Homeschool Curriculum – Choosing between the many options available.
February 8th 2012 -
Homeschooling is gaining in popularity as schools see continued budget cuts. More families are going with this option but it used to very rare to homeschool your kids. Children who have been homeschooled are better able to work independently without letting social interactions interfere, and they tend to perform better on tests and at college according to studies. These studies have also shown stronger family bonds in children who were homeschooled. Deciding to homeschool your kids is just the beginning of the process.
You also need to choose a curriculum. The following are some tips to keep in mind when searching for the best curriculum.
Study the federal regulations governing K-12 education before you embark on a lesson plan buying spree. While a lot of the regulations are left up to the states, there are some federal rules that you need to follow.
Make sure you understand them and that your curriculum meets the requirements that are currently in practice. Contact your local board of education or the Department of Education to get more information about these rules and requirements. Montessori and Waldorf schools are among those quite popular in some circles. Waldorf schools are often held to a more advanced standard than others. People have joked about these schools for years, calling them "schools for geniuses". The good news is that you can use Montessori and Waldorf curriculum for homeschooling as well. You will enjoy seeing how actively your kids are learning with these curriculums. The originators of this type of education would probably be quite displeased wth the thought of a child learning from a tv or computer. This plan is probably best for you if you don’t want your kids sitting in front of a tv or computer all day.
Choosing your homeschool curriculum requires considering many factors. How your kids learn best is, obviously, at the top of the list.
The strengths and weaknesses of your teaching style also need to be considered. As a homeschooler, you have the opportunity to play up your strengths as you lay out your curriculum for the year. You have the freedom to play up everybody’s strengths and work through your own weaknesses because you are not locked into strict curriculum units.
The reasons for deciding to homeschool your kids are numerous.
There may be personal issues with how your local public schools are run. Perhaps private school tuition is too expensive. Or you’ve read the studies showing that homeschooled kids perform better later on in life. But whatever your reasons, it’s important to choose a good homeschool curriculum for you and your kids. Succeeding at homeschooling requires picking the best homeschool curriculum. The better informed you are about the different types of homeschool curriculum, the better you can make sure you’re choosing the right one.