Choosing Homeschool Curriculum: What to Consider

Your Children's Ages

© Beverley Paine 2011

No one can tell you what the 'right' curriculum is for your family. In this series of articles, also available as an inexpensivePractical Homeschool Series booklet, my aim is merely to offer advice, information and questions to guide you in making an appropriate choice. Take what resonates with you and your family situation and leave the rest. There is no need to end up feeling like a slave to the curriculum you choose - if it isn't working there are plenty of alternatives to consider.

What ages are your children ?

The age of your children naturally determines the focus of the curriculum.

Preschoolers need very little in the way of formal curriculum. Children of this age enjoy a hands-on and play-based curriculum, and especially enjoy playing 'school', doing pre-reading and maths activities, educational games and puzzles.

Before adolescence, children need to have a good grasp of the basics:

• how to communicate effectively - talking, listening, reading, writing, expressing oneself, participating;
• how to calculate accurately - numbers, measurement, space and volume, chance and probability;
• how to think scientifically - asking questions, testing theories, evaluating results;
• how to take care of oneself and one's possessions; and
• how to get along with others.

This provides the scaffold for learning effectively through the teenage years and beyond.

Teenagers may require a different approach than younger children, one which offers them greater responsibility for managing their time as well as some input to the content and direction of their activities. Learning might be tailored to suit emerging interests or the beginnings of a career pathway. Specialisation as well as a general education is possible.

Don't worry about what curriculum your teenager will need if he or she is aged only three! So much will change between now and then. If the last three decades are anything to go by, it is virtually impossible to imagine the different types of resources that will become available.

Learning Styles

Find out what the learning styles are of all members of your family. It's a fun thing to do and will give you an insight into what kinds of learning materials and activities you'll need for each of your children.

• Know your child: his interests, developmental stage, his personality and temperament, likes and dislikes, and what motivates him.
• Does he have any learning difficulties or differences?
• Does he have any physical or intellectual disabilities?
• Are there any areas in which he shows innate talent or giftedness?
• Also think about the values, life and character skills you would like to help him
  develop as he grows.

Knowledge and understanding of these attributes will help determine your choice of curriculum. Search online for information about 'learning styles' and 'multiple intelligences'.

See also the other articles in this Choosing Curriculum series:

• What type of home educator are you?
• How long will you be homeschooling?
• What ages are your children?
• Learning styles of your children.
• How long will your children be homeschooling?
• Will you be sending your children to school in the future?
• Legal constraints: do your research.
• How much time do you have available?
• How many children will you be home educating?
• Examine the resources carefully.
• How much do you have to spend.

Or purchase Beverley's inexpensive Practical Homeschooling Series booklet from Always Learning Books - over 40 pages of practical information explaining the different approaches as well as useful and helpful advice.