How to Choose a Homeschool Curriculum

Are you feeling overwhelmed as a new homeschooling parent trying to find a homeschool curriculum? Or maybe you’re looking to switch up your current curriculum? Don’t worry – choosing the right curriculum doesn’t have to be a daunting task.

I’m here to guide you through the process with ease. In this article, I’ll break down the key factors to consider when choosing a homeschool curriculum that’s perfect for both you and your child.

So, let’s get started and make homeschooling fun and stress-free for the both of you!

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Understand Your Child’s Learning Style

The first step in choosing a homeschool curriculum is to understand your child’s learning style. Every child learns differently, and choosing a curriculum that matches your child’s learning style is essential for their success. There are three common styles of learning: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

• Visual learners prefer to learn by seeing information in charts, diagrams, and videos.
• Auditory learners learn by listening and prefer lectures, discussions, and audiobooks.
• Kinesthetic learners learn through hands-on experiences, movement, and interactive activities.

Once you determine your child’s learning style, you can choose a curriculum that caters to it. For example, if your child is a kinesthetic learner, you may want to choose a curriculum that emphasizes hands-on activities like science experiments or art projects.

Understanding Visual Learners in Homeschooling

When it comes to homeschooling, it’s essential to understand your child’s learning style, as it can help you tailor your teaching methods to suit their particular needs. One common learning style is visual learning. Visual learners, as the name suggests, understand and retain information best through visual aids, such as images or diagrams.

Identifying whether your child is a visual learner is important for their academic success. Here are some signs that suggest your child may be a visual learner:

Signs of a Visual Learner

• Enjoys creating visual aids such as diagrams, charts, or maps.
• Understands and retains information better through videos, photographs or images.
• May have a good sense of direction and recognize things through their memory of visual patterns and landmarks.
• Prefers to read rather than listen to explanations, and sometimes can be easily distracted by sounds or other noises.
• Can have difficulty following verbal instructions but is excellent when given written instructions.
• Good at remembering information presented visually, such as details of scenes or faces, images, and symbols.

Strategies for Teaching Visual Learners

If your child is a visual learner, homeschooling can be customized to accommodate this way of learning. Here are some strategies that will help you teach effectively and help your child perform better in academics:

• Utilize visual learning tools such as educational videos, pictures, diagrams and charts to explain concepts.
• Create hands-on activities such as experiments, projects or field trips that combine visual and kinesthetic learning to help reinforce concepts.
• Encourage note-taking with color-coding or mind maps to help them visualize the content visually.
• Try to avoid auditory distractions and noisy learning spaces that may hinder the child’s concentration.
• Allow your child plenty of opportunities for independent reading and studying with relevant visual aids.
• Use whiteboards or flip charts to illustrate concepts and help child absorb the information.

It is essential to understand that no learning style is essentially better than others; each child has their unique style and pace of learning. As a homeschooling parent, being aware of your child’s preferred learning style can help you tailor your teaching style accordingly and help them reach their full potential.

Grammar and Punctuation for Visual Learners

Algebra 1 for Visual Learners

Daily Magnetic Calendar

Understanding Auditory Learners in Homeschooling

As a homeschooling parent, it’s essential to understand your child’s learning styles to tailor your teaching methods to best suit their needs. One common learning style is the auditory learning style. Auditory learners, as the name suggests, learn best by listening and verbal communication, rather than written or visual aids. They often retain information through the spoken word and auditory patterns.

Identifying whether your child is an auditory learner can help you teach effectively and help them perform better in academics. Here are some signs that suggest your child may be an auditory learner.

Signs of an Auditory Learner

• Enjoys listening to music, stories, or lectures.
• Easily remembers information presented verbally.
• Relies on rhythm, tone, and sound to understand and retain information.
• Has excellent verbal communication and often express themselves through speech.
• Can have difficulty following written instructions and may need verbal instructions to comprehend.

Strategies for Teaching Auditory Learners

If your child is an auditory learner, homeschooling can be customized to accommodate this way of learning. Here are some strategies that will help you teach effectively and help your child perform better in academics:

• Use verbal explanations and discussions to help your child understand new concepts.
• Record your lectures or lessons and allow your child to listen to them repeatedly.
• Utilize audiobooks, podcasts and other audio resources to supplement learning materials.
• Encourage your child to verbalize their ideas by asking them to explain their reasoning or teach the material to someone else.
• Provide opportunities for group discussions and learning activities that require brainstorming and exchanging ideas verbally.
• Encourage active listening by asking questions or summarizing the conversations or lessons.

It’s important to remember that no learning style is essentially better than others, and each child has their unique style and pace of learning. Being aware of your child’s preferred learning style can help you tailor your teaching style accordingly and help them reach their full potential.

Preschool Curriculum on CD’s

Press to Learn Phonics

Understanding Kinesthetic Learners in Homeschooling

Every child has a unique learning style, and as a homeschooling parent, it’s crucial to identify your child’s learning style to teach them effectively. One common learning style is kinesthetic learning. Kinesthetic learners prefer a hands-on approach to learning and may be referred to as “tactile learners.” They learn best through movement, touch, and hands-on activities.

Identifying whether your child is a kinesthetic learner is important for their academic success. Here are some signs that suggest your child may be a kinesthetic learner:

Signs of a Kinesthetic Learner

• Enjoys touching and manipulating objects.
• Tends to fidget or move around frequently when studying.
• Learns best through hands-on activities, such as experiments, field trips, or role play.
• Has excellent motor skills and likes to build or create things.
• Can have difficulty focusing when confined to one place or sitting still.

Strategies for Teaching Kinesthetic Learners

If your child is a kinesthetic learner, homeschooling can be customized to accommodate this way of learning. Here are some strategies that will help you teach effectively and help your child perform better in academics:

• Incorporate physical activities into lessons, such as acting out stories or using manipulatives when studying math.
• Encourage your child to take breaks and move around during study sessions.
• Utilize educational activities that require movement, such as educational games, dancing or yoga.
• Use hands-on activities, such as experiments or crafts, to reinforce concepts.
• Encourage sensory learning by providing tools such as stress balls, putty, or textured objects.

As a homeschooling parent, it’s essential to remember that every child has a unique learning style, and being aware of your child’s preferred learning style can help you tailor your teaching style accordingly and help them reach their full potential.

SuperScience STEM Activities

Faith and Science Activities

Roll-A-Dough Letters

You may also want to read this article to help you choose a curriculum: The Good and The Beautiful Curriculum Review

Consider Your Teaching Method

Your teaching method also plays a significant role in choosing a homeschool curriculum. Consider your teaching style, your child’s needs, and your family’s schedule. Some parents prefer an independent study program, while others want a more structured approach.

Independent Study Teaching Style

The independent study teaching style is one of the most popular teaching methods used by homeschooling parents. This method promotes self-guided learning and allows children to work at their own pace without direct supervision. This teaching style involves providing children with educational resources such as textbooks, workbooks, and computer software, and letting them take the lead in their learning. The parents’ role in this style is to provide guidance, help answer questions, and keep track of progress. The independent study style is perfect for children who are self-motivated and prefer to work independently. It allows them to pursue their interests and encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills. However, it is important to ensure that children have access to resources and support to be successful in their independent learning.

Traditional Programs Teaching Style

The traditional programs teaching style is another popular teaching method used by homeschooling parents. This style involves using a structured curriculum that mimics traditional classroom instruction. The curriculum includes textbooks, worksheets, and hands-on activities, and parents guide and teach the lessons to their children. This teaching style is similar to classroom learning and can help prepare children for standardized testing and future academic pursuits. The traditional programs teaching style is ideal for parents who want a set curriculum and structure to follow. However, this style may not work for every child, as some may find it too rigid or boring. Parent’s role in this style is crucial, as they need to guide, facilitate and motivate their child’s learning.

Unit Studies Teaching Style

The unit studies teaching style is a popular teaching method used by homeschooling parents that provides a comprehensive approach to learning. This style allows parents to teach several subjects such as social studies, math, and language arts at once by focusing on a specific topic or theme. This theme is often explored using a variety of resources such as textbooks, literature, documentaries, and field trips, to give a well-rounded understanding of the topic. The unit studies teaching style promotes critical thinking, creativity, and better retention of information. It is ideal for children who have an interest in a specific topic, as it enables them to explore the topic from different angles. This teaching style may require more planning and preparation from parents but can be tailored to accommodate different learning styles and grade levels.

Evaluate Your Child’s Interests and Passions

As a mom and teacher, I’ve learned that keeping your child engaged and motivated is key to successful learning. And one way to do that is by incorporating their interests and passions into their curriculum!

Let’s say your child is a science lover – why not choose a science-focused curriculum, or incorporate science experiments into other subjects? With homeschooling, you have the freedom to explore these topics in-depth and cover everything from science to math and even language arts!

Remember, education should be fun and exciting. By tailoring your child’s curriculum to their interests, you can create a personalized learning experience that they will be excited to engage in.

Read Reviews and Ask for Recommendations

Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, it’s important to gather information from reliable sources. Don’t be afraid to ask other homeschooling parents for recommendations and read reviews. You can also connect with other homeschool families and get valuable information through online forums and social media groups. And when it comes to finding reviews on specific curriculums, check out Google and Pinterest – they’re excellent search engines to use. Remember, the more information you gather, the better equipped you’ll be to make informed decisions for your family’s homeschool journey!

Consider Cost and Time Commitment

Make Homeschooling Affordable and Flexible!

As a mother and educator, I understand the importance of finding a curriculum within your budget that fits your family’s schedule. Don’t worry! There are plenty of affordable options out there. You can even find free curriculums and programs that offer some portions for free. You can also save money by reusing curriculums for multiple ages.

Personally, I recommend the Good and the Beautiful curriculum. For preschool through kindergarten, we purchased the bound curriculum and had each child work through the workbook, rather than making copies of each page. By doing this, we can purchase the most up-to-date curriculum for each child.  The Good and The Beautiful also offer FREE Language Arts and Math curriculums for K-8.  You just print as you go (or all at once).  I did find for us, that it was well worth the cost of purchasing the book and resources on sale thought.

And remember, homeschooling doesn’t need to look like a formal school. Unlike traditional schools, homeschoolers don’t need to spend long hours sitting and doing busy work. Most active learning can be done under 90 minutes a day! Embrace the flexibility of homeschooling and teach your way!

Conclusion

Choosing a homeschool curriculum can be overwhelming, but by considering your child’s learning style, your teaching method, their interests and passions, and the cost and time commitment, you can find a curriculum that works for you and your family.

Remember, homeschooling is a unique opportunity to tailor your child’s education to their specific needs, interests, and learning style. With the right curriculum and approach, your child can thrive in their education and reach their full potential.

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Meet Brenna Dean

Brenna Dean is an ambitious Christian wife, devoted mother of two, and a dedicated homesteader and homeschooler. She loves to share her faith, sip on coffee, experience the joys of slow living, and satisfy her inner granny with hobbies such as gardening, chicken tending, and bread making. Having conquered the suburbs already as a homesteader, Brenna is now striving for the dream farm she and her family are building on 75 acres in the beautiful Midwest. Through her helpful website and advice-filled blogs, she aims to provide resources that will make homemaking, homeschooling, and homesteading easier for you!