More to Consider When Choosing a Curriculum for your Homeschool

Previously we have discussed how to choose the right curriculum for your homeschool. However, there are a few more factors to consider when looking into a curriculum for your homeschool. Before we jump into the three factors to consider when choosing a curriculum for your homeschool, please take a moment and pin this post to your homeschool board.

More Factors to Think about When Choosing a Homeschool Curriculum

More factors to consider when looking into a curriculum for your homeschool are content, the approach to learning, and the delivery.

The content of a curriculum plays a significant role. You want to know what topics it covers. For example, the third-grade math curriculum you are considering should cover topics that are usual for that level, and if it doesn’t cover them, what is their reason?
The approach to learning plays a role in choosing a curriculum in your homeschool. Does your child like a structured approach emphasizing textbooks and workbooks, or do you and your children like the idea of living books, nature study, and copy work as recommended in the Charlotte Mason approach? Maybe you have no idea what I am talking about here, different homeschool styles go with different homeschool curricula, and when you read up on these approaches, it helps you to adapt principles and philosophies into your homeschool to help your child learn in a way that helps them to thrive best.
The delivery of the homeschool curriculum plays a role in choosing. I am not talking about whether USPS, FedEx, or UPS deliver it. I am talking about an online curriculum that is done mostly online with little hands-on activity or a balance of hands-on activity. I am talking about whether you will be creating unit studies or lapbooks or doing notebooking. Whether it is video and game-based or whether it is more focused on reading. How is the content being delivered in your homeschool?

Consider All the Things

There is a lot to consider when choosing a curriculum. Are you homeschooling more than one child? Will you be able to use your curriculum with multiple children. Are they close enough in age to where you can teach them using one curriculum? Will it suit both of their learning styles and their needs?

Overwhelming Decisions

I know it can be overwhelming to make these decisions, take your time and do your research. Read through reviews on the curriculum you find interesting. Watch curriculum hauls on youtube that shows off curriculum based on grade levels. Look at used books on Amazon, eBay, goodwill. Try out a free and low-priced curriculum to see what fits your child’s needs. Remember that the deschooling period is a great time to explore different things to see what works. You may even decide you would like to try unschooling which includes learning without a formal homeschool curriculum.

Drop the guilt

Don’t feel guilty or frustrated if you purchase a curriculum to find two weeks in that it isn’t working. Set it aside, try something else. Maybe you will go back to it. Maybe you have to let it go. You can always resell it on Facebook or eBay or something! You can do this. Every decision you make may feel like it is a “make or break,” but honestly, if you have the right intentions and are willing to put in the work, you got this.