Guide to Homeschooling Curriculum
Teaching the tots at home
By Angela Russell
The popularity of home schooled students has risen in recent years for a variety of reasons. Whether you wish to shield your child from outside influence, disagree with your school systems policies, have religious objections to the curriculum, or just wish to provide your child's education yourself, you will need to plan your child's curriculum.
Preparation
Choosing a curriculum is arguably one of the most difficult parts of homeschooling. Should you purchase a pre-planned curriculum? Should you develop a curriculum on your own? Obviously the latter is the less expensive of the two, though the former may be the less stressful option.
There are many resources for purchasing a homeschool curricula. Typing the phrase home school curriculum into a web search engine will result in a number of results. Do plenty of research before you decide to purchase a curriculum package or create your own.
Legalities
Each state has a specific set of guidelines that parents must follow. Specific subjects must be taught at different grade levels. When you register with your superintendent or enroll in a church-based home school program you will be given the exact list of subjects required for your child's grade level. Textbooks and workbooks must be obtained to begin classes.
Supplies
If you have opted for a pre-planned curriculum, your task is as simple as placing an order for the correct grade level and waiting for it to arrive. This takes all of the guess work out of curriculum planning. Once you have your package, you are ready to begin instruction.
If creating your own curriculum is your choice, you must obtain textbooks from which to instruct your child. Individual textbooks can be purchased in a variety of venues. Companies that offer a pre-planned curriculum often times sell new textbooks as well. To save money, used textbooks may be the best option for you and your child. Online auctions are an excellent source for finding used textbooks. Libraries often have book sales in which textbooks may be included.
New textbooks can be purchased with an instructor’s edition. This will take some of the guesswork out of tough questions. When purchasing used textbooks you may find that the previous user has written in the book and you may not have access to an instructor’s edition. Depending on the subject and your knowledge of it, you may opt for a used textbook without the instructor’s edition if you are confident in your ability to determine the answers to the questions. The extra expense of new textbooks may be worthwhile for more difficult subjects.
Make Things Interesting
Once you have your textbooks for the required curriculum subjects such as English, Mathematics, Science, Spelling, Reading/Vocabulary, Health and Social Studies. You must make a decision on which electives you will teach your child. Electives can take the form of many subjects. From Bible to shorthand the Elective options are seemingly endless.
Choosing which electives are best for your child depends greatly upon the child. An elective that interests the child and broadens their horizons is the best option. If your child is not mechanically inclined and uninterested in automobiles, Auto Mechanics may not be the best option. Your choices are endless.
Both options are viable and will serve as excellent instructional methods for your child. Which ever option you choose, rest easy knowing your child will receive one-on-one instruction from someone who has his or her best interest at heart - YOU!