It’s that time of year when the whole homeschool world is buzzing about which curriculum they will be using in the coming year.
Maybe your initial thought is; “But, we aren’t even finished with this year’s curriculum! I can’t even think about next year!”
And then it begins, the endless rabbit trails and overwhelms of homeschool curriculum research.
I think we can all agree that having so many options at our fingertips is a blessing! However, even as an admitted curriculum junkie like myself, the overwhelm can get quite intense.
It’s not a bad thing to think about the upcoming year unless it causes anxiety or disrupts your current school year. In that case, it might be best to wait until you finish the year before evaluating what to use for the next one!
Over the years I have found the best way for determining our plans for the upcoming school year is by doing a quick evaluation of our homeschool.
Here are things to consider when choosing homeschool curriculum… this is intentionally SIMPLE!
What is your goal?
Determining your goal for your homeschool is probably the most essential question.
For example, my goal for our homeschool is to go beyond just academic focus and to foster a learning environment that involves our whole family and allows our faith to be the center. This simple statement just told me:
Academics are important
Family style curriculum when possible
Faith-based is important
Once you have determined your goal, move on to the next step.
What worked? / What didn’t?
Did something work really well? Keep it or tweak it to make it work even better.
Is there something that flat-out didn’t work well for your homeschool this year? Toss it for the next and evaluate why it didn’t work so you know what to avoid the next time around.
Ultimately, our children and our families are unique. If something didn’t work well that works well for others, that doesn’t mean you failed. You have to find what fits your home and children best. (That’s the beauty of homeschool, isn’t it?)
Another factor in determining what did or didn’t work may be due to your children’s very specific needs. This leads us to the next step.
What are your needs?
Consider your children individually.
I have a child with dyslexia so obviously, I will be choosing components that offer specific methods for him.
This same consideration goes for specific learning styles or methods of learning. Do I want a heavy literature focus, a more traditional approach, or even an online option?
These are all things to determine as well as how teacher intensive I would like it to be.
When we keep our eyes on our family’s needs and goals, it can help us to avoid being distracted by the newest, the best, or the most doted on curriculum out there.
Finally…
What is your budget?
This is a deciding factor that is extremely personal. For some families, money may not be an object. For others, it may be the very first thing to consider. Regardless of where you stand on the budget topic, I think we can all agree we don’t want to waste money on impulse curriculum buys.
When purchasing, my last step is to write down each of my children’s names with their subject choices and electives underneath. This process helps me to see the “big picture” so I can ensure I haven’t planned too much or too little for each of my children.
As a mom of 6 little ones, this list can get pretty lengthy (and if you’re looking for tips for homeschooling multiple children, I’ve got you covered!)
Ultimately, choosing curriculum is not a simple process; there is so much heart and thought behind our choices.
While it can be wonderful to get ideas from other homeschool moms, it truly comes down to what is best for YOUR family. Give yourself time, space, and grace to make this decision.
You don’t have to go through all of these steps in one sitting, take your time to prayerfully consider them. My hope is that these steps aid in the process of evaluating and choosing curriculum for your homeschool and most importantly, help you to beat the curriculum overwhelm!
This post is from our contributor, Megan.
Megan is a homeschool mom of 6, wife to Jon, former public school teacher, and follower of Christ. Homeschooling and homemaking are areas that the Lord has drawn her to be passionate about and it is her desire to be as intentional as she can in both.
She enjoys cooking, reading, gardening, history, and hiking in the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee. In her spare time, she is also a content creator for her YouTube channels Pennies and Salt , as well as her website, Pennies and Salt.
Curriculum Picks from Homegrown Learners:
We have used and loved each of the following curriculum providers/products.
Nothing is recommended on Homegrown Learners unless we have firsthand knowledge and experience with the curriculum!
