Author: Ann

One of the most common questions asked by new homeschooling families is “What’s the best curriculum? The short answer is, the ‘best’ curriculum does not exist. There is no one-size-fits-all curriculum because homeschooling just can’t be categorized that way. An infinite number of factors make each household’s homeschooling experience unique. Homeschooling parents who work outside the home will have different curriculum needs compared to a parent who is able to stay at home. A mother caring for a new baby may not be able to give the detailed  attention some curriculums require until the baby is much older. A child with strong independent study skills may find success in a program that might cause another child to struggle. A single program cannot meet the needs of a infinite range of situations. So now what? How do you choose?

Instead of the one question, ask a series of questions. Not to others, but to yourself. The answers to these questions will help you to wade through the myriad of choices available to you and begin eliminating options that don’t meet your needs.

A crucial question to ask yourself is, What your homeschooling philosophy? Are you looking to replicate a traditional classroom in a ‘school-at-home’ approach, desiring a very relaxed learning environment or a variation along that continuum? Also think about your personal family standards. These considerations will immediately put quite a few programs in the ‘not for our family’ pile.

Take some time to study your child and evaluate how he or she learns. A highly visual child might struggle with listening as the sole method of instruction. Your child with the wiggly fingers will likely learn more from a hands-on activity as opposed to just watching someone else do something. A musical child will enjoy learning the months of the year via song while another child may find the activity quite silly and annoying. Understanding the learning style of your child will help you to narrow your options to choices that complement your child strengths.

How much structure or flexibility does your child need? Do you want your child to stick to the subject at hand or are you willing to go down rabbit trails as teachable moments arise? Does a computer-based program sound appealing to you or do you prefer to avoid large amounts of screen time? What are your needs as a parent-teacher? Can you handle a program that requires extensive preparation before a lesson can be taught? Do you have access to good library or the budget for a literature-based curriculum? Thoughtful questions like these will help you make thoughtful decisions concerning your child’s education.

If you are not sure what thoughtful questions to ask yourself, it helps to seek the advice and recommendations of others. Listen carefully to the reasons that parents give for liking or loathing a particular curriculum. How do those reasons fit with your philosophy, standards and child’s learning style? What another family finds a poor fit may be a perfect fit for yours.

Sometimes it boils down to trial and error. You may find yourself switching materials mid-year. That’s okay. Don’t torture yourself or your child with a curriculum that doesn’t work for you. Also, as your children mature and your family needs change, be ready to revisit your questions and curriculum choices. Sometimes what worked well when your child was 9 years old turns into an exercise in futility at age 14.

A time of parental reflection before evaluating curriculum will help you to wade through the overwhelming amount of homeschooling materials available. Considering your philosophy and family standards, in addition to looking to complement your child’s learning style, will set you on a path for an enjoyable homeschool journey.

It can be overwhelming when you first decide to homeschool your children. Questions abound – what curriculum should you choose, which one is the best? Should I use textbooks or go with computer-based learning? Do I need lots of supplemental materials? What if I forget to include something important? It is easy to become discouraged before you even begin.

So where do we start? Every Adventist family should first prayerfully study the idea of Christian education and develop a personal homeschool philosophy. What are your family’s spiritual and academic goals? How do your spiritual goals affect the academic ones? Next, parents should observe their children and examine how they learn. Are your children hands-on learners or do they learn best by hearing information? Does your child memorize things set to music? Why start with these two ideas? When you have personal homeschool standards in mind and an understanding of how your children learn, then you can more easily evaluate curriculum and materials. For instance, if you have studied and decided not to use fiction as part of your family’s learning and you also know that your child is an auditory learner – now you can narrow down your curriculum choices based on those personal guidelines. You now know specifically what you are looking for in a math program or history curriculum. Don’t choose curriculum based solely on others recommendations- develop your own personal homeschool convictions first and couple it with an understanding of how your child learns. Only then should you begin to use the recommendations of others.

One of the blessings of reading the books Education, Child Guidance and other Spirit of Prophecy books on education is that we learn that education for young children does not start out at full-tilt, with a full day packed with a complicated curriculum with six or seven subjects. When you consider most families are starting homeschooling with one or more “littles” under the oldest, that is a wonderful burden lifted off of a mother’s back! Bible and nature study are a child’s first subjects. Those are subjects that don’t leave out the younger children, all can join in. Formal subjects are added later, a little at a time with short, interesting lessons. Easing into homeschooling gives a family time to enjoy the transition towards a lifestyle of learning.

What if you are pulling an older child out of school to begin homeschooling? The advice is still the same. If a child is leaving a traumatic classroom situation or is discouraged about his/her learning abilities and education, a time of ‘deschooling’ may be of great help. Deschooling is a time to forgo formal studies and regroup. How much time? Depends on your family. Spend time on topics of interest to the student. Get outdoors for some extended nature study. Create a new learning routine and develop new learning habits. In the meantime, develop a homeschool philosophy for your older student, find his/her learning style and use that information to create a set of educational goals.

Starting the homeschool journey does not have to be a stressful experience. Ask God to guide you as you first study and then create or choose a program that fits your needs. The vast amount of homeschooling materials available can seem overwhelming, but take a deep breath; a slow and steady start to homeschooling can and will win the race.