Different publisher for each subject?

[veryblueberry]

I will be a new homeschooling mom beginning in January.  We are taking my 5th grader out of public school at the end of the winter term.  I've spent weeks trying to learn as much as I can about curriculum and what's available.  I've talked to several of the homeschooling moms at church about what they use.  I am liking what I have seen and read about Apologia science, MathUSee, and Veritas Press for History and Bible.  And I like what I have seen about Michael Clay Thompson for Language Arts.  I've managed to find some good things about the scheduling/planning of these as well as what order to work in.  But my good friend who is also beginning homeschooling in Janaury is using Monarch online.  All of their classes will be online.  Am I crazy for picking and choosing for each subject for our first time or should I just use one company for the whole thing?  My daughter is very bright, way above grade level, and loves history and science projects.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Edited December 1, 2017 by veryblueberry

[libbypr]

I'm only on my 2nd year of homeschooling, but I learned last year after using a boxed curriculum (My Father's World) that I'm just not the type who can do a whole program like it's written.  I like to pick and choose and customize things to fit our family.  

So, this year, we're using a little of this and a little of that, and it's been SUCH a nice change!

I know others who thrive on a boxed curriculum.  They love having everything together in a tidy package and not having to worry about leaving something out.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.  It just comes down to a personal decision of what works best for your family.

 

[veryblueberry]

Thank you.  I really don't want to mess this up or make it complicated unnecessarily. 

[mytwomonkeys]

What you’re doing is very normal, and how most people I know choose to homeschool (including myself). In all honesty, your friend’s children will probably hate an all online curriculum for every subject.

[Pegs]

Welcome to the boards. :)

 

I am liking what I have seen and read about Apologia science, MathUSee, and Veritas Press for History and Bible. And I like what I have seen about Michael Clay Thompson for Language Arts. I've managed to find some good things about the scheduling/planning of these as well as what order to work in.

It sounds like you have a decent plan coming together. When you get started with MCT's materials, you may find that your kid needs more writing/composition instruction. You could wait and see, or you could start a new thread asking how others pair a composition curriculum with MCT's grammar heavy courses, just so that you've got some ideas up your sleeve.

[veryblueberry]

My daughter LOVES to write and is already asking me will she get to write some things.  Thank you so much for the advice.  

[fralala]

I guess it all depends on why you're homeschooling; for many of us, outsourcing our child's education to a single provider-- no matter how good their materials!-- would defeat one of the primary advantages (and, frankly, joys) of education at home.

 

There are situations and seasons in which choosing an all-in-one makes sense, but if you think you're capable of sorting through the options and trying to find the best choices for your daughter, why let a curriculum provider get to have all the fun of deciding what your daughter is going to study this year?

[MerryAtHope]

Not crazy at all! I would even say that it makes sense to choose materials that speak to you in each subject area. I hope you have a great first year!

[Soror]

I've always used a hodge podge, I think most on here are the same so you will be in good company if you hang out here.

[goldenecho]

I was so glad that I didn't have an all in one curriculum.   One thing it allowed me to do was start each curriculum one by one (in other words, we didn't start all our curriculum at once, which gave me time to get used to the rhythm of each one).

 

 

I will be a new homeschooling mom beginning in January.  We are taking my 5th grader out of public school at the end of the winter term.  I've spent weeks trying to learn as much as I can about curriculum and what's available.  I've talked to several of the homeschooling moms at church about what they use.  I am liking what I have seen and read about Apologia science, MathUSee, and Veritas Press for History and Bible.  And I like what I have seen about Michael Clay Thompson for Language Arts.  I've managed to find some good things about the scheduling/planning of these as well as what order to work in.  But my good friend who is also beginning homeschooling in Janaury is using Monarch online.  All of their classes will be online.  Am I crazy for picking and choosing for each subject for our first time or should I just use one company for the whole thing?  My daughter is very bright, way above grade level, and loves history and science projects.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[nixpix5]

I have been so happy to not have an all in one curriculum. I find joy in carefully choosing different publishers for various topics for my kids. I find some companies do a few things spectacularly and other things not so much. My kids like variety so I try to offer that to them.

 

Your picks are solid ones so far. If your student likes science then Apologia is a solid choice. We love Veritas Press history and bible here. We do the online self study and it is a massive hit.

 

Everyone does things differently and kids are different. If you are deciding between a couple options pull your student in to help. When kids take part in choosing there is buy in and they tend to enjoy their choice more ;)

[Jame]

Not crazy at all. This is what we've been doing and we love it. 

[Junie]

We use lots of different publishers, too.  Have a look at my signature... ;)

 

Welcome!!

[maize]

I think nearly everyone on this forum does the mix-and-match thing :)

 

Welcome!

Edited December 2, 2017 by maize

[Xahm]

I agree with everything said above, but because I always like there to be multiple perspectives when I'm making a decision, I'll offer my observation.

A person close to me pulled her kids from school and began homeschooling. With grand intentions, she pieced together things from many places for each of her three school age kids. Life happened, and she wasn't yet skilled or organized enough to make sure school happened as well. The year was pretty much a wash. The kids got enough not to regress, but they didn't learn much either. She put them back in school, then pulled them back out after a couple of months. Now they are using an all in one curriculum with a lot of online elements and an open and go daily schedule, and it seems like it's getting done.

Most people I know enjoy piecing things together, but I think it's important to consider your own limitations when choosing curriculum. If you choose a lot of super-great, highly parent intensive stuff, that will be very demanding. You may want to have a mix of things, some that demand a lot of time and planning and others that are open and go. Or you may be energized by a challenge and should go for it.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I will be a new homeschooling mom beginning in January.  We are taking my 5th grader out of public school at the end of the winter term.  I've spent weeks trying to learn as much as I can about curriculum and what's available.  I've talked to several of the homeschooling moms at church about what they use.  I am liking what I have seen and read about Apologia science, MathUSee, and Veritas Press for History and Bible.  And I like what I have seen about Michael Clay Thompson for Language Arts.  I've managed to find some good things about the scheduling/planning of these as well as what order to work in.  But my good friend who is also beginning homeschooling in Janaury is using Monarch online.  All of their classes will be online.  Am I crazy for picking and choosing for each subject for our first time or should I just use one company for the whole thing?  My daughter is very bright, way above grade level, and loves history

and science projects.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

You are not crazy for picking and choosing.  Many homeschool families do exactly that.  I found that a company that might be right on target with my goals for one subject didn't always match well in every other subject.   I think of it like pulling together an outfit or a meal.  I don't necessarily source all of my clothes or all of my food from just one brand.  

 

Also, what I use one year may not be what is the best choice the next year.  My kids changed a bit as they got older.  Different curriculum was available (not only new things on the market, but also some things that went out of print or changed for the worse).  Our situation changed over time.

 

We were not around other homeschoolers when my kids were little.  After a few years we moved back to an area with a high homeschool concentration, including one of my best friends.  My dh reminded me that I wasn't necessarily going to homeschool just like my friend, and that was OK.  We both had to decide what fit best for our family and situation.

[SoCal_Bear]

+ 1 on multiple providers. See my siggy. All-in-one or grade level would be a horrible fit over here.

[Garga]

Different providers for each subject and different ones from year to year.

 

Not everyone does it that way, as you know, and sometimes the ones who use boxed stuff or one online provider for everything don't really understand why I use a hodge podge, but that's ok.

[Garga]

 

 

Also, what I use one year may not be what is the best choice the next year. My kids changed a bit as they got older. Different curriculum was available (not only new things on the market, but also some things that went out of print or changed for the worse). Our situation changed over time.

 

This is SO TRUE. Don't pre-buy future years' curriculae. Just don't. Wait until you get to that year to buy it. I wasted too much money going that route and now I buy what I need a couple of months before we use it. You can research and jot down possibilities, but don't spend the money until you need the materials.

[boscopup]

My kids and I would get bored using the same provider for every subject every year. Also, if your child is asynchronous (advanced in some subjects but not in others), an all in one program doesn't work real well.

 

I use different things for each subject and for each kid (unless they're combined in a subject). I often change year to year as well.

 

It will take you time to figure out what works for you as a teacher and for your children. Don't freak out if what you've chosen ends up not working for you. That's part of the learning process for you.

[misty.warden]

Even some of the homeschool package programs use multiple publishers for their sets. Kolbe uses Harcourt science, Memoria Press/TAN/Catholic Textbook Project for history, Saxon/Singapore math.

 

Being able to pick and choose what works for your family is one of the best parts of homeschooling.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Heathermomster]

I pulled my DS from school mid-term and grade 5. He worked best using hands-on instruction and projects. A program that required him to sit and work at a computer for a subject like science or language would have killed him. We have always used a variety of publishers for subjects.

[Targhee]

Unless you're luckier than Charlie Bucket with your first picks you WILL change your mind about curriculum, and probably many times.

 

I prefer to pick and choose each thing for my kids for several reasons. Different strengths, different learning styles, different working levels of instruction, and when everything is all together and neatly lined up there's a great deal of rigidity in that which I find stifling. Homeschool days are rarely ideal, interruptions (and diversions!) abound. You may get half the day's work done because you have an appointment/ are joining others for a field trip/ someone is sick/ you just can't put down the family read aloud because everyone is so engrossed/ the chicken eggs are hatching/ there's a traveling exhibit at the museum/ etc. Or you may accelerate several lessons of math but savor each day of history. It's so much messier to do this with a boxed, online, or integrated curriculum.

 

I break curriculum down into lesson sizes (if they aren't already) but only put them on our schedule one week at a time. Because I like things organized, but I hate being told what to do (by a curriculum schedule), this has worked best for us.

 

But honestly, you will find your groove eventually, and it will be different from mine or anyone else's. Go with your gut right now, and don't worry if it's not the perfect decision. And while you're waiting to find your groove, enjoy learning more about learning, your kids, and yourself.

[EKS]

 Am I crazy for picking and choosing for each subject for our first time or should I just use one company for the whole thing?  

 

You are not crazy.  IMO, choosing resources that fit your situation, regardless of publisher, is the very best way to homeschool.

[knitgrl]

As you can see from my signature, we use a mish-mash of things, too. What we do now does not look like what I envisioned two years ago, which is fine. I have found things that work better for us. I second the pp who have said, Expect things to change -- because they will. I hope you have great experience!

[AMJ]

I will be a new homeschooling mom beginning in January.  We are taking my 5th grader out of public school at the end of the winter term.  I've spent weeks trying to learn as much as I can about curriculum and what's available.  I've talked to several of the homeschooling moms at church about what they use.  I am liking what I have seen and read about Apologia science, MathUSee, and Veritas Press for History and Bible.  And I like what I have seen about Michael Clay Thompson for Language Arts.  I've managed to find some good things about the scheduling/planning of these as well as what order to work in.  But my good friend who is also beginning homeschooling in Janaury is using Monarch online.  All of their classes will be online.  Am I crazy for picking and choosing for each subject for our first time or should I just use one company for the whole thing?  My daughter is very bright, way above grade level, and loves history and science projects.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

My girls and I switched to homeschooling after my eldest's 5th grade.  You will find that you not only have to look for what fits you as an instructor, but what fits your children as students.  It will take time and trying different things to find the fits, so do budget for trying multiple things and don't get discouraged if something others simply rave about seems rather "meh" to you or your kids.

 

I do happen to love MCTLA, though this year we are having a few struggles, partly because of changes to layouts (we are in level 5 now), and partly because of things happening in our home life, unpredictable, very derailing things.  One of the ways we are coping with things is to pick stuff up and drop stuff as the situation requires, knowing we can go back to the stuff later.  This means we haven't yet started the writing component of MCTLA, and all MCTLA will be put on a hiatus for a month or two while I deal with certain time-critical needs of other close family.  I am not giving up on MCTLA, though, I'm just postponing until we can spend the time I want to spend on it.  It speaks to the part of me that has always longed to develop eloquence, and the kids like it, too.

 

It can take some time to get into the swing of things, and you might face some concern over how to handle subjects that are less familiar to you.  Try approaching homeschool with the attitude of learning alongside your kids, and many of these qualms will ease.  The ones that stick around after that will be the ones to spend time and attention figuring out.

 

One thing I did discover as I started researching homeschool was that The Well-Trained Mind and these forums were invaluable.  Do I homeschool like TWTM?  Nope.  It simply doesn't fit us the way she has it all lined out.  But the book has been a wonderful resource book AND has talked through many things I needed to hear.  And these forums have been hands-down the best resource I have found.  I found friends here and get support through anything I can share (and even when I can only admit to having a rough time but not want to share any details).  There are many experienced folk who have been there and done that, and have chosen to share what they have learned and figured out over time.

 

Let your daughter's strengths shine and be challenged.  Work to her abilities, and find where she struggles more.  Take this remaining half of 5th grade to explore how she learns and how she doesn't.  Encourage interests.  Do cover basics, but let her explore and shine and discover her own talents so she can love learning.  You may need a bit more of a plan as high school years approach, but for now de-stress from your old school situation and take the gentle approach to becoming acquainted with your new one.

 

Keep coming back to these forums.  There are gems here, if you just keep visiting and looking.  Don't be afraid to ask, whatever the question.

[Jackie]

Not at all crazy. I enjoy my mishmash and think everything being in one style would drive both my daughter and I crazy. Not only do I like picking and choosing the best fit, but my kid thrives on variety. We don’t even usually stick to one thing per subject, let alone per school year!

[sweetpea3829]

I dare say most of us use a mix of various resources. Even within families, different kids use different materials.

 

Isn't that kind of why many of us homeschool? So we can customize and individualize our children's learning?

 

Granted, your first year, you may want to avoid recreating the wheel as you get comfortable and learn your student's strengths and weaknesses.

 

But yeah, don't be afraid to modify, recreate, create your own, switch it up, etc.

 

Know that you may change from year to year. You may change mid-year! You may decide to write your own! I've done this for a few years with Science,because I loathe Apologia and everything else on the market just wasn't quite what I was looking for.

 

We use parts of some programs and substitute other parts.

 

The best part of homeschooling is that YOU get to make it work for YOU and YOUR student. As opposed to forcing your student into the mold that was pre-determined for her based on her age. My almost 12 yr old is in 3rd grade math, way below "grade-level". But she's KILLING it, because it's where she needs to be.

 

Anyways...spend time reading lots and lots here at WTM. Lots of luck! We're all here to help in any way we can!

[coastalfam]

I think picking and choosing different publishers is a much wiser choice than all one publisher. The advantage of homeschooling is pulling something together that is enjoyable for you and your child, and effective for your child. We did one year with all material from one company, and some things fit, and some really did not. It takes a while to work out all the kinks, so I think choosing what appeals to you as the parent is a great choice, and then just be aware that your might need to re-adjust a bit in the first year or two. Budget some money for that inevitability. Congratulations of beginning your homeschooling journey! 

[mom31257]

I've homeschooled for 13 years, and I've never used all one publisher.  

[SoCal_Bear]

If you think about it almost every school uses different publishers for each subject.

Edited December 3, 2017 by calbear

[Carrie12345]

Crazy? No.

 

When I started (11 Septembers ago, lol) I went with an online charter the first year. Mostly packaged curriculum the next year.  All WTM-recommended resources the year after that.  And then things got wild, lol.  I currently have 1st through 10th graders at home, and my house looks like a curriculum store.  

 

The years of "planned curricula" were good for me while I was trying to figure things out, but the individualization was much better for my kids.

[veryblueberry]

Wow.  So much great advice here.  I am blown away by the responses.   We will start down this road with the best plan I can make at this time with my limited knowledge.  Then, we'll change things if we need to along the way.  I hadn't known before that homeschooling is quite so fluid.  I am a goal-oriented planner, but I see now that if we come to a place where something I selected isn't working or doesn't fit, we just need to do something different.  

I hadn't thought of starting one or two subjects the first week and then adding another the next week until we are up and running.  Thank you for that awesome advice.  What a great way to begin while we get our bearings and figure out how much time each thing will take.

I love that everyone has their curriculum in the signature.  

 

 

[Targhee]

Wow. So much great advice here. I am blown away by the responses. We will start down this road with the best plan I can make at this time with my limited knowledge. Then, we'll change things if we need to along the way. I hadn't known before that homeschooling is quite so fluid. I am a goal-oriented planner, but I see now that if we come to a place where something I selected isn't working or doesn't fit, we just need to do something different.

I hadn't thought of starting one or two subjects the first week and then adding another the next week until we are up and running. Thank you for that awesome advice. What a great way to begin while we get our bearings and figure out how much time each thing will take.

I love that everyone has their curriculum in the signature.

You can still be organized and goal oriented even if you change curriculum or switch topics mid stream. A big mistake of many, who usually end up a slave to their curriculum, is letting the curriculum/publisher dictate (or BE) the goals and organization. I advise spending time reading about homeschooling philosophies/approaches, studying up on pedagogy and learning styles, contemplating exactly why you are homeschooling, thinking about your learners in particular (their likes/dislikes, strengths/weaknesses, needs and desires), counseling with your spouse and then writing down *your* goals.

 

As to organization, you can be both organized and flexible if you think realistically that things won't always be smooth or as expected and you plan flexibility into your schedule. I dislike curricula which schedule 5 days a week for 36 weeks - because then I feel stress when life happens and something didn't get done. I'm a box-checker and a planner too. Some people plan a longer school year, some people plan 4 days a week with a 5th day flexible, some people do loop scheduling, some have other means. I prefer to divide things up into lessons but not put them on a yearly schedule. Instead each weekend I plan the weekly schedule, which allows me to work around the incidentals in life. And since my subjects are not synchronized/aligned/matched up with each other I can plan half or part days easily. Everything on the weekly checklist gets done, and the satisfaction of checking of daily tasks and completing everything for the week is much more satisfying and restful than being dictated to by a publisher and stressing and feeling like I'm failing because we are not on schedule.

[mschickie]

Since I like things planed out I do a year master schedule over the subject.  I plan out each of our separate curriculums based on a 4 day school week (we have co-op one day).  Laying it out this way allows me to see how long it will take if we do everything in that particular curriculum Now this schedule is not rigid.  Every week I cross out what we have done on the master list and then write up a weekly schedule based on what is going on.  So on my master schedule I may be on week 14 day 3 in one subject I may only be on week 10 day 1 in a different subject.    I may also cross things out on my master schedule as we go.  For example one curriculum has additional practice sheets, I schedule them but may decide as we are working that we really do not need to do those sheets so i just cross them off.   Just know that you can schedule and still be flexible.

[ScoutTN]

Welcome to homeschooling! 5th grade is fun!

 

We use a mish mash. Boxed curricula can be a good way to start out or a good solution for a particular life circumstance, but rarely is it the best match for a student's needs/abilities. Not all kids in a family will be similar students.

 

I do sometimes use several things from one publisher, especially in language arts area.

We have used history, grammar and writing materials all from the same publisher. Sometimes you find materials that just work well for your family. :)

 

These boards are full of amazing advice and information! You can discover not only that people like or dislike a certain curriculum, but why. This saves oodles of time and frustration.

[Milknhoney]

I've noticed there's two kinds of homeschool parents. There's people like me and a lot of people on this board. We love homeschooling. We love education. It's more than just a job, it's like our hobby. It's our life. We love researching educational philosophies and learning styles and different types of curriculum. For us, no box curriculum is going to do the job. We're just too into it to not pick out and choose exactly what's going to fit our philosophies and our children. (Also, there's finances to consider. Picking out my own curriculum is usually less expensive than subscribing to a boxed curriculum service).

 

But I know a lot of moms who homeschool because they think it is the best option for their children and family, but they don't really care much about anything except getting the job done. It's  a personality thing I think. They just don't have a strong inner need to do all the research and in-depth examination of every book and curriculum. For them, they'll choose one program that fits their overarching goals and they're done. 

 

The fact that you've identified choices from multiple publishers suggests you're in the first group. Go with it.

[kiwik]

I am just switching from after schooling to homeschooling and finding a surprising number who are using Sonlight plus their choice of maths. I don't want someone else telling me to what to do each year.