Help! How to Choose a Homeschool Curriculum

Once we decided to teach the kids ourselves (read that story here), the next step was to choose a homeschool curriculum. I remember feeling overwhelmed at all the choices available. It took a couple months to learn about the various teaching methods, consider learning styles, and pick what I thought would be best for my child.

We’ve been homeschooling for two years now, which isn’t all that long, but it is long enough to have picked up a few tips along the way. Here are some things I have found helpful while looking at curriculums, in no particular order. 😊 Thinking about these things ahead of time will help create a successful start.

Determine Child’s Learning Style

Each child has individual traits and learns best in different ways. My daughter absorbs new things best by seeing things visually, through touch, and being able to move around. My son is more of an auditory, let’s just do it learner.

Take some time to figure out how your child learns best. What types of projects bring them joy and which bring frustration? Do they gravitate to certain kinds of games/play? Can they sit for longer periods of time or are they bouncing all over the place? Let their personality and individuality steer what you choose.

There are four main learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing, kinesthetic. Many children may exhibit a combination of these. If you are not sure, there are countless online quizzes to help you determine which learning style your child leans towards.

Research Different Teaching Methods

Each company tends to lean towards a specific teaching method. One is not better than the other. You might find one approach more comfortable as the teacher and more enjoyable for the student.

There are many methods of homeschooling: Charlotte Mason, Classical, Traditional, Montessori, Unit Studies, Waldorf, Unschooling, Relaxed/Eclectic, Virtual. More than one method can be implemented to create the right environment for your family. We follow more of a relaxed approach with elements of traditional teaching.

Mastery versus spiral based learning is another thing to consider. Mastery based curriculums focus on one concept at a time, allowing the child to master it before moving to the next concept. Spiral based curriculums teach several concepts at a time, building depth each time they are re-presented, so mastering is not required.

Find a brief description of the different methods here or a more detailed explanation with pros/cons/resources here.

Exclusive vs. Mix & Match Approach

Many companies offer a complete kit for the school year, which in one way makes it seem easier to choose a homeschool curriculum. However, I did experience a drawback. Our first-year homeschooling, I purchased a kit simply because it was easier, and I felt confident we would not miss any subjects. It was also less time consuming than researching numerous companies.

Wording, graphics, and teaching style were consistent throughout so we both knew what to expect.  Some themes were carried from subject to subject, which was nice because it tied multiple things together/reiterated certain points. If there was something I needed more guidance on; I only needed to visit one website to look for additional parenting resources.

A few months into the year; however, I started realizing the curriculum wasn’t best suited for Q. While the graphics were nicely done, they became a distraction. The content wasn’t holding her attention and it was a lot of “sit down, listen, do worksheets”, which she doesn’t do well with. So, I felt a little trapped, having paid for a kit not suited best for us.

For our second year, I found Timberdoodle, which is a company that offers a kit containing curriculum from various companies they felt excelled in each subject. You can even customize the kits to ensure appropriate “grade” levels are included. Q has really enjoyed the variety and numerous manipulatives. Having her enjoy it, makes it more enjoyable for me!

Secular Stance

Within the plethora of curriculum choices, religious verses non-religious is another thing to consider. Most companies disclose this as part of the product description.

Personally, having faith-based options in subjects like science and sometimes history is important to us. In math, handwriting, reading, writing skills, spelling it’s been a bonus but not a necessity. I have found it quite easy to include our faith along the way by adding my own questions and relating topics to Bible stories/people.

Look for Samples & Read Reviews

It is extremely helpful to preview things before purchasing. Most companies will offer a few sample pages to look at, including the Table of Contents, a few work pages, and the front/back cover. There are a few times I’ve gone to Amazon or Christian Bookstore to get previews, but it’s well worth searching out.

Reading other parents reviews is also beneficial. If I’m on the fence between workbooks, they help me determine whether the teaching method would be a good match. It also gives a good idea of what the parent/teacher saw and felt while teaching. Was it easy to follow? Was their child engaged? Does the personality of their child match mine? If not, it may indicate a struggle.  

Find Local Friends and/or Group

This will be the greatest source of help and encouragement! I was surprised at how many families in our community homeschooled. Several of them graciously agreed to meet with me and show me the curriculums they used, how they structured their days, offered pros/cons, and answered questions. This definitely made it seem less daunting to choose a homeschool curriculum.

It was so nice to know I wasn’t alone in this journey and would have a support group of homeschooling parents with children of all ages. This was also how I got introduced to our homeschool co-op, which meets once a week for music, gym, and art class. We quickly came to love it.

Be Open to Switching Curriculum

If what you’re doing isn’t working – switch it up! I wish I had done this our first year. It can be tempting to look at the financial investment; however, the investment in your child’s life is much more important. Likewise, sticking with something that isn’t working causes unnecessary frustration and may turn your child away from learning at home.

This past year, the science curriculum in our kit was way above Q’s head and included a lot of text. The experiments were fun, and the teacher’s guide was good, but overall neither of us looked forward to it. So, I found something different for second semester. It was much better, but not always challenging. Which means, I’m trying something new again next fall!

Do not be afraid to try new things until you find something enjoyable for both teacher and student. Check in with other homeschool friends and/or join an online group to ask for suggestions and see what works for others. Learn from those who have gone before you! Have other questions on how to choose a homeschool curriculum? Ask away in the comments!