Do you use a homeschool curriculum?

Do you use textbooks and follow the same track as the schools?

What do your homeschoolers do all day?

My answers- Sometimes, No, A Lot!

If you’ve homeschooled for a while, I bet you’ve been asked these questions. If you’re new to homeschooling or are considering diving in, I’m guessing these might be some of the questions you’re asking.

The answers, different for everyone, are what makes homeschooling a truly an individualized approach. While each state has its own set of rules, homeschoolers have a lot of choices to make when it comes to how and what their kids learn.

Freedom is pretty great, and choosing homeschool resources can feel overwhelming.

Let’s simplify. A curriculum comprises the tools you gather to help your child learn.

What you choose can be as simple as a few good books or as complex as putting together a unit on astrophysics. It can be as affordable as getting all of your resources from the library and as expensive as an all-in-one box of materials.

How to Choose a Homeschool Curriculum

Below you’ll find ideas to help you find the tools your homeschoolers need each year.

Step 1- Make a list of interests and goals WITH your kids

We invest ourselves in the choices WE make, so it’s important to include our children, even little children, to determine what they’ll be learning. I’m not suggesting they choose everything, but I do think if we ask our children the following questions, it can help everyone feel invested and excited for the coming year.

As your kids talk about the things they are interested in, jot them down. Make a list, vision board, or web.

Make a huge list! You will probably NOT get to everything. That is okay and not the point. The idea is to inspire the curriculum choices you’ll be making.

Additional Questions to Help Guide Your Choices

• What skills are your children working on right now?
• What goals do you have for them?
• What skills do they need to start working on in the near future?

Step 2- Organizing Your Day

There are only so many hours in a day so before you start buying materials and taking the time to plan, think about when you’ll use them.

Consider how you’ll spend your day and if you want the resources and units you choose to be by subject or theme. Some people like dividing time between English, Math, Science, History, etc., like school.

As a homeschooler, you aren’t limited to this way of learning. You can choose resources based on themes or interests. Unit studies often combine several subjects. You can even create a traveling unit study and take learning wherever you go.

Step 3- Put It All Together

Now the fun begins!

Get out a planner or notebook, and make a list-

• What subjects or units are you going to focus on first?
• What materials do you need?
• What goals do you and your child have?

You do NOT have to have every minute of your day figured out.

I like to organize our day into three chunks- morning, afternoon, and evening. Learning happens all day long, but certain things, like math and reading, happen at the same time most days.

It can also be helpful to organize your day around meals, and definitely take into account when your kids learn best. Have an early riser? Start early. Have a child who focuses better later in the day? If you can, let them play in the morning.

The best advice I have to offer is don’t consider choosing a curriculum as something you do just in July or August. Keep your eye out all year round. Revisit your questions and goals with your child every couple of months.

We find a lot of our homeschooling materials through:

• Library
• Homeschool Communities
• Asking friends
• Google

For my son, a curriculum needed to look like hands-on, real-world classes and units.

My daughter has enjoyed boxed curriculum and has always loved unit studies.

It can take time to figure out the best fit for each child, but in the long run, it’s worth it.

Now, we actually use and enjoy the materials I buy.

If you’re new to homeschooling, I’d lean on the side of borrowing, free schooling, or purchasing a single-unit study until you and your kids get a feel for what works.

In each post below, I list the curriculums we put together. All were updated in 2022.

Choosing a Homeschool Curriculum- The Early Years

Choosing a Homeschool Curriculum- Early Elementary

A Third Grade Interest-Led Curriculum

Choosing a Homeschool Curriculum for 4th, 5th, and 6th Graders

A Day in the Life of Interest-Led Learners

Looking for Support?

I help families and teachers put together curricula, create unit studies, create a homeschool and family rhythm, and find strategies to help kids learn and love to learn.

Putting together a curriculum, especially if you’re new to homeschooling, can feel like a lot, because it is. The tools we choose to help our kids learn are important.

With that said, it gets easier over time!

Children need a variety of opportunities and tools to help them learn. We can offer them what they need, one book, game, conversation, and class at a time.