From my 31 day boot camp for new homeschoolers, here is my definition:
BOXED CURRICULUM
A curriculum provider who provides all subjects laid out in step by step order usually accompanied by a scripted teacher’s manual. Teacher’s manual, a student book and a work text are normally included. Tests and sometimes grading services are offered. Some providers, like Calvert sends all supplies, crayons and paper too. It may arrive in an actual box or not.
A boxed curriculum has saved my sanity more than one time during my journey. They are not just for new homeschoolers.
Knowing the 8 components of a boxed curriculum can make it a very useful tool when you need it.
Sad to say, instead of trying to understand how to use a boxed curriculum, which can navigate you through rough times, some homeschoolers just give up homeschooling.
Maybe we are worried about what those other homeschoolers will think because we are not wanting to be a lesson planning momma.
Homeschool Insanity IS . . .
Heaping more homeschool torture, loosely translated here meaning having to lesson plan when stressed out, moving, having a baby, being sick, helping out with finances or anything else that life throws our way, IS insanity.
Understanding the components of a boxed curriculum will help you to choose one that fits your family, lift the stress of homeschooling and otherwise keep your feet plodding along in homeschool.
- Religious or Secular Bent. Most boxed curriculum providers openly advertise whether they are faith based or secular.
Over the years, I have seen many advantages and considerations using both of these. I love secular curriculum because I always like to add my own Bible content and history view.
The caveat with secular curriculum, especially books that you get from public school is to watch that they don’t go against Bible principals. I have had excellent results with Calvert because they try to stay as neutral as possible.
Too, with religious curriculum, I love the fact that even in language arts, my children can still learn Bible tidbits. The same caveat with religious curriculum exists if you don’t hold to their same beliefs.
Find one that is easily tweaked for you needs and understanding what their bent is will help you to choose better.
- Teacher Manuals or Glorified Check List? Another element of a boxed curriculum is the teacher’s manual.
Right off, I want to tell you that I am extremely picky in how I dole out the title, teacher’s manual.
When you are new to homeschooling, stressed or otherwise have not used a solid teacher’s manual, you may think they are all created equal. They are not.
This is an area of the boxed curriculum that I want you also to be very picky in choosing. This component of a boxed curriculum goes to the very reason you are using one and if you don’t choose a boxed curriculum that has a helpful teacher’s manual, your choice could be more hindrance than help.
Some boxed curriculum providers proclaim proudly that they have a teacher’s manual, when in truth it is a glorified check list.
A checklist means they have lined out all the subjects for your child to do day by day and that is pretty well it. Can you say not very helpful at all?
My standard for a teacher’s manual is way higher and it includes these elements:
1. It should not only provide the assignments laid out for you, but should give background information about what you are going to teach.
The whole incentive for using a boxed curriculum is to save you time. Having to research background information for the lesson you are going to teach because you got a checklist is defeating.
2. It should give you examples of proper responses from your child or samples from other students’ work so that you know what to expect from your child or how to gauge progress.
If you are struggling with teaching a child or if you are new to teaching, you want some help in this area to be sure you are on track and the manual should have tips on how to gauge progress.
3. It should provide a sample of a student schedule. Otherwise how do you know when to get it all done.
4. The objectives should be clearly stated.
What are you going to teach for the day? What are your children trying to learn for the day? If they don’t know, how are you suppose to know?
5. The other must-have for me in a teacher’s manual is an area that lists what I need for that day.
This is very valuable in planning when you know what supplies you need ahead of time. Some even have what you need for assignments way far out and this too help eases lesson preparation.
6. It can also expand on alternative ways of teaching in case your child encounters problems with the assignment.
7. Some even provide extra teaching tips and helps, and they should.
When you know those elements to a worthwhile teacher’s manuals, it can be a treasure trove.
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Day to Day Lesson Plans. {120 to 160 days}. Another key element of a boxed curriculum is that it has day to day lesson plans laid out.
The year will consist normally of anywhere from 120 to 160 days of lesson plans.
Having the lesson plans laid out can ease the stress of planning, give you an ending and beginning date to start and can also give your child a clear list of what is expected for the day so that he can work independently of you if he is old enough.
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Accountability or Reporting Service. A lot of boxed curriculum providers are accredited providers and they also provide some kind of reporting service for you.
This may or may not be important to you in the area that you live in. Personally, accredited can be over rated because most people are confused about the meaning of the term accredited.
Schools are accredited, not curriculum. These are two completely different issues.
I don’t want to make your eyes pop out with too many details because I can go into what accredited means later.
The point I want you to take away today is that accredited does not equate with superior curriculum. It just means a school has met the requirements to be accredited.
The reporting service is where I made the mistake when I used a boxed curriculum because I thought I had to get the teacher reporting service to get teacher support.
Instead of relieving the stress when I was pregnant at the time, I brought more stress because I had constant deadlines of turning in work of my then Kindergarten kid to the school.
Crazy I know, but when you haven’t ever taught a child to read, you are looking for all the feedback you can get.
What I failed to ask at the time was if the teachers would be available for questions if I had them.
Ask and be clear when you sign up because most options to have a teacher grade your child’s work is just that optional. Any kind of reputable boxed curriculum provider should have teaches on hand to answer any questions you have for free.
Too, unless you live in a country or state that requires an accredited school, do not judge the value of the curriculum and education by the so misunderstood term of accreditation.
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Books, workbooks, student texts, text books and maybe supplies. Another element that can reduce your time curriculum shopping is knowing that everything you need for one grade comes in your boxed curriculum.
The standard for a boxed curriculum is that every book, workbook and textbook that you need to get started comes together. Some providers like Calvert even send school supplies. You simply unwrap and get started.
There is no worrying about missing something or not covering something for that grade level. Everything your child needs to complete the grade comes in the box.
There are just as many reasons to use a boxed curriculum as there are to not use one.
Convenience, less anxiety and easy of teacher planning are some of the benefits of using a well-laid out boxed curriculum.
In the second part, I will share 3 more benefits of a boxed curriculum and give you a list of boxed providers.
Do you find that using a boxed curriculum has lessened the stress at the time?
Hugs and love ya,
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