Now we get down to the question that we began with a couple of weeks ago. It is the question most home schoolers have in the back of their mind at all times. Is the curriculum I'm using the best? What about the one my friend is using? It must be better because she's using it. What about the new-fangled curriculum everyone is talking about? Isn't newer better? You get what you pay for, so the most expensive must be the best one. Admit it, if you have home schooling for more than a couple of weeks all of these questions have crossed your mind at one time or another.
Now I know that didn't answer the question above. It just got some things off my chest. Everything I am going to talk about below assumes you have asked yourself the first question from previous articles. Is Homeschooling Best For My Family and What Laws Must I Follow to Home School. If haven't taken care of these issues, go back and look over the articles and be sure you know where you stand on both of them.
To answer the question “Which curriculum should I use?” there are a few other questions you must ask yourself.
How much money do you have available for curriculum?
What is your child's learning style?
What is your teaching style?
What is your philosophy of education?
How Much Money Does It Cost?
The first question is usually pretty easy to answer. Most of us are from single income families and resources are tight. We need something reasonably priced. Others of us have more financial resources and can do more. Either way, there is something that will suit your needs. Typically, curriculum that comes packaged with all the bells and whistles can be pretty pricey while curriculum that is more eclectic in style is cheaper. There are even online sources that offer lots of great stuff for free.
What Is Your Child's Learning Style?
Is your child a wiggle worm that has to be moving all the time? Does he like to build with his hands? This type of child (most younger children fall into this category, but so do a lot of older kids) needs hands on activities. Putting this child in front of a computer all day to do his work just isn't going to work. Neither is the typical workbook approach. This child will love Unit Studies or even the Charlotte Mason style of teaching.
Is your child a little socialite that loves to be with others? Does she like to be involved in all the goings on at home? Does she always want to ask friends over to play? Is she a talker? This child will not want to be stuck in front of computer or with a workbook all day either. This child will love to do co-op type classes for some of her work. Involve her the everyday activities of the home. Get her involved in helping others (either her own siblings, or others outside the home).
Is your child a perfectionist? Does he like everything in its proper place? Does he like to do things on a schedule? This child needs to know what you expect of him. He needs to know what he will be working on for the day. A list of subjects to finish that he can check off as he goes will give him a sense of accomplishment. Workbooks are helpful with this child, but any curriculum will work as long as he knows what is expected of him.
Does your child tend to be a loner? Does she prefer to work on her own? This child needs to be given her space. She should be allowed to do her work in a quiet place somewhat independently. She probably won't want to get involved in co-op classes. She needs to be encouraged to work with others to some extent. Getting involved in home school activities or some sort of volunteer work can help this child better relate to others. This child might do well with workbook/computer type curriculum. But to help her come out of her shell and get involved with others, you might consider mixing it with curricua/activities that will engage her.
There is another way to think about your child's learning style. Is your child kinesthetic, auditory or visual? Your child will be at least one of these and may be any combination of the three.
A kinesthetic learner will want to handle things. Most wiggle worms are kinesthetic. My husband is kinesthetic. He really wants to get his hands on something before he feels he really knows it. He loves going to museums that are hands on. Curriculum that involve manipulatives (Cuisenaire rods, Winston Grammar, Reading Rods) are great for this child.
An auditory learner loves to talk. He needs to talk to fully understand what he has learned. The Charlotte Mason approach is great for this child. The narration she encourages is just what this child needs. This child may be more likely to play a musical instrument by ear than by reading the music. He will love to learn by listening to CDs. Manipulatives will probably seem more complicated than helpful. If your child is auditory, sometimes just explaining a problem to you will help him figure out the answer. I have a couple of auditory learners. They tend to take a lot of time because of all the talking.
A visual learner will learn best by seeing something. Put up a good poster on the wall and you might not even have to discuss the material on it. The visual learner will see something and understand it. A visual learner likes charts and graphs to help him understand information. Talking is a waste of time to a visual learner. So are hands-on experiments. Just let this one read the experiment and he will be just fine. I can say this with confidence because I am a visual learner.
What Is Your Teaching Style?
So many times we get hung up on what our child's learning styles are, and this is important, but it is just as important to know what your teaching style is. If you don't enjoy teaching it, you won't bring the enthusiasm necessary to get your child enthusiastic about it.
As you thought about your child's learning style, did you think, “Awe that describes me.” If you are a visual learner, you may tend to think it's a waste of time to buy a bunch of manipulatives. If you are an auditory learner you may find yourself buying every educational cassette or CD.
The hard part is to find something that you can be excited about teaching and that will make life easier for your child. You may have to step out of your “natural tendencies” to meet your child's needs.
What Is Your Philosophy Of Education?
This is a big one. First of all, everyone has an agenda. The curriculum publishers, the curriculum resellers, the great speaker at the home school convention, and even yourself. It's important to know what philosophy you are basing your decisions on and what is the philosophy of the person you are getting advice from.
If the curriculum you are considering is a “Christian curriculum”, do they teach what I believe about the Bible? If the curriculum is a “Secular curriculum”, do they teach things from a secular point of view or from an anti-God point of view? Some subjects can be more touchy in these areas than others (history, government, etc), but people's agendas pop up throughout their curriculum. Just be sure that you aren't accidentally teaching your child something that you don't believe.
Once you get past the agenda presented, it's time to decide what type of education you will give your child. Will you be a non-school type that allows our child to follow his own interests? or will you be one that decides what your child will learn, when he will learn and how he will learn it.
