POLL - Why curriculum fails...

[FriedClams]

I am just curious - when a curriculum fails in your house - what is the primary reason...

[Brindee]

It doesn't fit my child's learning style.

[WTMindy]

I would say the biggest reason is that it isn't accomplishing the goals I have for my kids. I don't mind doing lesson planning and organizing and combining things, but if I don't feel like it is meeting a need for my kids I drop it. I have dropped a spelling curriculum for this reason.

[JFSinIL]

doesn't fit my kid...or I dislike it so much that I do a poor job using it (the old if Momma ain't happy...)

[Mom2GirlsTX]

say the biggest "looser" for us was Saxon math. I love it, and think it is a terrific program for me (if I were taking math again I would love it). However, it made my dd hate hate hate hate math. It was such a struggle to return her to "loving" math which she does now. We are currently using Singapore along with MUS and she really enjoys math now. So for us, it was a failure because it caused my child to hate the subject as a whole.

[~Puddins~]

doesn't fit my kid...or I dislike it so much that I do a poor job using it (the old if Momma ain't happy...)

 

That's me, too. I find that if I am uncomfortable teaching it, then 99% of the time it won't last long in our house. You wouldn't think I would have tried that many curriculums considering my oldest is only 6, but oh yes I have :001_smile:

[Trivium Academy]

If a product does not fit learning & teaching styles or it causes me to supplement to the point it's not worth using anymore.

[Myrtle]

I am just curious - when a curriculum fails in your house - what is the primary reason...

 

#1 Not enough practice provided for the child to master the topic being taught.

#2 Not enough review.

[Jenny in Atl]

Often it's a poor over all layout, confusing, to hard, not hard enough...

I can usually tell within a month. There is that glassy eyed look or they will actually come out and tell me that it's boring or confusing. It can be so frustrating to get something that looks so good, and then when you actually start using it, well... yuck.

[Laura in OH]

:001_smile:

[Mama Lynx]

I chose other, because I have a hard time saying that a curriculum has failed.

 

The curriculum is a tool. I am the teacher. I might decide that a curriculum is the wrong tool for us, but that doesn't mean that the curriculum "failed."

 

But in general when I buy a curriculum and then quit using it, it's because of one of these reasons:

 

* It's just the wrong tool: It clashes with our learning style and philosophy. Perhaps it turned out to be too much busy work, or just didn't do what I thought it would.

 

* We got bored. I will rarely stick with a program we find boring.

 

* It's harder than I thought it would be, and my kids aren't ready for that level.

 

* I just can't implement it. I love both Espanol Facile, and R.E.A.L. science. They fit us. They're wonderful. But for whatever reason, I just don't DO them.

[Willow]

I have just ditched TT. My ds hates the computer aspect. He calls the lecturer 'Mr Woffle' I thought he would LOVE doing maths on the computer. :confused:

 

On the whole if something doesn't fit them, or me, we ditch it....but now what am I going to do for maths!!:confused:

[Brindee]

We're the same way with Saxon. I think it's a great program, but it didn't work for ANY of my 3 children! :( We are doing TT math now, and my kids are doing great! My dd was beginning too hate math, now she's back to liking it again!

[mcconnellboys]

How about, "The teacher couldn't figure out how to use it?"

[Tutor]

Usually its because I put too much stock in the curriculum and not enough in my own dedication at consistent, loving teaching of my children.

[Jenny in Florida]

And that is certain one issue. However, another one that isn't on your list of options is that, once I had the materials in my hands, they just didn't live up to expectations.

[Mommyfaithe]

I purchase using my heart instead of my head...IOW....I purchase my "dream" curricula, without taking into account the actuality of our lives. It is so frustrating!

I think I have very warm fuzzy moments about HOW I want our homeschool to look...or be...

Picture the cover of the Teaching Home....:lol:

 

THEN...reality hits...we are talking about MY kids...LOL

 

I loved the idea of unit studies...my kids head for the hills!

I love the idea of lit. based learning...my kids fall asleep.

I love the idea of cuddling up on the couch and reading for hours and hours...but my teens would have to unplug....

My kids LOVE worksheets

My kids love checklists

My kids love to know EXACTLY what is expected of them...no free wheeling here.

 

My kids would have thrived on a textbook only curriculum....

 

I am too CMee for them...so for the most part we have found a happy medium.

 

I have found programs with a CM flavor...yet a schooly feel (and no...these kis have never been to school)

 

Anyhow...i really think what messes us up curricula wise...is fantasy vs. reality

 

~~Faithe(who likes my homeschool dream world and has high hopes that my 2 little guys will humor me and just go with the flow)

[Plaid Dad]

I voted for "got bored" but that is often a result of another factor: the difficulty of finding materials for an academically accelerated child that are both intellectually challenging and age appropriate.

[Closeacademy]

We have had it fail for a variety of reasons.

 

1. Too boring! (quite a few "living" books.)

2. Clashes with learning style (we had many phonics programs that fell here).

3. Too confusing or hard to implement (Sonlight for us, especially the old language arts).

4. Overkill that leads to burn-out (TOG did this for us.)

5. Doesn't match my teaching style (Saxon and Rightstart and really anything scripted).

 

I think that covers it.:001_smile:

[SBP]

I dislike it so much that I do a poor job using it (the old if Momma ain't happy...)

 

Yep, this is usually what it is at my house. The kids are pretty good sports (bless their hearts) about whatever I throw at them, but it's the kiss of death if I don't like it.

[Audrey]

I picked the overbought option. I used to be notorious for buying everything I could get my hands on in any given subject. It was a big waste of time and money. One couldn't possibly use it all.

 

I've since reformed and become much more discriminating about curriculum.

[Pam H]

We have had to put away at least one curriculum for each of the reasons you've stated as a choice. :glare:

[Bee]

They were all good curriculums.Most of the time things don't work for us because it just isn't the right time for us to be using them.Sometimes I decide it's something that I want to come back to later.Sometimes I decide I picked a level that was too advanced or too simple for that particular child.Sometimes it's just too hard for me to implement because I don't have the time or desire to shop for the needed supplies.And,more than once I have simply bought too much curriculum to possibly use it all or use it well.Which is why,this upcoming year,I am cutting back to the basics.I can add on later,if I need to.

[Christine]

I have just ditched TT. My ds hates the computer aspect. He calls the lecturer 'Mr Woffle' I thought he would LOVE doing maths on the computer. :confused:

 

On the whole if something doesn't fit them, or me, we ditch it....but now what am I going to do for maths!!:confused:

 

An aside:

 

My son does TT math, but does not use the computer aspect of it, unless he needs help. Otherwise he just reads the lessons and does the work. During correction, if he comes across a problem that he can't figure out (generally he needs to correct because he made a simple calculation error) then he goes to the disk.

[Punkinelly]

...curricula that does not go deep enough. History textbooks are especially troublesome to us in this way. Id the book does not give enough detail about a topic, then it is hard to remember anything about it, ykwim?

 

That is one reason I dislike history textbooks in general. I realize that the books would have to be huge because so much has happened in history, but couldn't they do a little better job writing them??

 

We are trying Notgrass soon, so maybe it will be different.

 

Mary

[homewithtrinity]

Unfortunately you cannot adjust every curriculum to meet your student's learning style.