Do you use a scheduled/prepared curriculum or do your own thing?

[Free Indeed]

Besides this year when we went with ECC, I have always done my own thing. We are going back to doing our own using MOH/SOTW combo and Apologia science. What about you? What do you use?

[awanama]

I would love to find a prepared unit study that fit our family but I just can't. Part of the problem is probably because we love SOTW and Apologia so much. Also, I have found a lot of the prepared curriculums really lack in the science area. This is a strong point for my kids and it feels like we would have to supplement so much that it isn't worth having the prepared program.

 

I love the looks of Heart of Dakota's materials (we'd skip the bible activities) but they are to young for my kids. I think by the time someone makes something that would suit us, we'll be done hsing.

[St. Theophan Academy]

We follow much of LCC plan - but I still feel it is a do our own thing plan! What I love about homeschooling is the freedom to take the best from everything and put it all together to make the best fit for us! We have been using Apologia Astronomy this year, and enjoy it but still do nature study and other science related activities. We follow LCC for bible, latin and math, but for history I have created my own plan - based on some of the LCC suggestions, and other books I have found we like. I doubt there is a program out there that would ever make me completely happy (though I am often tempted by TOG :) Anne Marie

[Closeacademy]

I even write my own curriculum when I need to. I use Singapore math without the HIG, SWR, and use the library.

 

I do make detailed lesson plans each year and adapt programs and read and research what I want to teach and adapt it so that it will meet the needs of my own children.

[Night Elf]

In our home, scheduled programs are a necessity. In our 6 years of homeschooling, I've learned I'm great at researching and planning OR implementing materials, but not both! I also tend to curriculum hop when I'm using a variety of materials because we can get a little bored with something and it's so easy to change it. And once I start changing one subject, I get antsy to change the rest.

 

We've been with K12 for my son since last May and have no plans to change anything. It works great for him. When my dd9 returned to homeschooling in September, we did a mix of stuff while we decided which way to go. Sonlight fits her best right now, and it's going great.

[BarbaraL in OK]

We follow much of LCC plan - but I still feel it is a do our own thing plan! What I love about homeschooling is the freedom to take the best from everything and put it all together to make the best fit for us!

 

Same here. We use a lot of LCC, though I tweaked to catch my 12yo son up in the foundational literature (this is his 2nd year HSing), and I brought in some of the Ambleside Online recommendations for literature and history reading. I don't ever remember what aspect of my plans are LCC vs. my own, LOL.

[prairiegirl]

I do my own thing for my oldest two. This year now, as I get ready for my youngest, I have decided to go the curriculum-in-a-box road for K. I was just too tired and busy to think up something for as well. I chose Oak Meadow. It is not workbook based but discover based. It is a very gentle intro to learning. I really like it. (I never thought I would write those words in regards to a packaged curriculum :) ) I will not use OM for first, though. I will go back to making up my own. But it is a nice change.

 

 

Julia

mom of 3 (8,7,5)

[Jenny in Atl]

I do both... a little of everything!:eek:

[Narrow Gate Academy]

We have always done our own thing so far. My two main issues with boxed curriculum are the cost and the fact that I would still have to adapt them to make them work for us. Currently we're using Truthquest for history, Apologia for science, and a lapbook I created for US Geography. It's more time intensive for me to create the lesson plans, but I'm more satified with the results.

[Jami]

I'm pretty much pulling together things myself. Every time I've sat down with lists from various boxed programs (Sonlight, Calvert, etc) I kept thinking of other things I wanted to add that I felt were missing or books I'd rather use. I use LCC and AmblesideOnline as general guides for what to cover and then go from there to choose particular materials and schedule them myself.

 

Jami

[GreenKitty]

My own thing.

[3lilreds in NC]

Well, right now we're using a mix of a lot of things. I have My Father's World 1st grade for my 1st grader, and used the math and LA for my 2nd grader last year. I wanted to use the LA, Bible and science this year, but we just started with them after the holidays. Before that, we were using R&S 1st grade math, FLL, read-alouds, and I'd like to say something else but I can't remember what. I'm trying to add in All About Spelling and Drawing with Children in addition to the MFW stuff, FLL, and we've switched to Professor B math. I'm really tempted to switch to something boxed, though, because with the baby, I'm having a hard time getting it done using my own (lack of) a schedule. I thought it would be easy enough to go one subject at a time and just do each thing, but somehow, it's not been working that way.

[Blue Hen]

I do my own thing and love the flexibility of it all. I have looked at many of the programs out there but as secular hs'ers many do not meet our requirements of being secular.

[Trivium Academy]

I've done both for the last two years' I've created our science lessons, I'm looking forward (yet dreading) to using Living Learning Books Chemistry next year. Science in the grammar years is the worst area for me to be dependent on someone else, the curriculums are either too hard, too easy, have expensive experiments or the something else that would make me want to run for the hills.

 

This year I also realized that TOG has done what I do (to an extent) for me, which is including church history, world religions, missionary study, into our history lessons and selecting wonderful books. I'm really in love with TOG because it truly FITS us and the long range plan is what I had in mind before I even understood what TOG was.

 

I'm satisfied with what we have now, finally. I see math and science in the higher grades areas that will be frustrating too but what can you do?

[LunaLee]

The problems is I am very picky about things, and when I set my mind to something nothing else will do. So alot of times I just pick and pull from a variety of things to make a curriculum that fits each one of my kids and their different styles.

[Wendy in ME]

We do mostly LCC for lit, Bible, Latin but I make up our own science and history

 

Wendy

[mcconnellboys]

I've always done my own thing! Wouldn't homeschool any other way!

 

Have fun,

 

Regena

[Mama Lynx]

I start with someone else's plan, and then do my own thing with it.

[Karen in CO]

I have tried to use prepared curriculum of all sizes and curriculum guides of all types but it hasn't worked for me. I like to be actively involved in the teaching of my kids so I end up changing things. I can't just use things as they are. There is always something more or less or different. I like to think of it as a customized education.

[momofkhm]

We use something mostly planned out. I'm just a tad intimidated by the whole thing. We use TOG. The books are all planned out. All I have to do is figure out what pages to read each day. I even found a schedule on-line for my oldest dd Apologia General Science, so I don't have to plan that out either. The rest of the stuff is a do the next lesson type (math, grammar, etc).

[Kristiana]

Right now (1st grade) I'm following what is recommended in TWTM as far as subject matter. I feel like I'm relearning everything along with my son and am not knowledgeable enough to pull a course of study together on my own just yet so we use the recommended spines, but then I add as much as I can find from the library and internet sources to enrich our studies. I like having an outline of study set out for me that I can flesh out and I'm sure as I homeschool more I'll do more of my own thing. That's just the way I am.

[Teresa in OR]

A couple of times I've tried to follow a set program, but I always end up tweaking it so much that it isn't worth it.

[susie in tx]

I've tried several boxed programs. One lasted 9 weeks. By the time I threw it out, I had revamped the entire thing. The second lasted 20 weeks. By the time I decided to switch things up again, I was reorganizing that one until it was unrecognizable as well. I don't mind doing that so much, but if my kids aren't learning what I want them to learn, even with my tweaking, then it's not working.

 

I'm trying yet another boxish program. We'll see how it goes. I'm hopeful that it does what I was already doing with program number 2.

 

There isn't a program out there that fits everyone 100%. It's nice to have many options and truly be able to make our curriculum fit our children and family style.

[Dawn E]

This is only my first year, and I only have the one dd (K5), but I have really enjoyed doing my own thing. When I first decided to homeschool, I thought about a boxed curriculum because I am not the most organized person. I didn't want to get started and then flounder because I had put too much on myself. However, I am very glad that we pushed through. Dd is able to do some 1st grade work in certain subjects. I am able to pick and choose between all the resources, and pull together a plan that works best for her. I'm able to offer challenge in the areas she is ready to grow in without pushing her in the areas that she is not. Down the road we may look into some, but for now this works well for us.

[PinkInTheBlue]

We do our own thing here. Saxon for math, R&S for grammar, Writing Strands for writing, we're doing a self-made president's study for history, Apologia for Astronomy, Spelling Power for spelling (considering R&S), LC for Latin and Rosetta Stone for Spanish. I'm sure I'm missing something...

[Pamela H in Texas]

I've always put together things for my kids until October of this year for my 7th grader. He joined a virtual academy so is doing their program now. My 15yo is still doing our homemade curriculum (actually, she did Abeka DvDs in 7th grade, now that I remember).

 

I like putting it together, allowing them materials best for them individually, etc. But we really like the K12 curriculum also and I could see using that sooner with another student if I had one.

[Ann@thebeach]

We also do our own thing. I really appreciated the WTM as a guide with the suggestions for each grade and learned alot from those resources.

 

We've tried many things and hoave settled on this for now:

9yr old son:

-HWT

-Horizons math (almost done with bk 2 and will move to 3)

-Spectrum phonics

-GWG 3

-copywork

Will be starting Sequentional Spelling soon.

 

6yr old DD:

-HWT

-Plaid Phonics K

-MCP math K (starting this spring)

-copywork

-lots of games

 

We were going to do Winterpromise American Story 1 this year with both of them but found out we were moving this fall. We've forgone formal history for now and will start it up this spring after the move.

 

We will start with SOTW 1 next year for both kids.

[txbloobonnet]

home many of you do your own thing. I used Sonlight the "right way" one year out of our 13 years of homeschooling. Other than that I have put my own curriculum together using many different resources. I have always tried hard to make things fit us instead of making us fit the curriculum. That, and I have a ton of books on my shelves that I feel like I should use instead of buying new books so I love to substitute.

[Ellie]

and scheduled it myself. IOW, I'm not smart enough to write everything :-) so I bought Easy Grammar and KONOS and whatnot. I did not, however, buy a box of all-the-same-grade-level books from a single source and follow the company's schedule.

[Julie in MN]

I love having found a program that someone *else* has set up for *me*! When I found MFW, I knew this was what I was trying to do on my own.

 

Having gone thru one child with an entire public school education, and another child who has spent 5 years on a homeschooled high school education where I created my own thing, I probably am more enthusiastic about this "great discovery" of a complete curriculum than most LOL!

 

I have realized only too well how much time I am saving, how much more time I spend with my child rather than in research/preparation, how much more they like it when mom isn't going on forever to make sure they know every single detail that *I* as an adult think is quite interesting, how much more time we have for character and practical skills, and how much further we get in our academics!

 

That's how it looks from here :o)

[nukeswife]

We tried SL this year and it was a disaster. I like picking the things I think my kids will enjoy and sometimes that means different companies for different kids.

 

This is our 2nd year hsing. The first year I pulled things together on my own because the cost of the big box programs was just too much. This year we had the funds for the big box and went for it, only to find out it's not our style.

 

We love picking out curriculum, I love the research of it as well as the planning.

[Lori in MS]

I use MFW and tweak it to suit me.

 

I love the lesson plans and the book list. It gives me a framework to work with rather than coming up with everything.

 

Lori in MS

[Daisy]

I'm using MFW Adventures this year and the hyper structure is driving me nuts. I'm tweaking it to death. So I'm going back to my own thing next year. Although I did buy ECC used so I can rip it apart and add it to my own history studies. I just like to plan my own rabbit trails.:rolleyes:

[Rebecca in GA]

We use Sonlight 5 for our 11 yo and Ambleside Online for the 8 and almost-7 year-olds. A Beka math for the eldest and Rod & Staff for the littles. Works for us, in this season, at this age.

[JFSinIL]

With math - Teaching Textbooks - we will follow the program. Other items, like SWO, WriteShop, and Wordly Wise have schedules that are easy to follow. Science, history, reading, grammar - we do 3,4, 5 days per week, as much as seems reasonable. I do not have one overall curriculum or guide. Each day I scribble out a notebook page of what dd needs to get through the next day.

[nitascool]

We do mostly old edition WTM suggestions Grammar stage with my 6yo and Logic Stage with my 7yo (almost 8). We also do Amberside online. My 6yo is about to finish year 0 and my 7yo just finished Year 2.

[MOCA]

A little of both!

[Chris in CA]

As my girls become older, I will move more into prepared curriculum

[Laura Corin]

Besides this year when we went with ECC, I have always done my own thing. We are going back to doing our own using MOH/SOTW combo and Apologia science. What about you? What do you use?

 

We use a bunch of things (see siggy) that I have discovered to be best for my kids. They are all over the place in grade level and I've never found a package that would work for us.

 

Laura

[WTMindy]

I do a little of both. I like to pick and choose pieces out of already existing stuff. :)

[Polly]

http://www.learning-adventures.org

 

You can pretty much make it what you want it to be. Our favorite years of homeschooling were doing LA!

[Michelle T]

But I will be using Oak Meadow as a history spine this year, so I guess I'm in for a change.

 

I'd love to find a science curriculum all laid out for me, but haven't found a suitable one yet.

Michelle T

[Cindyg]

But I do my own thing within that spine. And I do customize it a LOT!

[Tami]

I like to use a history guide such as TruthQuest, or Sonlight, as a base and branch out from there. I like having a loose list of topics but lots of freedom within that. We do our own science thang using a mix of resources.

 

I love the freedom! I don't like to follow other's content plans -- it is easier to follow my own.

[dangermom]

I mostly do a lot of WTM recommendations, and pick and choose each subject. I make my own schedule, such as it is. I use a lot of library books.

[Lux Et Veritas Academy]

I do my own thing- I love to blend it with their interests and what I have available to work with- I am also big on textbooks for Science- I love to create and design what works with them.

Good Luck

[Lizzie in Ma]

If it's working I leave it, if it isn't I tweak it.

Sticking with the SOTW into MOH w/TQ which has worked out well and I love.

Having at last found Christian Light Education for math and language arts I am sticking with it at least til 8th. We bailed from Rod and Staff. Thinking about Lial's after that for high school and dual enrollment classes.

Have never found a science I was all the way happy with so we have mixed and matched for years. At present we are doing Apologia Zoo 2 with a lapbook for 1st and 6th. 7th and 8th I really need to step it up a notch, may see what the local ps is using, don't know. Guess we are doing all right so far, she tests insanely high on the Stanford 10 in Science.

Latin we have jumped about but only because I love Latin and own tons of stuff. Used LFC A and B but heavily supplemented it due to its extreme lack of practice and reading (and the readers were abysmal). Loving Latin Prep series for 6th grader and Lively Latin for 1st.

R&S Bible and intend to stick with it, it is solid and pick up and go.

Things that have always worked and I have never tweaked are few but Troxel's Geography Songs and States and Capitols are on that list. Abeka cursive worked for us from pre-K on. Typing Instructor Deluxe. R&S Bible and intend to stick with it, it is solid and pick up and go for grades 5-10. Golden Bible with Intro to Classical Studies for 1st-3rd. I think those are the only things I never had to tweak so far.

[elegantlion]

For the last 3 years we used a boxed curriculum. This year I hand picked each subject, it's been so freeing! I even wrote my own American history lesson plans for 4th grade. I've found certain publishers that I plan to use but will continue to do my own schedule.

[NancyNellen]

The researching and planning is my favorite! :D

[godpoetry]

I pick out what I think will work and usually end up changing before it is over.:rolleyes: I have a SN child so I try to keep things that work for him.