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INDEX:
“Education
costs money, but then so does ignorance.” Sir Claus
Moser
Before
you purchase curriculum, do some homework! There is a lot
of curriculum available to homeschoolers and it can be
overwhelming if you don’t know what you are doing.
Here are some steps you can take to help you choose the
best curriculum for your family.
Try
this simple Step by step guide
to choosing curriculum.
Assess
Your Child's Current Level
Access
your child's Learning Style.
Choose
a Teaching Method
Here is an interesting video to watch before deciding on your curriculum. Although this is told for a school audience, there are a lot of good points in here:
(Back
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Determine
What Courses Your Child Needs:
-
Oklahoma
law states children must be taught reading,
writing, math, science, citizenship, U.S. Constitution,
health, safety, physical education, and conservation.
These requirements can be met using textbooks,
library books, hands-on projects, or through a
co-op, online, or correspondence class. See
Curriculum Recommendations
for more information.
-
High
school graduation requirements for
Oklahoma public
schools are posted on the Oklahoma State Department of
Education website. Keep in mind that we are not required to keep public school standards;
however, as homeschoolers, it is not difficult to
meet these requirements and more.
- Other
states
- check out the HSLDA websites for requirements.
What
is a Scope and Sequence?
A
scope and sequence is a road map for what to teach when.
Scope and sequences are written by educators/publishers
who have predetermined goals or outcomes that they desire
their graduates to attain. They base their scope and sequences
on these predetermined outcomes, which is a good plan.
However, the specific goals chosen by these educators may
or may not be the same as you desire for your child.
The
homeschooling family has the advantage in that they can customize
a scope and sequence to meet the specific needs, gifts, and
callings of each of their children. Here are two examples:
-
Mrs.
Green has twin, six year old boys, one who loves school
and workbooks, the other struggles with reading, writing,
and arithmetic. Children mature in different areas
at different ages. Some children learn to read early,
as early as four years old; others struggle for years
and finally click in sometime between age eight and
eleven. (This "delayed learner" is often
gifted in some other areas that schools do not necessarily
address.) This is normal. (For more information on
this, read Dr. Raymond Moore's book, “Home Grown Kids.”)
The child who is an early learner and works well with
workbooks will do great with curriculum such as Horizon
Math, A Beka reading, and similar curriculum. The child
who is a delayed learner will not do well with this type
of curriculum. (Thomas Edison was this type of learner.
He spent his early years being read to and working in
his “lab.” Read his biography if you have a
delayed learner.) If Mrs. Green follows a scope and sequence
from most curriculum publishers, both children would take
nearly the same subjects in elementary school; one would
get good grades and appear to be a great student; the
other would get bad grades and appear to be “learning
disabled”.
- Mrs.
Brown has two teenage children, one who desires to become
a lawyer and the other who wants to start his own graphics
art studio. The student who wants to become a lawyer needs
to study more history, government, and college preparatory
math than the one who want to be the business owner. The
business owner would benefit from taking more courses
in art, advertising, marketing, accounting, and business
management. If Mrs. Brown followed a scope and sequence
from most curriculum publishers, both children would take
nearly the same courses during their high school years.
The best solution is to create your own scope
and sequence and mix and match curriculum to suit each
child’s individual
needs. The Checklist was written
to help you with this. (Be sure to read multi-level
teaching for more information on creating your own lesson
plans.)
If
you're not that brave, and most of us weren't when we
first started, the next best solution is to purchase
a curriculum written specifically for homeschoolers.
Once you get the
idea of how to do it, you WILL get braver your second
year. You will be better able to judge how to use whatever
curriculum you purchase or even create your own!
Questions
to ask before purchasing textbooks:
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Are
you the type of person who likes to "do it yourself?"
If so, you will prefer a mix and match curriculum and
writing your own lessons plans after you figure out how
to do it. You are the type of person who will love using The
Checklist!
See Curriculum Recommendations
for specific curriculum suggestions.
-
Consider the time you have available. Do I work
part time? Have an in-home business? Volunteer? Have
a newborn? Many young children? Children on several
grade-levels? If time is short, you will need to incorporate
multi-level teaching as much as possible. See Multi-Level
Teaching for more information. You
are the type of person who will benefit from using The
Checklist, depending on your own learning/teaching
style.
Check into homeschool co-ops, local
community courses that are open to homeschoolers,
and online or video courses. (Caution: Watch your travel
time. Driving to courses here and there can take up more
time than you have available.)
-
What
budget do you have for buying curriculum?
If you are stretched thin in your budget, look for used
curriculum and make use of the local library. Unit
studies can be cheaper than traditional textbooks.
You may be the type of person who will benefit from using
The Checklist depending
on your own learning/teaching
style. You might also benefit from using freebies
on the Internet. If you have a larger budget, you'll
want to take advantage of technology, educational games
and other enrichment resources.
-
Is
your education lacking in a particular subject area? Don't
be afraid to homeschool if this is you. I learned as
much as my children did during our homeschooling years.
We learned together! If you are willing to learn together,
you are the type of person who will benefit from using
The Checklist. See Curriculum
Recommendations
for suggestions of textbooks. If
you don't have the time to learn together, I suggest
participating in a homeschool co-op (check your local
homeschool group for info), hiring a private tutor, or enrolling your students in local
college courses or online classes.
Perhaps you have a family member who is skilled in a
particular subject who would be willing to teach that
subject.
-
What
is your learning style? What is your child's learning
style? For more information on choosing curriculum
based on learning style, go to Choosing
Curriculum Based on Learning Styles. You
may or may not be the type of person who will benefit
from using The Checklist
depending on your own learning/teaching
style.
-
Does
your child have a physical disability or a diagnosed
learning problem?
If so, you will need to seek help from professionals
and experienced homeschool parents who deal with these
problems. See Special Education.
You
may or may not be the type of person who will benefit
from using The Checklist,
depending on your own learning/teaching
style.
- Do
you need step by step instructions? You will
probably prefer a correspondence course or pre-planned unit studies. See Textbook
Publishers. You probably will not be
the type of person who will benefit from using The
Checklist, at least this year! Much of the Oklahoma
Homeschool website is geared for the do-it-yourselfer.
For more information on tradition curriculum, I recommend
that you attend a curriculum fair, local
bookstores, or a local support
group for more information.
- Do you prefer a curriculum that reflects your specific worldview? If so, be sure your curriculum is written from that worldview. There is so much to choose from today, so there is no reason you can't choose the curriculum that works for you.
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Plan
Your Year
Set
Some Goals. Prepare a list
of goals you want your child to accomplish by the end
of the year. Ask yourself questions such as these:
Is
my child able to read fluently?
Can
he communicate clearly in writing?
Does
he know his basic math?
Is
he able to do the math needed to take care of his personal
financial needs?
What
do I want him to learn this year about our worldview?
What
are my child's specific gifts, strengths, and weaknesses?
Does
my child have good work habits and the skills needed
to support a family?
What
courses does he need to complete high school?
What
kind of post-high school education will my child need
in order to pursue his career goals?
Use
The Checklist to help you
determine what your child has already mastered and give
you an idea on what to focus on this year.
Based
on the answers to the questions above, design a scope
and sequence that will meet the specific needs of your
child. Look over the Sample
Curriculum Plan.
Keep
in Mind That No One Can Learn All There is to Know. We
are in the Digital Age. Statistics show that the
combined knowledge of the world (all the knowledge acquired
since the world began) has increased exponentially and will continue to do so. Curriculum
publishers pick and choose what topics they will cover
each year based on their perception of the needs of the
school community. Frequently, in order to make it appear
that the students are learning “everything
they need to know”, they condense a topic that should
be covered in several chapters into one or two paragraphs
or sentences. I recommend that you cover less topics
per year but spend more time covering those topics in
detail. Your child will learn more and retain it longer.
See Multi-level
Teaching for more information.
Stick
to your plan.
Make
a list of curriculum you want to purchase each year, and stick with it. Don’t
deviate after talking with another mom who uses something
different! She has different children with different
learning styles and different goals.
(Back
to top)
Read
about Multi-level Teaching or
Recordkeeping or Go to Curriculum
Recommendations
or Curriculum - How to Purchase
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