The Homeschool Curriculum Labyrinth

The subject of homeschool curriculum calls to mind a intricate, twisting labyrinth. With so many product choices, publishers, distributors,and recommendations, you might have a hard time knowing which way to turn. And, once inside the homeschool curriculum labyrinth, after you turn right at the fork in the road, you might all at once realize, you would have been better off turning left, or better yet, backtracking and finding your way out of the whole curriculum maze altogether.

Don’t get me wrong; I certainly appreciate the vast array of available educational materials homeschooling experts' advisement, and certainly feel blessed to have so many, many choices; but given all the marvelous alternatives in curriculum and educational products, making a final decision can be somewhat daunting and exhausting.

Personally, the added stress I put on myself of wanting the “best” materials most likely comes from my innate tendencies to overachieve and my years of being a public school teacher. Though, I venture to assume, most homeschooling parents probably feel the same pressure to find the “best” academic products for their children; because naturally, we each want our children to succeed in school and to reap the opportunities in life fostered by a quality education.

As unique individuals with unique home environments we each seek out the "best" homeschool curriculum options in our own ways. In our search for quality academic products, some of us will write academic goals and expectations; others will turn to support groups and friends; some might put the decision making process aside for a few months; others, like me, might rush out in a panic and bring home stacks and stacks of books from the used book store.

But concerning the subjects of both education and the decision process, remember no one way is the "right" way.

You might well go through a month of evaluating different curricula, only to realize, after making a final purchase, the products you choose aren't a good fit for your family. Or you might try out a product based on a friend's recommendation and discover a dynamo curriculum for one family is very much a dud for yours.

Still, even though you consciously recognize each family will take a unique approach to the curriculum decision process, and there is not one perfect product for everyone, you might carry a natural inkling to equate choosing the "right" curriculum to a high-quality education. After all, the majority of us spent year after year of our own childhood surrounded by textbooks and workbooks, so they must be important. Right?

I think the stress of the homeschool curriculum hunt is sometimes worse for former public school teachers that now teach at home, because school teachers are all too familiar with textbooks. That is not to say we enjoy using textbooks, or commonly implement the textbooks into our classroom learning environment, but nonetheless the district-ordered books usually lined our classroom shelves. (Personally, I kept most of the textbooks out of site, behind doors, and used literature-based teaching, but the district-ordered books were still there.)

My prior teaching experience is probably the main reason I rushed out in a crazed panic to pave a curriculum foundation for my homeschool program, and the same reason I brought home piles and piles of textbooks, workbooks, literature books and other miscellaneous materials. Familiarity brings comfort.

It wasn't until months later, after observing my son, that I realized, I didn't need half of the materials I had borrowed or purchased.

In reality, we would have both been perfectly fine with just a few academic resources. (See a sampling of our week with curriculum)

Here is Some of the Curriculum We Use.

If you feel like you need a lot of curriculum right now, at this very moment, you are not alone, but try to remind yourself in reality, when all is bought and borrowed, you truly don’t need very much at all to succeed. In truth, the most vital items you can give your child are an open mind and a few high-quality literature books. The rest you can add on as you go. When considering curriculum choices, look into purchasing used homeschool curriculum. Remember each family is unique. And don't forget to "go where you know." In the long run, through trial and discovery, you'll find an ideal set of educational materials. In the meanwhile, here are other curriculum resources to help you:

Secular Curriculum

Extensive list of home school curriculm

Accredited Home Schools

Home School Catalogs, Articles, Online Resources

Free Home School Curriculum