This post is all about tips for choosing the best homeschool curriculum.
When most people are interested in homeschooling, there are three concerns I hear most often. Am I homeschooling legally? How do you handle multiple children doing all different grade levels? What do I need to know to choose the best curriculum?
I always point people to the HSLDA website for legal things to look out for in homeschooling. They make it really easy to understand, and you can look up the laws by the state you live in.
Learning how to to homeschool multiple children really took trial and error. Children are so forgiving, and you gain confidence each year that passes. Here is a blog post about our homeschool rhythm with multiple children.
Yet, how do you choose the best homeschool curriculum? By the end of this blog post, my hope is that you have a better idea of how to narrow it down to a great fit for your family.
This post is all about choosing the best homeschool curriculum.
[RELATED POST: Homeschooling: Where to Begin?]
Choosing the Best Homeschool Curriculum
Understanding Your Learner’s Style
This one was easy for me. As I studied my babies when they were little and through the fun toddler years, I was able to see what captured their attention. Whether it was through rhyming songs, handling blocks and board books, dancing to music, or sitting quietly and counting things. Their learning style became evident the more I observed their behavior.
It is so helpful to know your child’s learning style before choosing curriculum. My oldest was very content to sit still and do a math workbook. My next child loved to move and touch things, so I went the route of a manipulative heavy, hands on math curriculum instead. Check out this learning preference quiz from HSLDA for some additional help.
Understanding Your Teaching Style
One of the things I didn’t think of much was my own preferred teaching style. I would often choose curriculum based on what I knew my children would enjoy. However, I soon realized that it is equally as important to consider what you, as the teacher, would enjoy using as well.
For me, after some curriculum purchase mistakes, I realized that I like a mixture that is heavy in the Charlotte Mason style with touches of Classical and Traditional. If that sounds like another language to you, try this style quiz from Homeschool Compass that will be helpful!
Since I prefer a Charlotte Mason inspired style, I often find that looking at a curriculum’s book list helps my decision. Seeing what books they suggest, and determining if they are living books that would turn us on to the time period or topic.
[RELATED POSTS: Book Lists for Children]
Consider Your Circumstances
Homeschooling happens for a variety of reasons, and those are worthy things to consider before purchasing curriculum. Whether it is financial, the ages of your children, if you work outside the home, or have a big life event happening, these will play a significant role in what curriculum may be best for you.
The nice thing is that choosing homeschool curriculum is seasonal, and you can always switch it up as your circumstances change. Maybe it isn’t the year for the literature rich year because there just isn’t time for so many read alouds. However, next year, your situation may change where you don’t need to work outside the home.
[RELATED POST: 12 of the Best Free Curriculum]
Shop Your Shelves
If you’ve been homeschooling for a few years, there is a good chance you have some curriculum that you did not finish (or start!) sitting on your shelf. Maybe you tried it, but it didn’t work for that age or life transition. This could be the season for it to make an appearance.
This has happened to me several times over the years. At times, I picked something up because it looked great and was on sale, and used it 2 years later because I realized it was too teacher intensive for me at that time. Other times, I tried a curriculum that turned out to be too hard of a level at that time.
Additionally, sometimes I know I love a particular curriculum creator, and purchased something on sale knowing I would use it down the road. This is actually what is happening for this next school year!
Family Style Learning
If you’ve followed our homeschool journey on Instagram, you may have seen that I love to incorporate family style curriculum when I can. If something can meet the needs of all of us, even for a year, I’ll take it! When you have more than one child, it just helps with time and resource management to work together on a subject.
Some favorite family style learning curricula we have tried:
- The Peaceful Press (we have completed The Precious People and The Kind Kingdom)
- A Gentle Feast (we have completed Cycle 3 and Cycle 4)
- Beautiful Feet Books (we have completed MANY literature guides!)
- Yellow Spot Sun // art history curriculum for families
- Not Consumed Ministries // family style Bible studies that work great in morning time
- Idlewild & Co // nature and Bible study for the family – use code JUICEBOXHOMESCHOOL for 10% off
- Apologia // we have enjoyed their Swimming Creatures and Land Animals science studies
The Best Homeschool Curriculum
Once you figure out your student’s learning style, your teaching style (these can change and evolve through the years!), assess your circumstances for this season, and browse the curricula available, the best homeschool curriculum will be unique to you. It is so true that there is no perfect or one size fits all curricula.
For us, almost 10 years into homeschooling, it looks so different than when we first started. I am choosing high school curriculum based on my daughter’s interests, the reputation and reviews of some online teachers, while protecting her time so she has enough for ministry and her hobbies.
It looks like combining my younger two for some science, history, and art. I’m still selecting hands on math for my son, and my youngest is a hungry reader and desires a feast of living books. It is such an honor to be able to figure out and meet their needs.
This post was all about how we choose the best homeschool curriculum.
Other Posts You May Like:
- Notebooking in Homeschool
- 2022-2023 Family Homeschool Curriculum
- Homeschool Rhythm with Multiple Children
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