Putting together your own curriculum?

[Deeke]

Over the years I find myself getting more and more bored with the curriculum that is out there, especially what is availabe for Canadians. I find I am just putting together my own, or totally adapting what I do end up buying. Plus I find it is really fun doing our own thing. Anyone else?

[WTMindy]

Over the years I find myself getting more and more bored with the curriculum that is out there, especially what is availabe for Canadians. I find I am just putting together my own, or totally adapting what I do end up buying. Plus I find it is really fun doing our own thing. Anyone else?

 

I go on phases, but I usually end up adapting something! :001_smile:

[sarah in tenn]

I just started with Robinson curriculum.

sarah

[Sarah CB]

I really like designing my own things, but I've also been more than happy with a lot of curriculum that is out there. If Tapestry of Grace was Canadian I'd gladly pass over my history/geography/literature/etc. reins and buy Year 3. Instead, I'm back to the drawing board and my table is still covered in stacks of books (see one of my recent blog postings for a pic). On one hand I am really having fun designing my own thing right now. It's something I did a lot of in the past and it's neat to get back to it. On the other hand, there are so many other things to do...

 

I tweak things and make them work for us, so nothing really gets boring over here.

 

I do wish there were more Canadian homeschooling materials though.

[Melissa in Australia]

I just adapt curriculum. I am much to dumb to make up my own.

[Ellie]

Hsing in 1982 was lots different than it is now :-) For the first 5 years or so I mostly made up my own 'cuz there wasn't anything else.

[Peela]

I am simply using less and less curriculum, and more and more living books. I have change dover to Ambleside and a CM approach. I make up my own writing assignments, even though I own half a dozen writing curriculum on my shelves. We read, we discuss, we write. It's not rocket science. And for science, I outsource! We use a textbook for maths.

[Deeke]

I am simply using less and less curriculum, and more and more living books. I have change dover to Ambleside and a CM approach. I make up my own writing assignments, even though I own half a dozen writing curriculum on my shelves. We read, we discuss, we write. It's not rocket science. And for science, I outsource! We use a textbook for maths.

 

I am glad to read that, I am too using more and more living books. I would so rather spend my money on a good library-at-home(my biggest addiction) than curriculum now.

 

Thanks to all that have replied to the poll!

[Makita]

I am finding that I use less and less curriculum... I piece things together and use activities/ideas I find on the web as well. The only curriculum that I have actually purchased and follow is The Story of the World and the accompanying activity guide. Math, Science, Language Arts, Fine Arts ... all a hodge podge. It works for me.

[nukeswife]

At this point I'm mostly adapting things simply because there isn't much for secular hsers out there and what there is a lot of times just isn't that good. I'm doing ok with what I'm using now as far as it being pretty easy to adapt but I know as we get into the high school years unless someone come up with a new curriculum I'll be on my own for that.

[HRAAB]

I voted yes although maybe sometimes would have been more accurate. At the moment I felt like 'yes'. Maybe it's just me. After 12 years I'm feeling worn out and burned out so I'm trying to change that with new curriculum, and nothing is doing the job. Ack! It's all I think about, morning, noon and night.

 

Janet

[jail warden]

I don't feel confident enough to come up with my own! Let alone the time it would take!!! I just take what I like best of each subject and there we go.

[AngelaC]

I'm a tweaker. I love to buy something out there and completely hack it up. I used to think it was because I lacked the confidence to build something on my own, now I just accept it as what it is . . .FUN!

[Dayle in Guatemala]

I've basically always put together my own stuff, once I figured out that was "legal"! I love being able to find things that really work for us.

[JudoMom]

I really like designing my own things, but I've also been more than happy with a lot of curriculum that is out there. If Tapestry of Grace was Canadian I'd gladly pass over my history/geography/literature/etc. reins and buy Year 3. Instead, I'm back to the drawing board and my table is still covered in stacks of books (see one of my recent blog postings for a pic). On one hand I am really having fun designing my own thing right now. It's something I did a lot of in the past and it's neat to get back to it. On the other hand, there are so many other things to do...

 

I tweak things and make them work for us, so nothing really gets boring over here.

 

I do wish there were more Canadian homeschooling materials though.

 

What do you mean when you say TOG isn't Canadian? What do you mean when you say you wish there were more Canadian homeschooling materials available? Sorry to sound like a dunce :001_huh:, but if I don't ask I'll be wondering all day what is needed/missing/etc for you guys :blush:. I should say I'm not vary familiar with TOG, other than a brief skimming of their website awhile back.

[Deeke]

What do you mean when you say TOG isn't Canadian? What do you mean when you say you wish there were more Canadian homeschooling materials available? Sorry to sound like a dunce :001_huh:, but if I don't ask I'll be wondering all day what is needed/missing/etc for you guys :blush:. I should say I'm not vary familiar with TOG, other than a brief skimming of their website awhile back.

 

Sorry, for me it is content from a Canadian publisher with a Canadian view, not American. There is more Canadian-made home school curriculum made now than when we first started home schooling. I am often so envious of the American home school resources available, be they secualr or religious.

[Sarah CB]

What do you mean when you say TOG isn't Canadian? What do you mean when you say you wish there were more Canadian homeschooling materials available? Sorry to sound like a dunce :001_huh:, but if I don't ask I'll be wondering all day what is needed/missing/etc for you guys :blush:. I should say I'm not vary familiar with TOG, other than a brief skimming of their website awhile back.

 

 

Just that TOG is written from an American viewpoint. So there is an abundance of American history included and very, very little Canadian history. I love TOG for the incredible literature, the living history, and the discussions - but I don't need to get as deep into American history in year 3 as they go. So I'm pulling together my own thing this year as we cover early modern times with a Canadian focus.

 

It's mostly the history aspect that I'm missing as a Canadian. There just isn't anything amazing out there for Canadians. I also wish Lightning Literature had a year of Canadian literature.

[Jenny in Florida]

I think I started out doing it because what I wanted--secular, rigorous, flexible enough to accomodate radically accelerated kids, and cheap--wasn't available. Now there are products out there that I would probably have jumped a using a few years ago, but I'm so happy with what I already do that I can't see a reason to switch.

 

I do use some texts/curriculum packages for subjects about which I don't feel confident or for which there is just a really good product available at a price I'm willing to pay. Math I usually try to outsource or at least use something with a lot of help and support available for me. The foreign languages I use texts for, although I frequently end up using more than one product and figuring out how to weave them together. Ditto with English, although since that's my background, there's usually a healthy dose of DIY in there, too.

 

But I consider history and literature the core of our curriculum, and those I always plan myself from the ground up. And then I try my best to integrate as many other subjects as possible, which frequently means a lot of tweaking of an existing program, more blending of two or more programs that each have traits I like, or making up my own thing again.

[Punks in Ontario]

I've always put together most of my stuff, but next year for the first time I'll have four boys to teach, so I'm using Amblesideonline. The last couple of years, I've dabbled with some and found them boring, but sometimes soo easy from a Mom point of view.

 

Punks

[gardenschooler]

I'm fine with doing my own for the younger years, but not for high school. I just don't have that much information stored in my brain.

 

I've always done something a little CM-ish w/dd9, as it seems to suit her. Dd13 does well with a more classical approach, and dd16 thrived on a more traditional approach, but heavier in the humanities subjects.

 

Finding something that will actually fit each child and please me is impossible, but I feel like I'm getting close.

[LaMere Academy]

I've been bored by curriculum before, but I'm never bored with Sonlight. :001_smile:

[mommylawyer]

I created my own curriculum for studying musical instruments - and ending with a trip to see the Atlanta Symphony. DD1 LOVED IT!