Have you ever attended a homeschooling convention to choose homeschool curriculum? The experience can be quite refreshing, since it introduces you to the many possibilities available on the market.
Or perhaps it simply leaves you feeling more dizzy and confused than before you ever attended.
Or you may be the type of parent that likes to browse through catalogs and choose what you think is best. You like to order your purchases by mail, phone, or Internet. You would rather contact the salesperson instead of them contacting you.
You might instead be the kind of homeschooler who prefers surfing the web to find exactly what you need.
Regardless of how you shop for your homeschool curriculum online, through a catalog, or at a homeschool convention, here are some important suggestions to consider when making your choices:
* Be familiar with your children’s strengths, weaknesses, and interests. Knowing these factors will help you decide the best material. The resources you choose should not only enhance your child’s strengths, but also address your child’s weaknesses and turn them into strengths.
* Understand what your family is about. Are you a religious family? Do you have special needs children? Maybe you would like to travel more. When choosing a homeschool cirriculum, it is essential that you take these factors into account.
* What is your child’s learning style? Knowing how your child learns is an important factor to consider when choosing curriculum. Is your child more of an auditory, visual, or hands-on learner?
* What are your family’s long-term goals? Does your child have goals for him/herself? If you and your child have a goal for him/her to run their own business, you should look for resources to help you accomplish this.
* Cost of materials is an important factor. Some homeschooling families feel okay about photocopying material, or “borrowing” curriculum. Personally, I feel it is not fair. This doesn’t mean that the curriculum you choose has to be expensive or make your broke. If you plan in advance, you will be able to budget in the costs.
* Is there a homeschooling philosophy that appeals to you? There are plenty of homeschool cirriculum philosophies. There are some that are literature-based, textbook, unit studies, accelerated, unschooling, Classical, and Christian.
* If you have lots of children and work part-time on the side, it is essential that you take time into consideration. As you purchase a curriculum, you need to think about the time that is also put into your child’s activities and co-op classes.
Before you decide on any homeschool curriculum, I think it’s important for you to pray about your decision and talk things over with your spouse first.
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