Rate your curriculum purchasing anxiety on a scale of 1 to 4

[BlueGator]

Also, please comment on the process you used to make your best curriculum purchases.

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I'll go first, I ordered a few used materials from several vendors on E-Bay and tried them out for several weeks before I knew what was best for DS. I adjusted after that.

[newbie]

Today, its a 4 if that is the worst. I ordered International Academy and dont know anything about it.

 

Jet

[Dayle in Guatemala]

I have no anxiety. I was blessed to find what works for us early on and have stuck with it regardless of the temptation to go on to greener pastures at times. I haven't regretted it!

[BlueGator]

Today, its a 4 if that is the worst. I ordered International Academy and dont know anything about it.

 

Jet

 

I think mine is seasonal. In the spring I'm a 1. Right now I vacillate between 2 and 4.

 

I think I need a 1-800-HIVE-MIND number when I am in the 4 stage. It too is seasonal. It really comes on strong at conventions and mid-July.

[King Alfred Academy]

After spending this past year curriculum hopping, I am pretty confident in the final choices that have been made.

 

I am probably a 3.5 as I have some anxiety over using TOG. This is our first year and I am a bit overwhelmed, but very excited. I just need to keep in mind that I am not a slave to it but to make it "my own."

[mcconnellboys]

I carefully read previews in catalogs, comparing those from several different vendors. I also try to look at the books I want in real life at conventions or bookstores. And, thirdly, I try to talk to others who have used the same materials (such as here, on the boards). I used WTM to point me to a lot of things, and once trying them and finding that I liked them, and they seemed to work out well for my children, I've tended to stick with those things over the years. I'm not a big "grass is greener", always looking for new stuff, sort of person.

[Wee Pip]

I'm about 2-3 right now (but it changes). I think I'm only a "1" during the honeymoon phase of a new curric:) I decided on BJUP for Math/LA this year for both kids, and am slowly moving everyone over to that, but feel pretty anxious about teaching both kids something so teacher intensive. The BJUP Meeting didn't help today - when I asked the rep how long it should take, he said 1 child from 8am-1pm, and 2 kids from 8am-2:30pm. Eek! LOL. But I *know* me by now and I know that we aren't going to use it like that - I just need something structured so I feel safe, but with lots of options so I feel good about tinkering with it! I also picked BJUP because I'm very visual, and immediately like things with big bright pictures and lots of white space around the text (kids do too!). I started 1 kid on BJUP Math, and then added my other kid into the math, and then I've been slowly adding BJUP subjects. I just became very tired of trying to find a mix/match solution for my own visual needs (afterall, *I'm* the one teaching it! LOL), and a solution that I could feel safely met a standard scope/sequence. BJUP was it for me. But I gave up Sonlight for this and will feel very sad once our SL books are finished. I am using SOTW 2 for history and feel good about that choice. I'm planning to follow a free textbook I have on hand for science, and I chose that because it was free and I already have it, but we'll add in library books. I'm a bit anxious about tying it all together. I'm worried that I won't be able to pull this off. Thanks for listening; I feel like this was curriculum therapy:)

[nukeswife]

We will be starting our 3rd year in less than an month and I think we're good to go, so I put myself at a 1. I know for Math we're spot on as my kids begged to go back to saxon last year and so that's what we're doing. I'm pretty calm about Language arts although I will be using WWE and AAS which will be new to us but they also look like what I've been looking for all along. History and Science will be new, I'm a little worried about getting them done, but have reconciled this within my mind by saying that if we need to take it at a slower pace and use it into next year too that's ok. Science was a big change as I had bought REAL Science Life level 1 and then my kids looked at it about a week ago and said they wanted something else. After some research they said NOEO Biology 1 looked much better and more fun so after they pitched their case for changing to something else to dh and he said it sounded good I bought it. Now that I've poured over their site again and again I think my kid were right. I think we'll enjoy it a lot more than we would have the REAL Science.

[smithical]

(this is my first ever post on these boards!)

 

i was going back and forth between My Father's World kindergarten and Veritas Press kindergarten. I was impressed with both of the curriculums at this year's convention, and wanted to teach them both! we ended up purchasing the My Father's World curriculum, and i'm reading through it and preparing for our first year of homeschooling in september.

 

so i guess i was pretty confident with a side of worry at this (first!) curriculum purchase.

 

~liz

[teachermom_7]

I'm a FIVE!!!!! I have most of my curriculum "choices" picked out, but am CLUELESS how to convert to the classical method. Both dh and myself were brought up STRICTLY traditional and have been teaching traditional since Kindergarten. My mind is overflowing with ideas ~ I just need to figure out a way to get it all organized and in a timely order of progression.

 

Any suggestions for a newbie??? We're starting August 1st

 

Tammie in Louisiana

 

dd (8) - VP OT and AE, SOTW 1, Saxon Math 3, Prima Latina, Lyrical Life Science 1, BJU Music 3, VP Gen - Joshua

 

ds (5) - VP Phonics Museum, MFW, Saxon K

[3babiesmommy]

Definitely a 4. Last year was very difficult so I needed to feel like this year would go much more smoothly, so that added a lot of pressure. Hoping and praying I made the right choices!!

[Bula Mama]

I LOVE choosing curriculum since I've been able to do it online! When I first started out I was overseas and was flying blind with very limited options in what I'd heard about. Now that I can ask the advice of people like you all here, see online samples, read reviews, etc, plus have my own philosophy of education figured out, I really enjoy the process.

 

We live in an age when there's so much available that it's a pleasure to me and I'm almost always satisfied with the results. No anxiety, just fun!

[plain jane]

I have to admit that most of the time I'm a 1. I research a lot and am comfortable with my choices so far. The only time I really experience anxiety is when I come to these boards and allow for second guessing myself. It's okay if I come here to post a question about something I would like to know more about. It's not okay when I start reading threads about decisions I've already made.:glare: It's always the "oh I'll read this thread just in case" that gets my anxiety levels revved up.

[gardenschooler]

As a general rule, if it's not broken, I don't change it. When something new comes along, I wait a few years before trying it only if what I have really is broken.

 

I had to make a major change this year, and it took me all year to feel ready. I had researched and watched comments about this program for at least 2-3 years prior.

[chaik76]

I wrote that I have no anxiety. I do have a plan, but it is very general. Since I'm doing history chronologically, I just pick up whatever looks fun for ancient history(this year). For LA I'm using T4L, only because this is what works for ds...we tried numerous other things before this.

For Math we're currently using Developmental Math, mostly for fun. Previously we used a combo of Saxon, Singapore, and MCP. I chose which things I wanted out of each one...each one covers math very differently, so if son didn't "get it" one way, I could use another.

 

Honestly, I just don't think of curriculum as something to worry about. I know that whatever I choose will be just fine...ds will learn. I watch him learn new things every day.

 

But...I'm a curriculum junkie. I save my pennies just so I can buy new, fun stuff.

I'm also a compulsive researcher. Sometimes I think I know more about all the programs than the authors do! (obviously, I know this is not true).

 

I just love, love, love the process of researching and choosing curriculum...so I can't imagine every being anxious about it!

[gandpsmommy]

Our long-term goals, our philosophy of education, and dd's learning style make it pretty easy for me to choose and feel confident in our choices. There have been a few curr. that we had to use differently than I had originally intended, but we adapted them to fit our needs. The only time I really struggle is when I read the Sonlight catalog. I usually have a yearly Sonlight crisis. I love the idea of using Sonlight, but I have never been able to really make it fit in with the rest of our goals and curriculum enough to buy it.

[Trivium Academy]

I look to my child first. Their learning style, how they have done with the curriculum we have used, then I look at my teaching style, what makes me feel comfortable to teach the material.

 

I look for:

- Visual products but clean layouts. (No comic strip, cartoon styles unless tastefully done)

- Clear directions, preferably non-scripted text, concrete teacher helps.

- Overall cost of program, manipulatives and extras

- Whether the curriculum has other levels and if the higher levels are attractive as well.

- Whether the product fits our educational philosophy and religious views.

- How we'd use the product in our daily routine, if it is a practical fit for us.

 

Once I find something that fits most of that criteria then I look for samples online and ask about experiences. I read reviews in Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Picks for Homeschool Curriculum, her website, HomeschoolReviews.com, Amazon, ChristianBook.com, RainbowResource.com, I google the curriculum and try to find others who have used the product.

 

I also try to get whatever I can through the library if it is available. I've eliminated a lot of curriculum purchases this way, items like Before Five in a Row and a few reading programs.

 

By the time I purchase an item for our homeschool, I'm 90% sure it will fit us. The only times I've been disappointed is because I was unable to do the research that I mentioned above due to poor samples online, lack of users willing to talk about their experience and I have a few purchases that *I* have been disappointed in but others touted as wonderful. The "Discovering Great Artists" book is one of them.

 

There are forums at the major curriculum sites and I'll browse those as well to see what questions, problems and solutions are being talked about.

 

So far it's worked for us, I have more trouble in wasting money in the extras than I do in the curriculum but I'm getting better at that too.

[Carmen_and_Company]

I chose 1--no anxiety, as I'm pretty sure of our direction and the materials selected for Latin, maths, English, and literature through high school. I tend to waiver when it comes to doing formal history & science pre-high school, but as long as we have a tome of said literature, activity and experiment books on the shelves, and access to the Internet, I consider history & science covered. But after seeing the fruit of my labor through my eldest graduating from our homeschool and getting full scholarships to two really good schools, I'm sticking with what worked in the past, keeping school simple by concentrating on the basics, and considering all other subjects icing on our cake.

 

When we began hs'ing 8 years ago, I was a basket case who always looked for the perfect product. But, as the years passed, I found my grove, best method of teaching, and figured that I do best when I base school material buying decisions after I list my annual goals and review my long-term goals for each of my dc and then work backward to find which product serves our needs. I even make comparison charts when I cannot decide between two products. I recently did this with GWG & AG, and finally decided on AG. Why do formal grammar for years, when we can concentrate on the subject for 2.5 years and call it done outside of occasional review.

[lauranav]

I'm fairly confident now, but it's been an interesting few weeks getting to this point. Since this is my first year ever home schooling and I'm starting with a 13 year old nephew I have plenty of uncertainty built in. But I think I've picked some good stuff and have enough options open that we can get something to work. I have to temper my desire to teach him everything! with his expert opinion (he is 13) that he already knows all he needs to know.

[elegantlion]

Ealier this year when I had a huge wish list I had high anxiety. I couldn't put my finger on why. Then I read LCC and it was a breath of fresh air. I LOVE the framework that LCC provides. I still get to do the fun part of planning some lessons and tweaking, but I feel totally at ease with my choices for this year, which were revised to fit LCC. :thumbup:

[DeeFL]

I am using MFW-Ex to 1850 with my 5th & 7th graders. Having used MFW ECC in the past, I know that this program is doable and enjoyable. My sophomore will be using SOS, which is something I thought we'd NEVER use, but it has turned out to be such a blessing for him. All three will use TT for math, which frees me up to mainly have fun with the two little ones, mixing in some BFIAR.