Curriculum is one of those topics that I have to dig through my font size to see if a smaller one exists so then maybe my post does not look as long.
It is a disease I am telling you to love collecting, using, buying, reviewing and giving advice on curriculum.
Yesterday, I shared Homeschool Curriculum The ABCs Part 1 and today I am finishing up my tips on Homeschool Curriculum ABCs Part 2.
I have nuggets of experience to share on letters N to Z to help guide you in being selective about choosing homeschool curriculum.
N is for Narration.
Don’t pay for endless textbooks and worksheets when a simple and effective tool like narration is of more benefit.
Listening to our children tell back what they have learned about any topic is a way to nurture and stimulate intellectual skills.
Check out my post 3 Unexpected Benefits of Homeschool Narration.
O is for Objectives.
Objectives are clear steps to reach a goal.
Whether you make your own or follow a scope and sequence, having even a simple objective like your child learn the ABCs or multiplication tables helps you to make forward progress as you meet each tiny objective.
Don’t wander aimlessly from year to year, focus on an objective.
P is for Pinterest.
There are too many visual learners for you to not take advantage of free lessons and curriculum found on Pinterest. Be sure you are following me on Pinterest.
Q is for Quiz.
A much overlooked tool, a quiz is something that is brief and can be done orally. There is no need to do a print quiz unless you want to.
If you went to public school, like I did, then you remember the groans and heavy sighs as the teacher announced an unplanned pop quiz.
What if, instead of a written quiz, you just orally discussed the subject?
Oh yes! Talking and a question and answer style give me that any day and I can tell you back what I learned. A quiz each day makes headway.
R is for Read Aloud.
Reading aloud should become a lifelong habit.
Read to your children ALL the way to high school. Each year as your children grow they should associate reading with warmth, security and pleasure.
How can I possibly list all the benefits associated with reading? Success in life, at work, with others and especially to have a spiritual relationship with God are of lasting value.
S is for Spice.
Spice used in the right amount added to any bland food can give it a kick.
Instead of throwing out what you may think is a bad curriculum purchase, add spice to it.
Look at this book Homeschool Spice: Help for Hum Drum School Days. It is a great read full of tips.
T is for Types of Curriculum.
Textbooks, Unit Studies, Classical, Charlotte Mason and Relaxed/Unschooling are types of curriculum.
Most of your purchases will fall into one of these categories. If you prefer one over the other, then do not waste your time at conventions, on the internet or otherwise trying to understand ALL of the other types of curriculum.
Focus on the curriculum that fits your family instead of being overwhelmed with choices.
U is for Used Curriculum.
There is an abundance of used curriculum websites on line. They have literally sprung up everywhere. It use to not be that way. One site I have a soft place in my heart and that has been around for years and years is Vegsource. Crazy name uh?
I started following it sometime after Mr. Senior 2013 was born. I couldn’t make the connection between a website that promoted a plant-based diet and homeschooling.
I figured out along the way they homeschooled and they put a small spot on their website for selling used curriculum.
Not so small now, it still is a happening place for all things homeschool and to sell/buy used curriculum.
Side note of interest: If you get a chance, read about the background of Mr. Nelson’s family on the site. His great-great grandfather started the Armour Meat Company and now Mr.Nelson is a vegan. Talk about being removed from his roots.
V is for reVISIT.
Curriculum is about change.
A lot of homeschoolers that we help to get on the road to homeschooling feel they will stay the whole course with what they initially purchased. They have if it works now, why change it mentality. This thinking works for some projects but not for homeschooling.
Change happens not necessarily because the curriculum changes but because the needs of your children do.
A routine and curriculum can become boring and dull, then you have created a rut. A wise teacher will revisit her initial approach whether it is Charlotte Mason, Classical or Textbook to see if it still fits the needs of your children now. Find your groove at that moment and move forward.
W is for WORLD.
As veteran homeschoolers we take for granted the saying; “The World is Our Classroom”.
However, even seasoned veterans grasp for a full and rich meaning of this well known verse in the homeschool community.
For me, it means that once we abandon the mindset that we learn in one room, with one set of curriculum, at one designated time and be tested by it, we look to everyday living and the world around us for lessons.
Get out of the house. Attend a ballet, an art show, a historical reenactment or cultural event.
{learn in tents,……..}
{learn at the library,……}
{learn at a 4h club with others, ……}
{learn at the park. Get out, get out.}
By observing the things God has made, we let Him be the Grand Instructor. Then our teaching truly becomes elevated, supreme and worthy.
{A new born calf at our place was a cause for pause and a valued learning moment.}
X is for ‘XPLORE.
If there is anything that causes burnout, it is not being able to expand and explore new options.
Choosing curriculum is more about taking what works “good enough” for our family and expanding it.
Explore options to round it out. It does not mean we have to complete the course, but we finish it. Huge difference.
Finishing it means we have used the parts that filled our needs for the year. It may or may not mean completing the whole curriculum.
Y is for YEAR.
Measure your progress using your curriculum by the year.
Sometimes we want instant results in a few months. It takes more than just a few months to see progress the progress in our children. Oh don’t use something that you think is not working at all, but don’t be so quick to abandon a curriculum because there could be other things that affects how a child is learning right now. Immaturity and growing spurts are some things we can’t control but are often culprits of our child not understanding a curriculum.
There is a lot you can’t control about learning but by measuring by the year, you will know if the curriculum was a mistake or if your child was experience a change.
Z is for ZEAL.
The definition of zeal means to boil over.
Enthusiasm and zeal for learning is contagious.
It is more important that as the teacher, you have a zeal for learning. No amount of curriculum can impart a thirst for learning.
The example set by the parent is what becomes the curriculum. It’s not easy every day to boil over with excitement but it should be true a lot of the time.
I am hoping in these last two posts that you can quickly grab a few nuggets of experience that will tame the curriculum conundrum for you and help you to make a better choice about choosing curriculum the first time.
Hugs and love ya,
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