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Choosing a Homeschool Curriculum

Finding the right curriculum

Choosing a Homeschool Curriculum If you're new to homeschooling, finding the perfect learning plan for your child can be a challenge. Most public and private schools use a formal curriculum for each student, and you may mistakenly believe you must follow that same path at home.

Families often begin homeschooling using a complete curriculum package. Many, however, find the structure or workload overwhelming and begin to experiment with different teaching methods. The trick is to find a method that accommodates your child's learning style. As you become more experienced and gain confidence, you'll discover effective teaching tools that can help your family achieve educational freedom.

Traditional teaching methods are explored here, as well as a few non-traditional approaches that may surprise you. As a homeschooling parent, you have many curriculum choices. Your children benefit when you are aware of them all.

Complete curriculum packagesWith some minor variations among suppliers, everything you need to begin schooling at home is included -- teacher guides, books, study sheets, tests, activities, report cards, etc. Completed work is mailed to an assigned teacher who corrects, comments, and grades your child. Transcripts are kept and a diploma (in most cases) is given upon completion of the program. Here is a sampling of some of the more popular home-study providers:

A Beka Correspondence Program (www.abeka.org)
Bible curriculum from a Christian perspective for grades K – 12
Provides record-keeping, textbooks and curriculum
Highly structured, weekly tests, programmed approach (drill and repetition)
Cost: $655 for grades 1 – 6; $800 grades 7 – 12

Calvert School (calvertschool.org)
Nondenominational program with a Christian flavor, emphasizing Western cultural heritage, classic art, and creative writing for grades K – 8
Provides full support services, teacher manuals, and all needed school supplies
Very hands-on for parents in the lower grades; upper grades are progressively self-instructional
Cost: approximately $550 to $900

Clonlara School Home Based Education Program (www.clonlara.org)
Progressive nonsectarian program for grades K – 12
Provides full support services, curriculum to use as a starting point, and guidebooks for choosing learning materials
Relaxed learning and individualized programs providing structure without pressure
Cost: Approximately $550 to $650

Oak Meadow School (www.oakmeadow.com)
A holistic, nonsectarian program accommodating a wide variety of learning styles for grades K – 12
Provides full support services, curriculum, and all materials; every enrolled child has a class teacher available for phone or email consultation
Hands-on learning, emphasizing imaginative activities and creative thinking
Cost: Approximately $1,000 for grades K – 8; $2,000 for high-school full correspondence program, including class teacher

Seton Home Study School (www.setonhome.org)
Catholic program, featuring academic preparation for college, for grades K – 12
Provides full record-keeping services, workbook/textbooks with Seton lesson guides, and extensive phone and mail consultation services
Textbook-oriented, emphasizing traditional Catholic values in all areas of knowledge
Cost: Approximately $500

Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd. (www.sonlight.com)
Literature-based program from a Christian perspective for grades K – 12
Provides textbooks, curriculum, and supplies
The only curricula supplier that offers an eight-week trial with full refund if not satisfied
Cost: Basic package costs approximately $600; users report purchasing additional Sonlight items, raising the costs considerably

Advantages: If you're new to homeschooling, a full curriculum package is the easiest choice. For families who wish to make religion a part of their children's education, a prepackaged curriculum from a religious supplier fits this need. If you crave structure, are uncertain about meeting your homeschooling legal requirements (the school handles all reporting requirements), or want to replicate the school model at home, then full curriculum packages are for you.

Disadvantages: These packages can be very expensive. Satisfaction levels vary. Your children may resist the structure or the program's style, and new homeschooling parents may be overwhelmed by the amount work involved. Dr. Raymond Moore, university teacher-education dean and curriculum specialist, has observed: "Parents often choose curriculum packages because that's the way they were taught. Many are uneasy with programs that encourage freedom or imagination. Yet those who use mass education (curricula) for homeschooling are the most frequent burnouts."

Combining curriculum materials and curriculum guidesCombining Curriculum Materials
After families have homeschooled for a while, they often decide they like one part of a curriculum package, but not others. Most curriculum suppliers allow you to purchase one component without buying the whole program. For instance, parents may use Calvert for math, A Beka for science, and Sonlight for literature.

The Big Book of Home Learning (Vol. 1) by Mary Pride contains a comprehensive listing of all major curriculum suppliers as well as reviews and great tips for using a curriculum. Request a catalog from those suppliers that appeal to your teaching style, or visit their websites. It's also helpful to talk with homeschooling parents, and attend curriculum fairs (traveling exhibits of curricula providers) during the year.

Advantages: This method accommodates the individual learning style of your child, while offering the assurance that you're using a recognized, certified resource. Good teaching materials are available, and you simply choose those that fit your needs. Your children are given a little more freedom, and learning is enhanced.

Disadvantages: Experience and research are required. Moving out of the "safety zone" of a full curriculum program is often a frightening experience. Costs for textbooks and supplies add up quickly. Record-keeping and meeting local homeschooling requirements become your full responsibility.

Curriculum Guides
Curriculum guides are an inexpensive alternative to curriculum packages. Nancy Plent, founder of Unschoolers Network of NJ, created the guides by compiling the curricular goals from national and state standards. Nancy gives suggestions for meeting and exceeding these school guidelines, and explains how to organize your learning experiences so they translate into subject headings local officials will recognize.

Level I Pre-K, Kindergarten, and first grade – $15
Level II Second and third grade – $15
Level III Fourth and fifth grade – $15
Level IV Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade – $22
High School - all four years – $25
Prices include postage
To order: email: [email protected] or write to Unschoolers Network, 2 Smith St., Farmingdale, NJ, 07727.

Advantages: The costs are minimal. These books serve as guides, not mandates, and individual learning styles are accommodated. You'll gain confidence as you discover you can easily accomplish a year's worth of learning at home.

Disadvantages: You have responsibility for obtaining all materials, record-keeping, and coordinating your child's learning program. You are also responsible for meeting local homeschooling requirements.

Create your own course of studyThis is not as difficult as it sounds. There are several approaches to curriculum development for the "do it yourself" homeschooling parent.

Traditional (Classroom in the Home) Approach:
If you wish to replicate the school environment in your home and provide a classical education for your children, read The Well Trained Mind: A Parents' Guide to Classical Education by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. This book introduces the techniques, curriculum, and resources you'll need for an academically rigorous, comprehensive education for your child. Its highly structured learning approach has been a hit with many homechooling families.

Rebecca Rupp's book, Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School is another excellent resource. Less rigid in approach than The Well Trained Mind, it's also more accessible. The author recommends quality books (available from the library), as well as games and websites as part of her program.

Non-Traditional (Unschooled) Approach:
When asked how to develop a curriculum, Pat Montgomery, founder of the Clonlara School, (see previous listing) replied, "The question is not 'How?' but 'Why?'" In The Homeschooling Book of Answers, by Linda Dobson, Ms. Montgomery explains her position: "Many home-education parents accept the myth that educating is about curriculum, textbooks, tests, and lesson plans, the trappings of institutional schools. I submit that the design of a child's education ought to be about the child. What are his interests? Her needs? His capabilities?"

But if you don't use a comprehensive curriculum, how will you know what to teach your children? Parents who follow this model agree that a child's education should be about the child. Curious children give us all the guidelines we need. Dobson's book urges us to purchase learning tools rather than toys for holiday and gift giving. Surround your children with beautiful books, useful materials, and perhaps a garden. Provide a rich and varied learning environment, and oblige their requests to build, paint, create and, yes, make a mess.

You may wonder how you will meet your state's legal reporting requirements if you choose this method. Experienced parents have achieved success by using the curriculum guides, which double as record-keepers and help you organize your child's learning experiences into an acceptable format that meets most homeschool requirements.

This is by no means a "hands off" approach to learning. It is a process that lets parents disregard those elements in a traditional education that are not particularly relevant to their children, while giving them the freedom to explore, develop, and grow according to their own inner timetables. John Holt promoted this learning style, better known as "unschooling" with his books Freedom and Beyond, How Children Fail, and How Children Learn.

Online Curriculum Resources
LauraMaery Gold and Joan M. Zielinski provide a 40-page listing of online curricula recommendations and tips in their book, Homeschool Your Child For Free. Core knowledge, scope and sequence outlines, lesson plans, worksheets, placement tests, unit studies, and even field trips are covered. The remaining 435 pages contain over 1,000 practical resources for home education on the Internet.

Advantages:
You and your family get to choose what approach offers the best learning opportunities. The traditional, structured approach provides a high-quality, school-type education at home for your child. The unschooler approach encourages self-discovery and inspired learning every day. The online curriculum resources enable you to supplement any of the aforementioned methods or create a specialized online course of study.

Disadvantages:
You may be afraid of making the wrong choice and would prefer others to make curricula decisions for you. With a structured, "school-at-home" approach, younger children often have difficulty focusing and memorizing the required blocks of information. Like their schooled peers, behavioral problems can develop, and a resistance to learning emerges. For unschoolers, children often learn beautifully, but parents may have difficulty trusting their kids to learn independently. The need to conform to accepted school standards is almost overwhelming, and a strong support system is essential. Record-keeping, chronicling your child's progress, and meeting all local homeschooling requirements become your responsibility.