Curriculum : Which Way. Lord, Which Way?

       Every year there are more and more publishers who compete for the home-schooler's dollar. I remember vividly when  few publishers offered directly to our community.  Companies such as A Beka and Saxon saw the value and eminent movement of home-schooling. They were pioneers who helped start the ball rolling and began an avalanche of publishers who saw the potential for success.  When you see Saxon math sold at every major curriculum fair, you may not not realize that John Saxon sold to us prior to the public school system. Now, we are a monetary force not to be shunned; although, that fact presents a new slew of problems.  There are so many publishers to choose from; which do we pick?



      I've never met a home-school mom who didn't love books. I'm sure there must be one somewhere, but she's the exception. So one admonishment is: after you've picked something, quit shopping.  (Yes, I got this rule straight from "Say Yes to the Dress" ~ I love that show!)    It's true though, you can shop yourself into insanity.   "But Kelly, what about..."  I know,  the workshops inundated you with teaching to the style of the student, with the method of each curriculum, and with the amount of work to be completed! You end the fair thinking,"Which way, Lord, which way?"



      I want to share with you some basic truths:

1.   Spending great amounts doesn't assure you of great quality. There is no reason to spend a lot of money home-schooling. Verification of this truth? The public school system spends thousands each year per student. The quality of a public school education has been drastically reduced through the years.  (Try a final exam of 1895  which can be found at: www.barefootsworld.net/1895 )  
2.  Rule of thumb ( which I got from the Elijah Company) try at the most three different curriculum's. One out of the three will work. Simple as that. Not always 100 % guarantee, but very close.
3.  Sometimes if you're having trouble getting a subject across, it isn't the curriculum you're using, its timing. Stop; wait a few months, and try it again. Often, the student isn't ready to receive what you are trying to convey. Often the student feels your frustration and freezes up. These are the basics to curriculum shopping. Not too complicated.

      Now I'd like to share with you my own personal preferences and opinions about curriculum.
      Please don't spend more than $60 per year on Kindergarten through Second grade.  You  can spend zero and do a fabulous job.  The local library and the World Wide Web have more than enough resources to give a complete and outstanding education at almost any grade level. I feel any curriculum which charges over $150 should be a credit worthy high-school course. I'll start with elementary school and will add jr. and sr. high in my next blog.



      K through sixth:

•  For grammar> Easy Grammar is fantastic! Easy Grammar works on the idea that if you memorize prepositions, and can pick them out of a sentence, everything else in the sentence becomes obvious. I have used it all the way through high school, and it has never let me down.
•  For math> Keys To  books offer bite sized understanding for students who have math phobias. A Beka or Saxon are great programs for the regular student, which I used, but cut back on the number of their problems. 
• For science> I love Steck Vaughn till jr. high. Adding hands on experiments bring enjoyment and interest to the subject. 
• For history> American Education Publishers rock! They cover the material in an informative way which promotes discussion between you and your student. They present the material highlighting the event rather than the dates involved.  I must add, though, if you have a student who loves to read, please teach history through biographies! Real lives capture a child's interest in a way that textbooks can't.
•  For handwriting>  Contrary to years ago, cursive today has few "rights and wrongs". There are few firm rules. What has changed? Fonts. With the appearance of the computer the variations on cursive writing available to the public has seriously increased. Some available styles are D'Nealian, Modern, and Italics. So whichever you choose, just look for these qualities in your student's work: All letters should slant the same direction; The writing should be legible; The proper spacing should be used. That's it! Not too scary.
• For spelling> I used ACSI.
• For geography> I always used the National Geographic sponsored geography bee study guides.
• Art/Music (Please expose your children to the joy of artistic expression! Whether they excel or not isn't the point. The point is in giving your children an appreciation of beauty.) I have used the co-op, Netflix, museums, and tutors for these subjects.

     The last thing I would suggest you add to your school is your child's interest. Ask your student what they would like to learn. Let them have a say in how,when, and what they study. When you show a child that you respect their input they become more eager to share their opinions and ideas. I feel interest is the heart of learning.


      Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I've enjoyed sharing my ideas with you. Perhaps in the days to come you will find interest in some of the other topics I hope to address.