Am I the only one who doesn't switch?

[Pretty in Pink]

I just stay off the Curriculum Board unless I have a curriculum question! But then I ask the question and start browsing the threads and before I know it it's 2 a.m. and I'm weeping and gnashing my teeth over my evil history books (the wound is still fresh)!

[FloridaLisa]

So curriculum hopping here. I get used to teaching a certain way and I like the routine. We do bring in new things now and again, but by and large, my youngers use the same books there older brothers and sister did. I love that! I love the memories that flood when I pull down Explode the Code or open the Saxon 1 package. Education is so much more than curriculum choice.

 

Lisa

[Guest suzeintn]

unfortunately, you have to pay for it! I've been homeschooling almost 20 years now so I've learned you can waste a lot of time searching for "the best" and loose way too much time with your children.

suzie

[emzhengjiu]

I don't change from one curriculum to another very often but I also want to be open to new and perhaps better materials. We use Singapore for math but my daughter hates NEM so we'll be moving to Discovering Math. But DM is in the Singapore line though. We've changed Latin programs from the Latina Christiana series to Latin for Children. Both my girls are much happier and are retaining more with LFC. For the first time, I seriously considering changing our language arts program to MCT. We'll see if I can press the order key this afternoon. Unfortunately neither Discovering math nor MCT are available used yet. My educational budget is taking a big hit for next year but I'm excited about the changes we're making and at the same time I don't want to get carried away with the new and improved hype.

 

Ann

Edited June 16, 2010 by emzhengjiu

[rafiki]

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[mycalling]

I curriculum hop per grade, but don't change what we're doing for the grades I've chosen. I did a little the first year.

 

I try to buy everything non-consumable because we have so many children and it's far cheaper. Non-consumable things are a bigger investment so I make sure it's right, obsessively researching, before I spend a dime.

 

My only consumables are Phonics (ETC 1,2,3 then MCP B) and 1st grade Math workbooks (Singapore 1A,1B,2A).

[Joy at Home]

Your oldest is only 8, check back with us in a few years.

 

We all research and pick carefully, sometimes you don't know until you try and things change.

 

Just because someone asks about a variety of curricula, don't assume they are a curriculum hopper. They may have children with quite different learning styles and strengths/weaknesses or children with special needs, be thankful your choices have fit and your kids are pretty typical learners.

 

What I often see is things appear to be going smoothly in K-3 and materials are usually consistent, but somewhere in the 4th-6th grade range things catch up and they are no longer able to appear to be doing well with the same ole or hide their weaknesses, challenges, gaps etc.

 

Completely agree here. Until fourth grade or so, I don't stress abouty much and can use just about anything successfully. After that is when I get serious about making specific choices. I don't think I switched much in the early years. Hadn't noticed OP was referring to a younger student. It gets tougher, I think, as they get older, especially when things aren't "clicking" in some areas.