Homeschooling Curriculum: There are Many Different Options
December 31, 2009
Over the past 15 years as a homeschooling parent, I’ve looked at a lot of different homeschooling curriculum programs. We tried a lot of different ones and finally settled on our own unique hybrid that’s a little different for each one of our 4 kids.
I have one child who’s an avid reader, one who’s interested mostly in music and art, one that’s an auditory learner obsessed with history and my oldest, who finds himself most comfortable on the computer.
One of the best things about homeschooling, in my option, is that you have so many options and the kids can try different things out to see what works for them. In the past we had to do a lot of catalog shopping to find the best sources of materials for each child and now it’s even easier since we can shop for curriculum online.
My advice for anyone thinking about homeschooling is to design a curriculum around the way your child learns. What makes them happy? What keeps their interest?
My 10 year old listens to history CDs for hours while he’s playing with his GI Joe’s or toy soldiers. He reenacts the battles he’s learning about… it’s amazing how much he retains. My 8 year old is studying famous composers right now – learning not only about their music, but what life was like during their lifetime.
As they get older, they can shift their studies to more practical activities like cooking (learning fractions, how to follow instructions, telling time), yard work (learning about seeds, trees, bugs, etc.) and caring for the family pets (feeding, bathing, brushing, exercise).
As you can see, it can be a lot of fun to homeschool without a strict curriculum. Let your child’s interests guide the way and you’ll be amazed at the results.
About SharpMom
Hi, I'm Katie. I’ve been successfully working at home and homeschooling my kids for the past 14 years, so I figured it’s time to get out there and start sharing what I’ve learned along the way. I'm glad you're here to join in the fun!
