to choose the right curriculum?

I think it helps to know that there is no one perfect curriculum. What might work perfectly for one child will be a nightmare for another. The right choice for each student may vary greatly, even within the same family.

How to Choose the Right Curriculum

I follow this process every time I need to choose a new curriculum.

This process helps me stay focused on the true goal, identifying a curriculum that will best support my learner. Otherwise, it is all too easy to get distracted by new teacher’s guides with colorful shiny covers.

I am rarely happy with products chosen haphazardly.

The goal with these steps is to reduce a large number of options down to two or three. The number of options will shrink with each completed step, making it easier to choose the right curriculum. Once you only have a few options in mind, try the homeschool curriculum for free to see if it is a good fit.

Set a price limit

The very first step is to decide what you are willing and able to spend. Expensive does not always mean better.

Curriculums come in a huge variety of prices. Eliminating the ones that are completely outside of your budget is a great way to start narrowing down the curriculum choices.

Determine the learning style

I believe that matching a student’s learning style to the instructional method can go a long way in making subjects easier and more enjoyable.

In my education major days, I was taught to teach each objective in a variety of learning styles to accommodate all of the students. Luckily, in my homeschool I’m only teaching two kids, not 20, so I don’t need to touch on every learning style.

To determine your child’s learning style check out The Learning Style Quiz available at Homeschool On.

This is the point in the homeschool curriculum search where I ask my children for input. For example, I am currently considering all of our math options for next year. I asked Hannah what types of math lessons are the easiest for her to follow. She told me that she finds lots of text on a computer screen distracting. I wouldn’t have known this important bit of information if I hadn’t asked.

Identify educational goals

What do you want to accomplish while using the curriculum? Some curriculums are naturally more rigorous than others. Either option is fine, but it is important to know what you want out of a curriculum.

If you want lessons that are academically rigorous and that pushes your child to dive deep into subject matter, you won’t be happy with curriculums that just brush the surface.

At the same time, if you want a curriculum that provides a wide sampling of a lot of topics, you won’t like a curriculum that focuses heavily on a narrow range of content. It is much easier to choose the right curriculum if you know what you want.

This is the point in the process where you need to consider:

• educational philosophies (Charlotte Mason vs Classical, etc.)
• spiral or mastery
• narrow or wide focus (ex. – reptiles vs zoology)

Try a sample lesson

At this final step in the homeschool curriculum selection process you should have narrowed down the possibilities to just a few final choices. Before committing time, energy, and money to a particular curriculum, spend a little time with a few sample lessons.

Many companies now offer a few samples on their websites. Go through the lesson yourself and with the intended student and ask yourself a few questions:

• Are the teaching instructions clear?
• Does the lesson make sense to the student?
• What is the time commitment for each lesson?
• If the program is online, are there any connectivity issues?
• Does your student want to try more lessons?
• What is the gut feeling about sample lesson?

One final note: Don’t be afraid to change curriculums.

Life can throw curve balls that require different budgets, different instructional methods, and even different technology. If what you are using is working – great. If not, consider a change. Homeschoolers have the benefit of not being tied down to any particular curriculum.

How do you choose the right homeschool curriculum for your family?

June is a great time to decide the best homeschool curriculum, books and other items you need for your upcoming year. But it can be overwhelming, with everyone telling you their curriculum is the best.

I remember laying out books and catalogs all over the floor, trying to decide which one is best for our homeschool. Can you relate? (Back then, we did not have the internet to watch videos or see samples)

I want to help you avoid my frustration with my “blueprint” to choose what is best for your homeschool . . . not your best friend’s homeschool, not your co-op friend’s homeschool . . . but YOUR homeschool. One size does NOT fit all!

That’s why I’m hosting a free workshop on Tuesday, June 9 to share my secrets and blueprint on how I chose the right books, resources and curriculum for our family.

Now . . . take a moment to reserve your seat for this outstanding free workshop. Or, read on if you’re still unsure.

To help me prepare, would you share what is the hardest part of finding what works well for your kids and your family?

How to Choose the BEST for YOUR Homeschool

June 9, 2020
You can choose which time slot is best for your schedule:

2pm EDT / 1pm CDT / 12noon MDT / 11am PDT
5pm EDT / 4pm CDT / 3pm MDT / 2pm PDT
9pm EDT / 8pm CDT / 7pm MDT / 6pm PDT

You may watch the workshop at either of the time periods above – whenever it is convenient for you.

Who should watch this workshop?

1. If you’re getting started with homeschooling, this workshop is definitely to help you choose the best homeschool curriculum for YOU!
2. If you need help or always asking someone which curriculum, resource or class to use in your homeschool.
3. If you’ve been homeschooling for awhile and don’t have a blueprint or formula for choosing your curriculum, classes or books, this is for you, too.

What will YOU discover?

I’ll be sharing tips that you can take and use immediately after the workshop!

• How to get started homeschooling with the BEST homeschool curriculum for YOUR family
• How to be focused on what will help YOUR kids the best
• How to create an action plan for your homeschool that is BEST for You & YOUR family
• How to be effective & stay on task
• How to avoid overwhelm and burnout
• How to manage your time so you are using your time wisely with your kids & family
• How to create a blueprint to get out of your rut & guide you to the best resources for YOUR family
• How to think outside the “box” of public school
• How to hop off the treadmill & avoid the dangers of the conveyor belt
• How to follow God’s leading with your family, your kids, your homeschool
• How to create goals for each child, based on their individual needs and strengths
• How to be intentional in homeschooling your children with God’s focus for your family
• How to follow a formula that offers an elite education possible for your kiddos.

BUT, most importantly… I’ll reveal my “blueprint” for choosing what works best for each individual family.

Not only will you discover my blueprint, you’ll hear with real life examples!

In case you may be wondering why you should join me on my “How to Choose the Best for YOUR Homeschool” online workshop Tuesday, let me assure you it is simply a complimentary class that you watch on your computer ….at no cost to you!

Your children deserve more, so take it a step further this year. Give them the best books, supplies, resources and curriculum so they receive a truly, remarkable education.

Giveaway

To help you choose the best homeschool curriculum, I’m giving a copy of my Approaches to Christian Homeschooling ebook. You can enter to win below. I’ll announce the winner after the workshop.

I have limited spots for this event. So it’s a sure bet this workshop will FILL completely. Choosing the best homeschool curriculum, classes, resources & books is definitely a concern for moms, so reserve your seat here right now :

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This webpage may have affiliate links. See policy for more details.

One of the perks of homeschooling is that you have the freedom to choose your own curriculum and homeschooling style. There are a variety of options for homeschool curriculum, so much that it can become overwhelming to decide what is right for you. If you are new to homeschooling, you may be unfamiliar with some of the terms used to describe the different styles of homeschool (eclectic, classical, virtual school, unschooling, Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, Moore).

Before choosing a homeschool curriculum, it’s important to identify the homeschool style that is right for you. This will be a huge factor in which curriculum you use if any. Many families who homeschool long-term find that they work their way through different styles, so , for now, you just need to choose the style you feel the most comfortable starting with.

Table of Contents

Different Homeschooling Styles

1 School-at-Home

This style of homeschooling is what most people imagine when they think of homeschooling. School-at-home is very similar to attending public school, except that the students might have desks at home or sit at the kitchen table doing a set curriculum each day. Those who school-at-home typically purchase a full curriculum that is ready-made for them and are pretty strict about following it.

2 Virtual (Online) School

Many families are now using a virtual/online school for their studies. Technically, this is not homeschooling because the child is enrolled in a school and supervised by a teacher. However, this gives the family the freedom to have the child at home, without the responsibility of doing all of the actual teaching. It is becoming a more popular option with today’s technology.

3 Classical

This is a language and faith-based education that focuses on teaching through three stages: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. This type of education starts with grammar, moves to logic around fifth grade, and into rhetoric in high school. Many homeschool families who choose a classical education participate in the widely known co-op called Classical Conversations.

4 Montessori

Montessori traditionally means using a Montessori-trained teacher at a specific school designed for this education style, however homeschool families can implement Montessori methods. It involves giving children real-world experiences to learn from, such as cooking their own food instead of using a play kitchen. Montessori style is a holistic approach that many families choose because it prepares children overall to be independent and learn life skills they won’t learn from doing textbook work.

5 Waldorf

Divided into three stages much like Classical, Waldorf teaches in stages. This style of teaching is focused on developmental appropriateness. For example, reading is not introduced until much later than other education methods. Waldorf also doesn’t introduce technology until high school.

6 Moore

The Moore Formula was created by Raymond and Dorothy Moore, who are best known for their belief that formal education should be started later rather than earlier. Following the Moore Formula, formal learning wouldn’t begin until around the age of 8 or later.

7 Unit Studies/Interest-Led Learning

Unit Studies or Interest-Led Learning incorporates different subjects using one theme of interest. For example, if a child was interested in dinosaurs he/she would learn about math, history, science, etc. through different materials related to dinosaurs (counting dinosaurs, etc).

8 Charlotte Mason

This homeschooling style is focused on “living books” rather than textbooks. Living books are engaging and often based on the lives and events of characters. Charlotte Mason also focuses on nature, music, art, great literature, and poetry.

9 Unschooling

The definition of unschooling tends to vary from family to family, but is mostly child-led learning. The basic idea is that the child is in control of their own education, and chooses what they are interested in learning about. The parent is still very much involved and is the facilitator, but the child decides what they are interested in learning about and when.

10 Relaxed/Eclectic

Those homeschool families who tend to worry less about timelines, milestones, and schedules are relaxed homeschoolers. They use a set curriculum, but they do not follow it on an exact schedule or worry about working on each subject every day.

Deciding on the Right Homeschool Curriculum

Once you have decided which homeschooling style will fit best with your current schedule, child’s needs, personality, and family’s beliefs, you can take the next step towards choosing what curriculums or resources you’ll need to make it happen.

1. Child’s Learning Style – It’s very important to consider your child’s learning style when considering a homeschool method. All educating is much easier with a willing and enthusiastic participant. If your child learns better by doing hands-on activities, for example, you may lean more towards a Montessori approach. If your child enjoys book-work and sitting for lessons, you may choose a homeschooling style that follows an exact text-book curriculum.
2. Teaching Style – Almost as important as your child’s learning style is your teaching style. When considering a homeschooling style and curriculum, consider how you would like to teach, so you too can be enthusiastic and excited about what you are doing. This will make a big difference in your homeschooling experience.
3. Budget – While homeschooling can be done on a very small budget, there are options that are more expensive. Some curriculums are more costly but cover your entire year besides extra activities, while others have no upfront cost but you may spend more here and there throughout the year on activities and resources to fit what you’re doing at the time.
4. Time – Time is a big factor to consider when choosing a homeschool curriculum. If you plan to do a classical education, for example, you will likely spend more time per day on sit-down homeschooling than someone who is using an unschooling approach, for example.
5. Priorities per child – You will want to factor in specifics about your child including areas where they struggle or need to focus more and areas of interest. You may need to spend more time on writing or math, for example.

As you compare and decide on a homeschooling style and curriculum, it’s important to remember that homeschool is not like public school, and it doesn’t need to be just like public school. Once you choose a style and whether or not you’ll need a curriculum to go with it, proceed with an open mind. You can always change course and try something new at any time, that is the beauty of homeschooling!

WANT TO READ MORE?
You might also like: 6 Engaging Book Series for the Developing Mind.