Have curriculum items learned about here more often been helpful or unhelpful?

[Pen]

I am looking over my homeschool expenses and trying to figure out how to make better decisions. I do feel that I've gotten better at figuring things out as we have home schooled longer.

 

Some things I have learned about here have been great--but also it looks like I've bought a lot that has been a waste. For me it looks like, wow, about half and half.

 

I'm thinking that reading experiences of others might help me make better choices.

 

I tried to make this as my first poll--but think I probably did not succeed.

 

 

[regentrude]

I have gotten good suggestions, and I also had complete flops with curricula that were praised greatly on this board.

 

If I have to identify any common denominator, it would be that anything that was scripted "curriculum" flopped, whereas suggestions for books and textbooks that were not specifically designed as homeschool curricula were more successful. In fact, every single piece of  specific homeschool curriculum ended up being a failure with my children, because every time we found it to contain too much busywork so that making it work was either not worth it or a huge effort.

After making the mistake three times, I have stayed away from homeschool materials entirely.

[OneStepAtATime]

I have had some phenomenal successes and some dismal failures and a few things in between.  The main successes usually have been when I have taken the time to do additional research and read additional peer reviews after reading things on a particular thread.  It honestly didn't matter much whether it was a thread I started or I was just reading someone else's.  Soror's Relaxed Math thread was one of those awesome threads that helped me and many others.

 

Research has definitely helped, though, after reading responses on a particular thread.  Otherwise, I may only be hearing one side, from posters with similar backgrounds/teaching or learning styles/etc. and the material is actually a bad fit.  If I do additional research instead of just jumping right in I can frequently find posts from a wider variety of people, posts that clearly explain the pros and cons for each person and why it worked/didn't work for them.  The details are so helpful.

 

That being said, there have been a few that I just went ahead and bought without the additional research and it worked beautifully (CLE Math for DD and MiF for DS comes to mind).

 

There have also been some suggestions that I did do additional research on and then purchased but the material was an abysmal fit for our particular family.  No way we could have known ahead of time since the issues were not ever mentioned on any thread I could find.  Trial and error just seems kind of par for the course, especially since my kids have some unusual gifts and some definite learning challenges.

 

I shudder to think of all the materials we hopped through that first year of homeschooling.  So expensive but also kind of disruptive for the kids and discouraging for all of us.  If i could go back and do things again, I know I am a lot more savvy now and could definitely make better decisions.  And having experienced a lot of different materials now, I have a much better idea of what types of things work for us and what don't.  But to get to this point I had to have those experiences so just going back and starting over without those experiences probably wouldn't net me anything, KWIM?

 

Love the survey, by the way, Pen.  I haven't been brave enough to try doing one.  This subject is a good one.  Very interesting to me.  I look forward to all the responses.   :)

[MinivanMom]

I've found most of the suggestions here to be very helpful. I don't take advise from just anyone, though. Over time I've learned which posters have children with similar abilities and needs to my children and who have a similar approach to ours (using rigorous, secular materials). I also try to read lots of different threads and reviews on anything I'm considering. I think I learn more that way than I do by asking a single open-ended question. There is no perfect way to make a decision without seeing something in person, so there's always a small amount of faith and guesswork when I order something new. I've been lucky in that we've only had one huge miss.

 

There do seem to be fads here, and I think it's good to be careful of that. We use some of the current faddish favorites (MCT & AOPS), but we also use a number of wonderful resources that I hardly ever see mentioned (Reading Reflex, Writers Inc). Now that we own some of these things, I regularly loan them out to others who are thinking about using them. It makes such a difference to be able to see something in person before you make that decision.

[OneStepAtATime]

I've found most of the suggestions here to be very helpful. I don't take advise from just anyone, though. Over time I've learned which posters have children with similar abilities and needs to my children and who have a similar approach to ours (using rigorous, secular materials). I also try to read lots of different threads and reviews on anything I'm considering. I think I learn more that way than I do by asking a single open-ended question. There is no perfect way to make a decision without seeing something in person, so there's always a small amount of faith and guesswork when I order something new. I've been lucky in that we've only had one huge miss.

 

There do seem to be fads here, and I think it's good to be careful of that. We use some of the current faddish favorites (MCT & AOPS), but we also use a number of wonderful resources that I hardly ever see mentioned (Reading Reflex, Writers Inc). Now that we own some of these things, I regularly loan them out to others who are thinking about using them. It makes such a difference to be able to see something in person before you make that decision.

:iagree:

[Jackie]

I've had some great suggestions and some not-so-great (for us) suggestions.

 

There isn't a huge trend between whether it is in response to my own question or someone else's. There are a few people who seem to have a child similar to mine and styles similar to mine, and I do therefore weight their recommendations more heavily. For my daughter, I've learned that grade-based materials are more likely to flop than multi-age materials, and materials with a clear progression are more successful than broad-based "unit study" type materials.

[amyco]

All I can say is I wish I had the money back that I spent on Classical Writing materials five years ago!  And maybe the Lost Tools of Writing, too (twice!  ack!).  (Don't get me wrong, I love Circe Institute but we would have been just fine sticking with the WTM method).  Oh, and the Saxon DIVE dvd. 

 

But then...without this board I never would have heard about Derek Owens which is working out well for my dd.  I also liked Caesar's English (recommended here) and both my and my son's vocab improved using this. 

[OneStepAtATime]

I do tend to gravitate to the recommendations of certain posters because they seem to have similar situations and styles.  In fact there are a few that I puffy heart love to read posts from because their recs have been such a success here or their suggestions for tweaking were so helpful.  I zero in on those posters first when I read a thread because there is a proven track record.  

[abacus2]

I voted hugely helpful and other because I didn't notice a pattern.

 

I learned of Math Mammoth here and am extremely grateful. I love it and have used it for two kids for 4 years now.

 

Home Art Studio DVDs are fabulous.

 

I also use Rod & Staff English and Spelling for my oldest. I would not have considered these possibilities without WTM recommendations. I had previously dismissed them based on appearances.

 

The few things that I haven't continued using weren't terrible, just not ideal for us.

[Farrar]

It was hard for me to say exactly because I learn about most curricula starting here, but I don't buy just anything. In fact, I don't buy that much.

 

A couple of times I've been swayed to try something that I had really researched and decided was not right for us. In some cases, such as when we used MCT, it turned out I was right. I should have followed my gut. It's a good program but it was all wrong for us. Other times, such as in the case of AAS, it turned out the hive was right and it was the right program for us and I should have listened sooner. There's not a real pattern though.

 

Most often, I hear about a curricula, go and look at it and do my own research and then I buy or not based more on that. Since we're not huge "curricula" users, I do find a lot more "resources" on here than actual curricula, such as resource books, idea books, literature, supplementary books, etc.

[Calm37]

I will admit I became really discouraged participating on the high school board. All my favorites seem to fail the "rigorous" test. 

 

Really love the chat and general boards, though! I have learned a lot about many subjects other than homeschooling.

[myfunnybunch]

I voted hugely helpful with rare misses and other for the first question, and other for the second question.

 

I rarely...maybe never...order items based simply on a recommendation from someone on this board. I do use recommendations and curriculum discussions as a starting point for my own research. After so many years, I am able to tell fairly quickly whether materials will be a good match for us or not.

 

There's no pattern, perhaps because I've had equal success with all kinds of recommendations.

 

My favorites are the materials that I read about here, look at out of curiosity, and think, "There it is! THAT'S what I've been looking for!" Jousting Armadillos is one of those finds. I didn't even know I'd been pondering a switch, looking for the exactly right math for my middle ds until I read about JA. (Huge hit for my picky guy, btw.) :)

 

Cat

[myfunnybunch]

 I do find a lot more "resources" on here than actual curricula, such as resource books, idea books, literature, supplementary books, etc.

 

This, too. :)

 

[SilverMoon]

I voted for hugely helpful, but with a disclaimer. This forum is never the only place I look up a curricula before I buy. I will use google with "site:forums.welltrainedmind.com" in the search for better results, read reviews on Amazon and others (especially the low-star ratings), look closely at any samples I can find, and search for random reviews on the internet. I'll start a thread asking more specific questions if I can't hunt up the answer.

 

For the second question I chose watching particular posters. I have a hard time turning up winners in threads I start to get specific recommendations. I must word them poorly or something. Researching the recommendations usually leads to other threads that are helpful though.

[Guest siqctprysyby]

I'm thinking that reading experiences of others might help me make better choices.

[Soror]

I only really read about the stuff I'm already interested in. Two exceptions I found here are Lial's algebra and Rod and Staff spelling.

 

My overall impression of the curricula discussion here is it goes in waves and trends and its a bit like following trends in fashion. Bell bottoms and MCT are hot for spring! Beast Academy and peasant tops for fall!

Yes, there are certainly waves. I remember when I first joined RS was the favored math program, thankfully for me it also really fit my son well. Sometimes I'm thankful for fads though as some of the big name programs have been wonderful for us. These days I watch some fads and ignore others.

 

I've found most of the suggestions here to be very helpful. I don't take advise from just anyone, though. Over time I've learned which posters have children with similar abilities and needs to my children and who have a similar approach to ours (using rigorous, secular materials). I also try to read lots of different threads and reviews on anything I'm considering.

Yes, I follow certain posters with similar kids, style and goals and also research and research some more about everything I buy. I made the mistake at first of just seeing the loudest posters but over time I realized they may not be like us or they might have no idea what they are talking about. Some people come right on here talking like they know everything, so I watch that someone posting their opinions and experiences is worth listening to and often that just comes from time listening to them. 

 

Considering where I live I would have never have heard of most of the materials we use without the Hive. Being that I have an out of the box kid in the world of box users it is my life-line.

 

My biggest mistakes have been not listening to my instincts, timing and trying to figure out my kids, whom are utterly different. 

[....]

I've noticed a couple of patterns.  When something is typically reviewed as "really hard to implement" or "we just couldn't figure out how to make this work", my kids will really like it and it will be a good fit for us. (Lol)  There has been a few exceptions to this over the years.  My rule has basically been to not buy anything until I can go to one of the homeschool stores and look at it personally if I can (which isn't a possibility for a lot of people, I know).  Sometimes, something sounds great and then I flip through it in person and I'm thinking, "What the heck is this???"   :confused:    

 

Also, (I'm not trying to be mean) but sometimes I wonder if some of the people have actually used the curriculum they review on here, because it sounds very different from our experience.

 

And, I think many of the kids' ages versus what curriculum they are using is a little "off" on this forum.  I know a lot of people on here have very advanced kids or are very Type A (and my kids aren't exactly normal, either)...but I've seen friends pull their kids out of school and try to go with recommendations on here (based on age) and half their school year completely bombs and they feel like homeschooling failures.  That always makes me feel bad.  We watched a friend with a 13 yro go through that last year and it was painful to watch.        

[Rosie_0801]

I've noticed a couple of patterns.  When something is typically reviewed as "really hard to implement" or "we just couldn't figure out how to make this work", my kids will really like it and it will be a good fit for us. (Lol)  

 

Heh. Resources typically described as dull and repetitive often work well for us. :p

[Soror]

Heh. Resources typically described as dull and repetitive often work well for us. :p

LOL, dd1 seems to like repetitive, ds on the otherhand wants different, engaging and challenging. Going from him to her as had a HUGE learning curve! I'm expecting many more misses as she ages and I try to figure her out, I mean I understand her a lot more now than I did but I'm far from having her figured out.

[Luckymama]

I do tend to gravitate to the recommendations of certain posters because they seem to have similar situations and styles. In fact there are a few that I puffy heart love to read posts from because their recs have been such a success here or their suggestions for tweaking were so helpful. I zero in on those posters first when I read a thread because there is a proven track record.

This holds true for me, especially in our first few years (fifth, sixth, and seventh grades).

[8filltheheart]

I found the forums back when our oldest was in 6th grade when I was investigating algebra curriculum. On one of the Catholic email loops I was on, someone said that I might find more information on Foersters (what I had asked about) from posters on the WTM. I came and for the first time felt like I had found others that I could discuss academic goals and know they could relate.

 

I am not much of a planned curriculum or textbook user until my kids are in highschool. I have a few things that I have purchased that I attempted using when they were younger that were completed duds. I do have a few things that I love, though. Hands on Equations was a great find for my younger kids.

 

High school is about 1/2 and 1/2. We have had some suggestions that were just terrible fits.We have found some that have been pure blessings.

 

The reality is that we have been far more blessed by the things we have found, and it hasn't been limited to just curriculum. I met Kathy in Richmond through these forums. We moved within 15 mins of where she lived and she became my ds's mentor. (Priceless!!) But in terms of curriculum, the flops have not been detrimental.....we just moved on. And the fits have been worth their weight in gold. I wouldn't have found the resources otherwise b/c IRL I don't know a single person that uses any curriculum I use (with the exception of TC ;) LOL!)

 

FWIW, I have learned over the yrs that I needed to stop recommending some of the things that we love b/c the reality is that how we use them doesn't resemble the actual products. I naturally take a framework and dump the majority and use the original idea to inspire me in finding our own direction, but that original framework was still hugely beneficial. So what we are doing and curriculum X really aren't the same thing.

 

But more importantly,I have found mental support on these forums and that is what draws me here. :)

[Miss Tick]

I never buy a curriculum the first time I hear about it here. It generally sits in the back of my mind while I slowly collect information from other discussions.

 

In addition to following certain posters, there are other posters I really enjoy, but who are very articulate and enthusiastic about new programs they are going to try or have just started, but then quietly drop a few months later. I love them and their enthusiasm, but I am careful about the programs they are currently loving. :-)

 

Usually, by the time I purchase a program, I know where it will go in my schedule, what I want to accomplish with it, and how we will probably tweak it. Most of that gleaned from other discussions and off-hand comments. My own threads are usually flops. Maybe I need to add drama.

 

Oh, sometimes I get my most solid information by reading about why it didn't work for other people.

[Leav97]

It was hard for me to say exactly because I learn about most curricula starting here, but I don't buy just anything. In fact, I don't buy that much.

 

A couple of times I've been swayed to try something that I had really researched and decided was not right for us. In some cases, such as when we used MCT, it turned out I was right. I should have followed my gut. It's a good program but it was all wrong for us. Other times, such as in the case of AAS, it turned out the hive was right and it was the right program for us and I should have listened sooner. There's not a real pattern though.

 

Most often, I hear about a curricula, go and look at it and do my own research and then I buy or not based more on that. Since we're not huge "curricula" users, I do find a lot more "resources" on here than actual curricula, such as resource books, idea books, literature, supplementary books, etc.

 

This is a good example. MCT has been great and AAS didn't work for us.  The challenge with recommendations is why did the product work for one family but bomb for the next family. Someone early mentioned scripted programs not working.  It's funny because that's exactly what works for us.  The products that have worked are the open and go.  It's almost like we need a series of rating scales, scripted, rigorous, spiral, visual, ...

[Leav97]

\snip

 

But more importantly,I have found mental support on these forums and that is what draws me here. :)

 

:iagree:  :iagree:  :iagree:  :iagree:  :iagree:  :iagree:  :iagree:  :iagree:  

[Desert Strawberry]

I voted other on the second question. 

 

This is my main source of information on curricula. I don't really have a another community where I can discuss option and get so many opinions. So most of my choices have been discussed here. 

Overall, this board has been extremely helpful. I first came here because my cousin suggested this is the place to research writing curriculum. She was right. I got all the answers I needed and we had a few successful years. For the most part, everything I have chosen has worked well for us, whether I found it here of elsewhere. 

I think what helps me choose well is:

 

#1 I know what I want. I go into a search with a solid idea of what my kids need, how I want to teach, what I want my materials to look like, and how much I want to spend. It's a matter of finding the closest fit. Because my expectations are so clear, I don't struggle finding what I am looking for-or ruling out what I don't want. Sometimes the thing I want doesn't exist. 
 

#2 I don't make impulse buys. I have once, and it was not a colossal failure, but not successful. It should have worked, but it just didn't. I don't know if extra deliberation would have mattered. I doubt it. But before making a choice, I generally gather my options, consider each one, and choose carefully. 

#3 I am not tempted by new and shiny. I don't want more clutter taking up space in my life, my house, or my mind. I don't want anything redundant. I would rather miss out on something wonderful than blow my budget on things that don't work. 

[Amira]

I've bought very few things that haven't worked for us over the years.  I figure out what we need, research it thoroughly, and have been almost never been disappointed in what we buy. This isn't the only place I come to get information about different options, but I feel like I get good advice here because I can usually find a wide variety of viewpoints.  I've had a number of really good suggestions here that have worked very well for us. 

[Matryoshka]

I don't know that I could sort the stuff that worked vs. didn't into the categories you've got above...

 

Over the years I've gotten to know my own (and kids') style, and as I've been here a long time I have noticed other posters that have a similar style, or whose kids seem to like the same kinds of things that have already been working here.  So when one of them raves about something, I pay more attention, whether it be from a post I started or one I just happen to be reading.  I also research the things I buy elsewhere,  I actually haven't had a lot of stuff that's bombed, but I have been guilty of over-buying and then needing to pare down to the best of what I over-bought, so then the other stuff gets dusty.

[Dory]

I have found this site to be amazingly helpful, but if took awhile for me to figure out how to best use the advice and what advice to use so there were some misses that happened in the process. Now if I am looking for something based on a teaching style, then the experience and style of the responders are what matters. If I am looking for help finding something for one of my kids specifically, then I will look at what the kids of the responders are using and see if anything else with them lines up with what my kids do well with. Sometimes someone's expertise and experience don't have to line up with mine in order for what they say to fit me really well.

 

Part of being able to use the advice here is really getting to know yourself and your kids first. Once you know yourself and your kids, then when new suggestions come up, you'll be able to recognize if they would be a fit for you or not.

 

This web site, has been the BEST thing ever in my homeschooling journey. It has also been an amazingly place for me for my personal growth. I have become a different person. I've changed how I see the world.

[Eagle]

Thanks to this forum we have found:

- Five in a row

- Math books: Peggy Kaye, Family Math, sticker math

- Math games: Zeus on the Loose, Knockout/Muggins

- LEGO We-Do, Make-do

- Geopuzzles

- Science series: let's read and find out, Seymour Simon

- Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding

- TOPS Lentil Science

- Magic Schoolhouse DVDs

- Bravewriter

- the private eye

- song school latin

- home art studio, Art in Story

- the Mensa reading lists

- Charlie's Playhouse materials

- the Brock microscope

- Staples Better Binders

- Singapore math (our one failure)

 

and last but not least: the rainbow loom (thanks Bill!)

 

Also I have future plans to use Beast Academy, AoPS, MCT, CAP Writing/Rhetoric and 8's curriculum once it is available in Canada.

 

Without these forums our homeschool would be more like school-at-home. The items we have bought due to recommendations here have been the icing on our homeschool cupcake.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Have you found home school materials you've learned about here to be:

I would have to vote "hugely helpful and rarely any misses" but based on what I have actually purchased, certainly not everything I have merely discovered and read about here. LOL

 

If you have had some materials work well, and others not, is there any pattern?

Research while keeping our particular needs, strengths, and weaknesses in mind.

 

Also, (I'm not trying to be mean) but sometimes I wonder if some of the people have actually used the curriculum they review on here, because it sounds very different from our experience.

I've had this happen, and I am sure I've given the impression to other people. I imagine it is because of this...

 

FWIW, I have learned over the yrs that I needed to stop recommending some of the things that we love b/c the reality is that how we use them doesn't resemble the actual products.

This is my experience so many times too, although I am equally likely to snip parts and add them to my own whole/framework. I rarely use anything exactly as laid out, and most of the time I tweak or combine with other resources until the original program is probably unrecognizable. I should probably stop answering curriculum questions altogether. :lol:

[Eagle]

This web site, has been the BEST thing ever in my homeschooling journey. It has also been an amazingly place for me for my personal growth. I have become a different person. I've changed how I see the world.

This deserves more than a like. I feel the same way.

[MamaChicken]

I'm very grateful to the board for Apples &Pears spelling this year! And Ellen McHenry! And Beast!

Some things didn't work, AAS and Math Mammoth, but I'm not sorry I tried them. Some things that I learned about here, FLL and WWE, didn't work for my oldest and work great for my youngest. It's all so individual. That's one of the great things about homeschooling.

[Syllieann]

It has been a huge help to read through everyone's posts and reviews. Through some trial and error I have found a few posters who seem to like the same stuff I like. The signatures are very helpful for me in this regard. Equally important, I have noticed a few who have taste or educational philosophy that is so different from mine that I can pretty much say that I won't like it if they do. I have also learned that I like open and go skill subjects, but in content areas I prefer things that many seem to think are difficult to implement.

[Crimson Wife]

The flops have been mostly things I purchased with limited/no previewing or things that are good programs but just a bad "fit" for that particular child.

 

Certain subforums I find more useful than others. The SN subforum has been a blessing for helping me cope with my little one's autism.

[momacacia]

Reading reviews on WTM, looking at curric samples online or in person have been hugely beneficial to me. I've also realized recently, that I've spent a good bit of money on pricier curriculums that in future years and for upcoming students, I won't be using as heavily. But, I own them, I will use the great parts of them that have benefited oldest, while using other methods to more deeply ingrain things that those pricey currics didn't cover so well.

 

I've never had a complete bomb curriculum following a well-researched curric on WTM. I have changed and morphed curriculums over the years, but that is as my kids have grown and as I've grown and acquired new skills as a teacher--allowing me the confidence to educate apart from the curriculums.

[ScoutTN]

The fact that I can learn why a curriculum works for someone else has helped to prevent misses.

 

Details that even reading a curriculum thoroughly doesn't give me.

Ages and gender of their kids, what mom's strengths and weakensses are, what they changed from and why, how they used and adapted the materials, what they would do differently etc.

 

Listening to advice from seasoned moms about the balance between choosing what works for you as a teacher and what suits your child's learning style has also been helpful.

[happypamama]

I learned about GSWL here, and that's been fantastic!  I learned about a bunch of other things here too, and most of what I have tried has been really good, really not any misses.  I get the most benefit from when I've asked a specific question, but sometimes just reading or searching here has been useful as well.

[Catherine]

I have found so many helpful ideas here, not only just curricula and books, but also ways of handling situations and behavior. I agree that knowing my children has really been the key to interpreting the recommendations I see here. Some curricula I found here (or are discussed in TWTM) that have worked wonderfully for us:

 

Rightstart math

PA Homeschoolers online AP classes

Hewitt's Conceptual Physics

AAS

FLL, WWE, and WWS of course

GSWL

Galore Park Latin

Vocabulary Cartoons

Kilgallon Sentence Composing for Middle School

Hands On Equations (thank you 8!!)

Lial's many wonderful math books

 

There have been flops, and some of those I can't fully explain. But looking back I suspect my expectations were not realistic in at least some of those cases.

[madteaparty]

It's been a mixed bag, but that is not due to the recommendations, it is solely owing to the fact that I did not know myself and our style as a newbie at this

[Guest]

It's been a huge improvement over the Mary Pride magazines and random mailbox spam where I found curriculum reviews pre-internet in the '90s, but I'm not perfect by any means.

 

My 6 yo has helped me vet curricula that will come off the shelf again when he grows into it, but I don't consider that a failure, just a mistake that all eager new homeschoolers make with their littles.

 

Unlike reading advertisements, talking to real homeschoolers has also helped me deal with the emotional baggage I have about curriculum. I probably spend too much time on the chat board and not enough time using the search feature to see if some other newbie has already asked my question, but I've also gotten a lot of valuable information that was not available to me when my older kids were the caboose baby's age.

[SparklyUnicorn]

It's been a mixed bag, but that is not due to the recommendations, it is solely owing to the fact that I did not know myself and our style as a newbie at this

 

Yes this.  I was trying to word it right, but this is the same for me.  I have gotten good suggestions. 

 

I do think I have gotten better at choosing stuff.

[Mom22ns]

It was hard for me to say exactly because I learn about most curricula starting here, but I don't buy just anything. In fact, I don't buy that much.

 

This is a good description of me. I knew nothing about homeschooling curriculum when I started. These boards introduced me to pretty much everything we have used. I don't buy anything based on one thread or one review. I work hard to find samples, read lots of reviews, and try to make sure it matches to our learning/teaching/schooling styles. The results: I've never had a total fail. I've had fabulous success and ok success. I can't think of anything I've had to ditch, although I have chosen not to use more than one year of plenty of things. Often I only choose a publisher for one subject, one year in the first place. I'm eclectic and like to choose what will be the best of the best for us. I think I'm pretty good at that and I really enjoy the challenge.

 

I will admit I became really discouraged participating on the high school board. All my favorites seem to fail the "rigorous" test. 

 

That means you are needed on the high school boards as a balancing voice. Don't be afraid to share what works for you. There are others out there for whom "rigorous" is not going to be the best choice. If there is no one bold enough to share the non-rigorous options, they will find only discouragement.

 

For me, tWTM boards are the place I come to find out about more rigorous options. Locally, most homeschoolers use religious, non-rigorous materials, that I consider sub-standard to what the public schools would teach. Since there isn't anyone around me to ask about options and if I did, I would probably insult them, I come here. However, there are others here that use materials that would bury my kids. I think the brilliance of the WTM boards is their size and range. There are so many people and so many opinions. However, all of those opinions really are needed, even if they are minorities or feel unpopular. 

[Jilly]

That means you are needed on the high school boards as a balancing voice. Don't be afraid to share what works for you. There are others out there for whom "rigorous" is not going to be the best choice. If there is no one bold enough to share the non-rigorous options, they will find only discouragement.

 

 

:iagree:  :iagree:  :iagree:

[Rosyl]

I have been homeschooling for 10+ years.  I have 2  dc w/ dyslexic and dysgraphia and 2 who are easy learners. I said that the curriculum items I learned about here were more of a greener grass on the other side.

 

 

the greener grass on the other side is just as hard to cut.

 

  No matter what the curriculum, you will bang your head against the wall at some point. ADJUST.  Adjust the method of teaching, teach a different way.  Adjust homework required to a bit less per day and take longer for that chapter/module.  (but don't spend money on another curriculum that doesn't fix the problem that they don't understand, the work is to hard, blah blah blah)

 

Less is more. The need for more to make sure you are doing it right is fear of man.

 

I have learned that sometimes the kid needs to marinate in a topic and then come back to it. 

 

Repetition is the mother if retention.  the more you do it, the more that is retained

[Julie of KY]

I found some wonderful gems here on these boards and also tried out a few things that have flopped.

 

When I ask about specific subjects, I get a lot of information, but I often don't find it the most helpful. I find searching for curriculum reviews by name or subject the most helpful.

 

I've found lots of great things accidentally, just by reading the boards. I've noticed there are some posters that seem to have similar philosophies as me and use a lot of the same curriculum. When they mention something new to me, I often find it works in my home as well.

[marynamo]

Well to be honest I got such mixed reviews on some items that it left me extreamly confused and with sleepless nights.

I do however do extensive research and make decisions based on samples and what will work with my kids learning styles.

[ZeeMommy]

I honestly haven't done a lot of curriculum research here.  I did find out about Reading Bears for phonics here, which I'm very grateful for, since my middle munchkin and I banged heads through Alpha Phonics, Ordinary Parent's Guide, and Teach Your Child to Read 100 Easy Lessons.  Personally I rely on the descriptions from Rainbow Resource and the local homeschool bookstore and reviews.  Even better for me is to get my grubby little paws on the material and look it over before I make my decision.  It has to fit my children's learning style and my own teaching style for it to work for us.