HOW did you decide on your curriculum?

[lilacii]

We have this coming year covered (Kinder), but there are so many choices!!! How did you determine what was best for your child? I have to admit I'm in an initial-induced frenzy each time I read the posts revealing the various curriculum choices people have made. I stutter through, trying to identify the few programs I'm familiar with, and pass over the ones that are "beyond me". I listen to friends who rave about this program or that program...only to find myself feeling more perplexed by their opinions.

 

Who among us feels that they have "the perfect fit" for your family's needs? What was your process?

 

How many do not have "the perfect fit", but the "it will do for now fit"? Is this more common?

 

Are my expectations too high?

 

Thank you for any advice...

[veggiegal]

I do the things I am sure you do: read reviews, talk with homeschooling friends, look at the curriculum in person if I can at a bookstore / library / homeschooling store. But in the end, the only thing that works, IME, is trial and error. Each kid is different; you are different than other homeschooling parents in values and goals and so on; and what works one year, doesn't work another as you, your kid, and/or your situation changes. I've found it best not to get too wedded to a particular curriculum (or approach to homeschooling in general, actually), and instead treat it as an experiment: this looks good; how did it work out for us? Do I want to stay the same next year, tweak it a bit, of chuck the lot and go in a totally different direction?

 

There simply is no such thing as the perfect curriculum.

[purduemeche]

Attending a large homeschool convention was the perfect way for us to trial curricula. You know your child better than anyone by now, and the types of things they like to do now give you clues as to their learning style. Conventions allow you to test hands-on and talk to reps about how they design their curricula.

[KrissiK]

I start with the recommendations of TWTM. Right now, with the exception of Science, I'm going with what they recommend. I tried science the way they recommend, but just couldn't keep up with it, so I'm doing something else. But, since I agree philosophically with TWTM, then I go with their recommendations. I think when choosing curriculum, you need to figure out what your philosophy is - traditional, classical, CM, whatever, and then choose the curriculum that fits that.

[Dobela]

The perfect fit changes as the kids change. Sometimes you find a curriculum works great one year but not the next, or you discover the child has a learning disability, or that the child despises unit studies.

 

You begin with the strengths and weaknesses of the child.

[Ellesmere]

What we are using this year is good for now. :) We'll see how we change our approach if we keep homeschooling.

 

I made a list of the choices as I researched and listed the reasons why I thought a program wouldn't work for us so I wouldn't get too swayed by rave reviews. For example, there's some really nice math programs that weren't well-suited to my teaching style. There are some history ones that just wouldn't work for us. When I saw some nice science kits, my list reminded me that we aren't focusing on that subject as much this year and my husband promised to help me with our chosen science program.

 

What we are using has been easy to adjust to our needs, too. Structured but flexible works well for us, and so far the choices we have are easy to customize. But I remember being very overwhelmed with all the choices. Best wishes to you!

[oraetstudia]

Sometimes there is no perfect fit and every child is different, as is every year. Although, I think I have chosen well for my children for this year, I can't be sure that as the year goes on, something won't crop up. This doesn't mean one should always spend time thinking the grass is greener or that some other curriculum will solve all of life's problems, but as you watch your kids and see what they need/like and what you need/like, it becomes clearer.

 

For instance, my first year homeschooling, I chose Saxon math. I'd used Saxon in school and it was the only thing I'd heard of and I specifically thought MUS had a dumb name. I hated doing Saxon with my son. He learned a lot, but I practically avoided doing it, because it took a long time and was too much work and prep. I read a review of MUS from someone I trusted and decided to try it, even if it had a dumb name. My son loved it and it worked well for him.

 

Then my daughter came along. She hated MUS. Tears issued forth every day when it was time for math. It too over a year to finish Alpha, because she just could not get it and has so much trouble memorizing her addition facts. So, for third grade I bought Teaching Textbooks for her. She loved it and thrived on it. She still needs extra math fact reviews (she's just that kind of kid), but we found a math program that she enjoys.

[Hunter]

The perfect fit changes as the kids change. Sometimes you find a curriculum works great one year but not the next, or you discover the child has a learning disability, or that the child despises unit studies.

 

You begin with the strengths and weaknesses of the child.

 

I think the perfect fit changes as mom changes :-) I think the curriculum needs to fit MOM's strengths and weaknesses FIRST and if mom feels confident enough, she can TWEAK it to fit almost any learning style and disability.

 

I believe mom needs to be taken care of first. She needs be centered and grounded and excited. Then she can gather her little chicks, even if it is just one. I think things run smoother in the long run when mom is the center and children satellite around her, instead of the other way around.

 

Hopefully , you will go to bed most nights with something exciting on your mind that you can't wait to share with the children in the morning.

[justamouse]

I think the perfect fit changes as mom changes :-) I think the curriculum needs to fit MOM's strengths and weaknesses FIRST and if mom feels confident enough, she can TWEAK it to fit almost any learning style and disability.

 

I believe mom needs to be taken care of first. She needs be centered and grounded and excited. Then she can gather her little chicks, even if it is just one. I think things run smoother in the long run when mom is the center and children satellite around her, instead of the other way around.

 

Hopefully , you will go to bed most nights with something exciting on your mind that you can't wait to share with the children in the morning.

 

:iagree: this is what I've found to be true--and it's also why it's important to have SO MANY curricula to choose from. My strengths are not your strengths.

Edited August 3, 2011 by justamouse

[TracyR]

It took time for me to whittle down what works for us. This year we have decided on Christian Light for most subjects. Being I need less teacher intensive this year to get us back into the swing of things ( my girls went to private school last year).

 

Plus my younger three seem to thrive off of the workbook style learning that CLE offers. They like that when they complete one workbook they get another. I think it gives them the feeling that they accomplished something.

My older daughter is my tough nut and has always needed bells and whistles to keep her attention. I knew of nothing in the beginning about what was out there. I didn't even know what homeschooling even was. I had never met anyone who was throughout my life. So I went online and looked at what others were using and followed links. I didn't know how to use a search engine 8yrs ago when I got our first computer. LOL Catalogs are very helpful to look at that's for sure. Reviews help but aren't a 100% helpful because what works for one person may not work for another.

 

I had found Bob Jones and got the catalog ( websites weren't to helpful 8yrs ago , you needed to get the catalog to see the curriculum). It had stories and bright colors and everything my oldest needed to keep her attention.

Today she is 13 and still needs bells and whistles but she's learning that those options are becoming much more limited the older she gets. LOL So she will use Christian Light for Math and LA and for reading we are going to give Catholic Heritage's Stories of the Saints Volume 1-4 a try this year. We'll be doing the Homeschool In the Woods History program with all four of them for History, and Apologia elementary for the younger three and Physical Science for my 13 yr old.

 

It all boils down to trial and error. I've used many other programs with either a success for fail. Either it didn't work for them no matter how much I tried to tweak it , or it didn't work for me ( being to teacher intensive or just not making any sense to me). Christian Light though has seemed to fit us well. My girls have been slowly working on it and they have been doing really well with it and I like that it doesn't take me all day to teach them. I can go over the information with them together and send them to work on it without having to hold their hands. My 3rd daughter (8yr old) is extremely independent so this style fits her very well.

 

It has taken me 8yrs to find what is really working well for us. I will admit we still may need to tweak here and there , but I'm pretty confident this year with what I have chosen.

[Hunter]

if you are using something that is working, and someone comes along and tells you, "your child deserves better than that!" ignore them!

[sewingmama]

I think the perfect fit changes as mom changes :-) I think the curriculum needs to fit MOM's strengths and weaknesses FIRST and if mom feels confident enough, she can TWEAK it to fit almost any learning style and disability.

 

:iagree:

 

I've gotten a couple of curriculum that I thought would be great that my DD hated or I was bored with. I just tweaked it to suit us both and went on from there. I don't have the money to buy multitudes of curriculum to try. I make the best decision I can and then once it is bought I stick with it if at all possible.

[raceNzanesmom]

Honestly, I used my now graduate as a guinea pig, poor kid. When we first started hsing I thought it was school at home, so I went all textbooks, every drill, quiz, test possible. :glare: We both hated it. So then I started researching, not just curriculum, but styles of learning and teaching. That lead us to living books. I pieced it together for middle school and high school for my oldest, and it worked well. When I started doing the same for my youngest I was overwhelmed and felt like I was missing it. So I started researching living book based curriculums, decided on Heart of Dakota, and love it. I continue to read a little here and there when I see something I haven't heard of, but mostly I stay away from it. I have a great curriculum that works for us and that's all I need. IF the time comes when I need a change I'll seek it out.

[kalanamak]

 

Thank you for any advice...

 

 

I read reviews, look at web pages, check for heavy religious content, look at the layout, look at the sigs of other posters with children about my age, chew my nails, and order. I have had a chance to look at some during WTM get-togethers. I also ask a lot of questions here.

 

I have found that about half of what I order, fits. The other half I use parts of. Only about 10% is a complete loss, and I usually offer it free to someone here on the board.

 

Don't worry. K stuff is not a 250 dollar science program, and your child will not be harmed by your errors.

[Joyoflearning]

I think the perfect fit changes as mom changes :-) I think the curriculum needs to fit MOM's strengths and weaknesses FIRST and if mom feels confident enough, she can TWEAK it to fit almost any learning style and disability.

:iagree:

I bought some curriculum when I first got excited about homeschooling. I thought it looked so fun! Then I started looking at how much I would need to plan ahead and buy materials ahead of time to make it work. I realized that it did not matter how great a curriculum was if it was not going to get done. I looked for things that would meet my goals: academic, faith, teaching skills rather than "grade", etc. I found several curriculum which could do some of those things or most of those things. I then looked at where I was in our life. Right now we have 3 young children and I am not naturally organized. I needed something "open and go" so I looked for that. I also wanted to be able to substitute my own LA and Math because I feel that is the core of the academics and I don't want my curriculum to nail me down to a choice I might not feel is the best for us. Heart of Dakota is what meets my goals and will get done. Later, I may have the homeschool thing more figured out and be more organized. At that point maybe I can try something like TOG which takes much more teacher prep. Right now what I have works fabulous.

[5LittleMonkeys]

All of my curriculum is customized to each of my dc. I take into account their learning style, temperment, attention span, personality, and their likes and dislikes. It didn't happen overnight though; it was over two years of trial and error and a lot of research on my part. I think this year we have, after a slight hiccup with grammar, found nearly the perfect fit for all of my dc.

 

One key, as someone mentioned before, is that I have a few programs that I use because I like them best. They are programs though that I am comfortable enough with and that lend themselves to customizing to each child. I used Phonics Pathways with dd8 in a completely different way than I will use it with ds5. I use R&S English with all of my dc but teach it and even assign customized practice methods differently for each dc.

 

I think something to remember too is that just like each of your dc may need a different program or at least a different method of you teaching, you need to stay attuned to the fact that sometimes each of your dc need a whole different philosophy of teaching\learning in order to really reach them and allow them to blossom into true learners. I have one child that thrives with rigorous more traditional approach to learning, one that needs a large portion of her learning to be exploratory and more interest led and one that thrives on a unit based method. Of coarse then there is the 5yo that I haven't figured out yet so we are experimenting.;)

 

As your dc get older they will be much more help in deciding what to use as well. They will know themselves that they want a textbook, or dvd lectures, or literature based...when they are young they sometimes don't know what they need only what they don't like, so it makes your job much harder.

 

Don't beat yourself up when something isn't working though. If you can't use it as is and can't tweak it then get rid of it. It really isn't worth your time and frustration to keep trying to make a bad fit work. Don't be surprised though that over the course of a year or two if you find yourself looking at the same thing you got rid of. Dc's learning preferences do change over time and typically aren't set until young adulthood.

[Donna]

Initially I read reviews on message boards like this. Mostly it has been trial and error for my family especially when not all my kids learn the same way...often what worked for the oldest ends up not being the perfect thing for another.

 

Now I am more settled. I am only homeschooling my youngest. She was my most difficult to figure out what to use with when she was younger but I have a good feel for her learning style now and can usually tell from sample lessons or reviews whether something will work or not.

 

Also, once I have something that is working, I do not let others sway me into switching. I try not to read about new stuff unless I am searching for something in particular.

[boscopup]

I started out reading WTM and the boards here. Then I went subject by subject, searching out what was recommended, reading reviews, comparing different ones that looked interesting, etc. For example, if I wanted a math program, I searched "first grade math", then looked at what people said about their math programs. Then I'd look at samples of those programs online. Once I found a few that I liked the looks of, I started typing them into google like this: "singapore vs math mammoth site:welltrainedmind.com" or "sm vs mm site:welltrainedmind.com" (you can use 2-3 letter acronyms if you search via google). Then I read the threads comparing those programs I was interested in, thinking about how I compare to the parents saying what they liked or didn't like. For example, if someone said "I like that there are lots of hands on manipulatives and nice, long lessons!" about a program, I'd probably think "Ok, I don't want THAT program." :lol:

 

You do have to be realistic about what you actually like (and I agree with picking curriculum for MOM first, then adjust for the kids). While unit studies look really fun, I know I wouldn't get to them. I hate arts and crafts and tend to shy away from anything that we have to clean up after. :tongue_smilie: So using a curriculum that includes a lot of heavy arts and crafts is just not going to fly here.

 

As you get started, you'll find out what you truly like vs. what looked good on the computer screen. I selected several things for my first year (second half of first grade), and I changed probably half of them before that semester was over. I've done better with my second year. I think I've only changed ONE thing midstream, and I have plans to try different things in two subjects NEXT year. The others will stay the same though. So I'm figuring out what works for us. Just expect to make some changes those first couple years... and sometimes even later on, you just want to make a change because YOU are bored. I think most of the changes I've made in the last year have been due to ME, not my son. My son has been fine with whatever. Sometimes I will change something because I think one curriculum would work better for him (less writing required, etc.), but sometimes I just don't enjoy teaching a particular curriculum, so out it goes! I need to enjoy what we're doing. If I don't, it doesn't matter how fun the curriculum is... my son won't enjoy it either.

[Mrs Twain]

The most useful book that helped me pick curricula at first was Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Picks. That book explains the various styles of homeschooling first (classical, Charlotte Mason, traditional, etc.) to help people figure out which philosophy they prefer to use. Next, she lists her top 100 picks of homeschool curricula and describes the programs by subject. She also ranks each program to tell how well it would fit into each style of homeschooling. I thought this was the most useful initial resource because I was confident that any program I chose from in her book was good quality and would be a good place to start teaching.

 

After I tried various things, I found some programs that I liked and some that I didn't. At that point, reading reviews such as on this forum and Amazon helped me narrow down what worked for us, and it helped us branch out into other resources beyond the "100 Top Picks."

 

I also use The Core Knowedge K-8 Sequence to help me pick curricula. Using a scope and sequence helps me feel more confident that I am covering the basic content for each grade, and it helps me decide on curricula since I have a plan on what content to cover year to year.

 

A lot of people do a boxed curriculum the first year they are homeschooling because they don't feel confident that they know how to put together a complete course of study by themselves. Once they try this for a year or two, they often have enough experience and knowledge to put their own curriculum together which is personalized to their own style and children.

[Mrs Twain]

One more thing I forgot to mention--

 

Regarding learning styles, I have found a simple method to be very useful. If a person sees, hears and says/write the information being learned, he will retain a high percentage of the material. I find that this method works for my children's different learning styles quite well. For instance, I explain verbally the lesson (the hearing part), then I write it out on a dry erase board (the seeing part), and then have my children do an exercise where they either talk about it or write about it.

 

I find that I can use this method with many different programs. That way my children't different learning styles are being addressed without me having to buy separate curricula for each child. This saves money and time!

[TheCoffeeChick]

I read TWTM and went with many of the recommendations. I also read reviews online.

 

Me too! :D

[sagira]

First I started out reading all I could about Homeschooling in general. I read about the whys behind hsing, real life stories, books about the different methods, results, etc. Then, after a few dozen books and scores of articles, I decided, I started soul-searching and brainstorming. What kind of education do I want for my child? What goals do I have? What kind of teacher am I? What kind of student is he?

 

After having determined that Montessori would be next to impossible for me to accomplish at home, I researched alternative methods more in depth. Charlotte Mason kept popping up. The more I read about her methods, the more they resonated with me. Subsequently I bought her books, and after reading Home Education and When Children Love to Learn my mind was set.

 

From there I eyed all the curricula out there with that lens of my own internal values and CM with a sprinkling of classical. I reread WTM, this time using it as a reference and not as a step by step, do- this- or- your- child- will -be- ruined system. I gleaned much from it, and requested and received the latest edition for Mother's Day.

 

I picked whole books, looked at samples, and decided. Because I had lain the groundwork and was able to set aside my emotions, I have rarely made a mistake. The one time I didn't was when I let fear creep up in deciding about Math and chose something familiar, even though I hadn't understood well like this. I assumed ds would, but in reality he's very much like me. I had picked MCP Math, but realized a year later Math Mammoth is much, much better suited to us and matches our style.

 

Have fun on this journey and don't get overwhelmed!

[Heidi]

Lots of research, like everyone else said.

 

I also try to buy curriculum used just to look at it and mull it over. I've looked at so many, I have a good idea now what I like and what I don't like, regardless of other people's opinions. Some of the most popular curriculums out there, I have looked at, and I know they would never jive here. It's nice to know that for myself and narrow my choices down. I also get a better idea of what to look for by doing this.

 

Then, I try to sell back the stuff I don't like. Usually I'm only out shipping costs.

[HSMother]

I research, but when it comes down to it it's been trial and error. We're entering our 10 year of homeschooling now and at this point I'm a lot better at weeding out what will and will not work for us. But I have stacks upon stacks of barely used books to prove that it took a long while to get there.

 

Michelle

[RahRah]

Read through WTM, made choices based on recommendations and reading reviews.....and still wound up making many changes the first year - lots of trial and error!

[Ellie]

After doing all of the above :-) I try to imagine myself teaching with a particular product or method and my dc learning/listening/doing what that particular product or method requires of them, because that's what it comes down to in the end: Can *I* do *that*? Will my dc tolerate it? like it? want to participate?

 

Sometimes it takes more than one trial and error to figure it out, which is why it's better if you start hsing when your dc are young.:D

[Tess in the Burbs]

you eliminate things and make the best choice

 

and you are open to changing things up when it doesn't work

 

And you will make a few choices early on that won't work long term

 

it's ok, just keep researching and choose again

[TheAutumnOak]

I think the perfect fit changes as mom changes :-) I think the curriculum needs to fit MOM's strengths and weaknesses FIRST and if mom feels confident enough, she can TWEAK it to fit almost any learning style and disability.

 

I believe mom needs to be taken care of first. She needs be centered and grounded and excited. Then she can gather her little chicks, even if it is just one. I think things run smoother in the long run when mom is the center and children satellite around her, instead of the other way around.

 

Hopefully , you will go to bed most nights with something exciting on your mind that you can't wait to share with the children in the morning.

 

:iagree: I tend to choose what I feel good about and what I feel would help (or enable in most cases :tongue_smilie:) me to teach the children...If they were to like someting and I didn't, me not liking it is a deal breaker...

[TeaCookiesBears]

Lots and lots of research. I spent a lot of time reading review sites and joined just about every major Yahoo group to read opinions on the curriculum.

 

Then I decided what was important to me and what would work for my kids. My oldest is fairly independent, likes variety in his curriculum, he's an excellent reader, but doesn't want to read all day. He likes hands-on projects, but needs help putting it all together. From there, I knew I unit studies would work best for him.

 

Some of the things that were important to me:

 

1. Non-Consumable

2. PDF format preferred

3. Flexible for different learning styles

4. Related to our topic

 

 

I wanted to be able to pass it down to the little ones. Now I know I need to make sure the PDF is copy and paste enabled for easier lesson planning in OneNote. I wanted to include a lot of different learning styles because my kids are so different. My middle gets distracted with pictures in books, loves math and science, my youngest can sit still and just draw and write forever. Once they get a little older, my goal is to do something like HO for all of them. The youngers always enjoy having oldest at the table with them.

 

It took a months to finally make the commitment to actually buy something. Then doubt set in; I reread and reassured myself. This being my first official year, I'm sure I overbought, but nothing I don't intend to actually use at some point.

 

PlumCrazyMomof3, I am the exact same way most of the time I like to research everything before I buy it from technology to curriculums. I also like to buy things in pdf format as I do not have the space for a lot of books and I like to have it for later for my youngest dd5. I had to break down and buy a ebook reader because me and dd12 hate reading ebooks on the pc but love being able save space and only print out what I need.

 

And yes I know I have overbought things to but I no longer feel bad about it(most of the time) because it makes me feel good when I give it away to help someone save money.

[StartingOver]

I follow TWTM, almost to the "T", have for years. I change the way we approach a lesson rather than the curriculum. For my more visual child, we watch DVD's that tie in, go to the History or Science Museum, etc. For my more Hands-on child, I find crafts, lapbooks, etc. For me the key is keeping them interested, not happy. I feel it is my job to teach them, and it isn't always fun, but must be done. I mean really who do you know that couldn't wait to do Calculus ?? LOL

[Mandy in TN]

I asked my 20yo how I decide on curriculum. He snorted and responded, "Hours and hours and hours of research."

 

I think that about covers it. Although with my little one, I am not researching as much. Some of what he does I just already have on the shelf and some we have fallen into and it works. Math is the only subject that I seem to still be really researching.

 

HTH-

Mandy

[PeacefulChaos]

Well, this year is our first year of homeschooling. DS(7) has had 2 years of ps, and with DS (5) we are starting from scratch aside from some pre-k school last year.

For this year, I basically took what was the highest recommended in WTM and went with it. I figured that it will work for now, and I may find things I need to tweak or change a little this year, or get rid of all together for next year. And I'm ok with that. I'm confident that my kids will still be learning what they need this year, and if they don't then I know we can fix it. I'm really not too worried about it. For example, at this point I have both boys in FLL 1 - youngest DS makes sense, but oldest DS I considered not doing it because its starting so far back for him. At the same time, I'm not exactly sure how much of that sort of grammar and such he has actually been exposed to and taught at ps, so I figured we may as well go back and go over them briefly. I plan on finishing FLL 2 with him by the end of the year.

A couple of examples:

For Science, WTM has some recommendations for basic 'spines' to use for animal study, human body, and plants. As it stands right now, I already am pretty sure that we'll move to a different way of doing Science next year - possibly Apologia or RS4K. As for right now, we are doing what is recommended in the book one day a week (looking at the pages about the animal we are studying) and another day we're doing a different (and usually completely unrelated! lol) fun project. Yes, we are doing the mentos and diet coke on Friday. Yes, I know it is a silly, mostly just to make things shoot up in the air type of thing. But why not? :tongue_smilie: It's supposed to be fun right now. We do also get books at the library about the animals we are studying that the boys look at throughout the week - but I don't make them study it hard. We're introducing things and just having a good time learning about monkeys (this week, anyway).

I really am not loving Saxon Math. blahhhh.... I don't know why, it just isn't something I'm a big fan of. I feel as though Saxon Math 2 is wayyyyy easy for my 2nd grader (so is Spelling Workout B, but he'll be finished with C by the end of the year, and I don't think it hurts to review, either). The hard thing with him is just figuring out where he would fit into a new curriculum with no knowledge of exactly what he knew/didn't know, etc. I kind of want to switch to Singapore Math next year, particularly for my oldest. For my younger, we shall see. If he seems to learn well and do well with it, we may stick with it. Otherwise we may switch to Singapore or maybe Math-U-See.

Anyway, I said all that just to say that we're just kind of going with it and seeing what happens. I think I ordered all excellent curricula to begin with, and we just have to find the right fit. From what I've seen here (in the small amount of time I've been around!) that seems to be the norm. :001_smile:

[PeacefulChaos]

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I generally want to try to stick with what is recommended in WTM since that is my preferred method of educating them. :)

[NanceXToo]

I do feel like I found a great fit for my family, and I do feel fortunate that I found it right away, pretty much when I first began homeschooling.

 

I had pulled my daughter out of public school toward the end of her third grade year, and since there was only a short time left in that school year, we did our own eclectic mix of things without using any formal curriculum.

 

The following year, which was to be our first full year of homeschooling, I knew early on what I wanted to use because another homeschooling family I knew used it and had told me about it and showed it to me. It was the Oak Meadow curriculum and I fell in love with it right away. I loved its whole philosophy and approach- gentle in the earliest years, creative, hands on- and looked for it used. I got really lucky when I found an older version of the curriculum for sale in one big lot, K through 8th grade! I bought it and used it with my daughter for 4th grade and 5th grade and will be continuing with it this fall for 6th grade, while simultaneously starting K with my son.

 

I have supplemented here and there with a few things- we enjoy SOTW for example and normally do that over the summer for fun, and this past year we decided to use a different math curriculum (still using Oak Meadow for everything but math), and we're going to do Meet the Masters for art this coming year- but Oak Meadow is our main curriculum and we really, really like it. I have no intentions of changing to a different curriculum. It works, and we enjoy it. :)

[RoundAbout]

At my son's age I'm really only concerned about math and reading right now so that makes it easy. I knew I wanted a simple but thorough phonics program with no writing that I could jazz up as needed. OPGTR fits the bill perfectly! When he gets a lesson easily we blast through, but when he needs more practice I can make a game out of it or stretch it out over several days.

 

For math I had read Liping Ma and have a strong math background myself so I knew I wanted something that gave a very good conceptual grounding. I started out with Singapore EB but my son found the concepts unchallenging, plus it had too much writing. Based on suggestions here we switched to Right Start + Miquon and love it.

 

I'm sure choosing the right curriculum will get more difficult as my son gets older which is why I'm always hanging out here. Just knowing what's available helps a lot.

[Mom-ninja.]

I pull out my WTM and start there. Then I come here. :001_smile:

 

My first year and a half I floundered trying to find a method that worked for us.

[SnMomof7]

Well, I'm with Hunter. Use what works FOR YOU. If you can't figure it out, you won't be able to teach it to the dc.

 

I also - pray, ask DH, read reviews/write posts on the WTM boards, research online, and then...guess and test (remember public school?)!! I buy it and see if it works, or if I can make it work!

[Nikki -TX-]

Starting out (5 yrs ago now!) I visited a homeschool resale shop in town (Homeschool Resource Center- they used to have a store in Duncanville- I see you're also from DFW :) ). They had so much it was overwhelming at first, but I spent a couple of hours searching. I filtered out a lot of workbooks and came across Five in a Row (Vol.1) and it looked totally do-able (and affordable- $13), so I bought it. Using the library, a place we went weekly anyway, we found great children's books using FIAR as a guide to learning all sorts of subjects. This made my dc hooked on books!

 

During that first year, my mom started working for a Montessori school. The method she was learning interested me, so I read all I could -especially Teaching Montessori in the Home by Hainstock- and began making materials for math. This worked great for the K year.

 

Then I learned about RightStart Math. I wanted to find a good solid math curriculum to stick with, and RS has is a "perfect fit" for us. It does take my time, working along side them, but I feel that math is important enough for that. Another fit for us is English for the Thoughtful Child, which I found through an older edition (library copy) of The Well Trained Mind.

 

My "it will do for now fit" category is where other things fall, like history, geography and science. Those I'm more go-with-the-flow. (We just spent two weeks learning the 50 United States using The Man in the Map just for fun! And invited 6 cousins and friends to join us.)

 

I agree with the other posts about finding something YOU like. You'll be spending time getting into it too! Friends I knew were using other materials that didn't appeal to me (Abeka, Bob Jones, Math-U-See, 100 Easy Lessons) and I'm so glad I kept away from formal curriculum then and decided "keep it fun". We mostly played games to learn letter sounds and how to write letters.

 

My first learned to read while using FIAR. My second using Bob Books. They're so capable of learning. I didn't push reading. They learned it by us doing it.

[mom31257]

I don't have time to read all the responses, but I know you've been given good advice. One thing you should consider beside what's best for your child is what is good for you as well. The best curricula in the world will be the worst if you hate doing it.

[black_midori]

Hah!! I just research research research... and eventually decide I just need to BUY STUFF ALREADY!!!

 

Get what you THINK will work - and be prepared for it not to :( Then try again. The older the child gets, the better you will be at knowing how well a program fits with his/her particular learning style (and your teaching style!!). If you love it, see how high the levels go. If you hate it, bail sooner rather than later. If it's middling, give it a reasonable trial period. :)

 

Right now, I tend to buy everything that is very teacher hand-holdy. With my oldest in 2nd, I'm still not ready to venture out on my own yet - but I'm getting there! Currently, I tweak with endless enthusiasm HOW I do the teaching - but I like have a "do xyz" to fall back on in need. In future years, I will stick with much of what I have - but as I branch into other subjects or hit the end of desire on current subjects, I will likely go with more student-oriented programs...

[PentecostalMom]

Mostly trial and error with ds. He was my curriculum guinea pig so to speak. I did have some initial guidelines, Christian based, not too "workbooky" for most subjects, etc. Then I went from there!

[baybedaul]

The most useful book that helped me pick curricula at first was Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Picks.

 

:iagree:

 

TWTM is what set me on the Classical path, but Cathy Duffy's book helped me explore additional curriculum choices to really start tweaking school to fit our family best. I don't think I would have considered TOG had it not been for Cathy Duffy's book. But it fit so well into the criteria I selected, so I finally gave it a look. Sure enough, I loved what I found!

 

But before buying any curriculum, I spend a good amount of time seeing what everyone on here has had to say about it already. :)

[Stacie Leigh]

Here is my non official criteria, lol!

 

1. What I feel is most important to teach

2. How I view the way the curriculum teaches it (Worldview, how rigorous, etc...)

3. How it matches up with my child's personality & learning style (relates to number 2)

4. Accessibility, Ease of Use (Can I teach it and will it interest and challenge them?)

5. Price

6. Availability (OOP, hard to order new consumbles?)

7. Does it flow well with my other choices?

 

ETA: This year was a total revamp and I spent well over 100 hours researching, shopping, reading reviews, ordering, ebaying, etc...

Edited August 4, 2011 by Stacie Leigh