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         Do You Need to Change Curriculum? 

Dear Friends,  

Have you been home schooling for a year or two and worried about your results? Have you been wondering if you (gasp!) bought the wrong curriculum? Have you wished that someone—who was NOT a salesperson—would explain all the curriculum choices to you in an unbiased way? Are you ready for THE TRUTH about curriculum? 

Well, I have tried all the types, believe me, and I have loved them all. Each type is just right for a particular set of circumstances and each one that I am about to mention is good. Now, I am not going to tell you to use what I use, because what works for me just might kill your home school. Also, do not forget that you may have the perfect curriculum for your family. Only God knows what is best for you.

The following list of typical curriculum choices should help clear your mind so you can think more like a pro. As you read the descriptions that follow, I hope you will be able to see yourself, your children, and your situation very clearly. It should really help you as you try to figure out whether or not you need to start with something new.

Please note that this list does not include the name of every curriculum company out there. I am glad that home schoolers are becoming such a large people group that we command a large market. This means, though, that it would be nearly impossible to know all the good ones, let alone list all the possibilities. Therefore, I have listed just a few of the oldest and easiest to find, to give you some idea of what each category is like.  

The shopping is still up to you. Go to home school conventions. Go to book sales, even used book sales. Go to curriculum shows. Ask around at your support group.  

If you cannot understand something on the list, write me. I am happy to help home schoolers keep going. Most of all, pray. God knows what you need and He knows how to show you what it is.

 Katy

Major types of curriculum

     1.  Traditional textbooks, such as

     Abeka, Bob Jones, Rod and Staff

Good for: people who enjoy and trust the ways of tradition, people who want to reuse and have several children to reuse the books, people who have enough shelf space, people who love books.

2.     Workbooks, such as

A.C.E., Alpha/Omega, Christian Light

Good for: people who begin in the middle of a school year, people who do not know where their child is ready to work, people whose children have definite learning gaps or are behind, people whose children may not be great book-scholars, people who need or want to graduate quickly, people who are unsure about what they are doing or should do, people who don’t mind somewhat higher expense, people who need the expense spread out over the year, people who have a lot of other things to do, people doing work/study or home business, people who will be using helpers to educate their children (dad, grandmother, etc.)

3.     Unit Studies, such as:

Konos, Sonlight, Weaver

Good for: people with many children near in age, people who thrive on doing research, people who derive satisfaction from providing all the input themselves, people whose children need to learn “hands on” and with constant “projects”, people who have a teaching degree or lots of experience or confidence, people whose sustenance and house do not take much work.

4.     All in one, such as:

Robinson Curriculum

Good for: people who have multiple computers, people who like computers, people who need to save as much money as possible, people with very little storage space, people who feel they know what they are doing, people who do not want to be bothered with obtaining anything ever again except printer supplies.