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Don’t give up your much loved homeschool approach when using boxed curriculum.

Today, in how to use a boxed curriculum without giving up your homeschool approach, I will be sharing some boxed curriculum providers and giving you a tip or two on how to pair one with your homeschool approach.

From Overwhelmed to Confident

Also, I will be listing the next 3 features of a boxed curriculum.

In my post 8 Components of a Boxed Curriculum I shared the first 5 features of a boxed curriculum:

• understanding whether a curriculum has a religious or secular worldview
• determining if a teacher’s manual is a treasure trove or glorified check list
• planning your school year with 120 or 160 days in mind
• deciding whether you need an accountability service or reporting service and
• understanding that all curriculum required to complete a grade level like workbooks, student work text and readers come in the box.

Look at these next 3 parts of a boxed curriculum.

Testing and Answer Guides/Sheets.  In addition, most curriculum providers have an option for testing along with answers sheets to the tests.

Most boxed providers can give you some local places in your area which tests your child.

If you do not live in a place that has stringent laws requiring testing, then I encourage you to not bring extra stress by having to report the testing scores.

Simply use the tests that come in your boxed curriculum for your own peace of mind.

I used the tests provided in our boxed curriculum for review and for my own purposes.  It also gave my kids some familiarity with test taking which is very helpful in the older grades.

 Student Evaluation or Assessment Help.  One mistake made when using boxed curriculum is assuming that your child is ready for a grade level when in fact he he may be ahead or a bit behind.

A provider should have some way of you assessing your child’s level and then you should be able to get feedback on it.

I can’t encourage you enough to take time using informal testing methods to find a better fit for the grade your child should be in.

A huge mistake made by seasoned veterans and new bees alike is thinking they are back tracking if they have to repeat a grade.

No matter how many homeschoolers I counseled on this, many still push and shove ahead to the next grade level, which their child may not be ready for only to be met with tears and a brick wall several months into the curriculum.

Homeschooling is about being masters of their material and that is hard to do when they don’t have time to simmer on a grade level that a child needs to be on. Homeschool scholars are made by being immersed in a subject or skill and not by skipping ahead of it.

Extras.  Some boxed curriculum providers also have on line classes where your child “meets” with other students of similar age and the classes try to make you feel like part of a school or group.

They may encourage your child to become involved online with any contests or communities they may be promoting.

Depending on the level of commitment or your time, you need to determine ahead if you want your child to be involved in any extra curricular activities a curriculum provider offers, if any.

Take a look at some of these common homeschool providers. Also, where possible, I added a tip or two for helping you to find a better fit for your homeschool approach.

Though most boxed curriculum providers would be categorized as a textbook approach, there are some differences worth considering.

*Note: Technically, a boxed curriculum contains ALL subjects, however, there are some curriculum providers that provide everything except math, so I included a few of them.

Boxed Curriculum Providers

A Beka  A Beka would fit nicely with the strong language arts approach to a classical method of approach.  With strong emphasis on writing and reading, this would fit nicely with those wanting to build a strong language arts foundation in the early grades.
A.C.E {Lighthouse Christian Academy}
Alpha Omega {Switched on Schoolhouse, Life Pacs, Monarch, Horizons}Takes a Biblical worldview and is a solid textbook approach.
Bob Jones or BJU Press.  Taking a Biblical worldview, Bob Jones has a more rounded out text book approach, but all subjects have a Bible based theme throughout.

Calvert  Though Calvert uses basal readers for teaching reading, some of their books written by head master Virgil Hillyer, I would categorize more like living books.
Charlotte Mason and the classical approach both encourage reading and using living books.  A Child’s History of the World continues to be a much loved book in our home.  Note: the book starts off with a bit of evolution, which we skipped, but continues on a middle school level for a great read and a broad covering about world history for budding history buffs.
Recently, I read A Child’s Geography of the World, which is outdated with facts, but is still a great read. These books were written about the 1930’s.
Christian Light Education
Covenant Home Curriculum
K12  Takes a more secular approach, but has a more straight forward textbook approach with rigorous standards.

Memoria Press  Memoria Press takes a classical approach to homeschooling and their boxed curriculum is no different.
The most significant feature of the classical approach is using history of the ancients to teach. So Memoria Press uses books like Famous Man of Rome and D’Aulaires’ Greek Myths to name just a few to start building a basic foundation in history.
Also incorporated are some Charlotte Mason techniques like copywork and memorization.
My Father’s World {but does not have math}  My Father’s World combines both the classical approach by using history as some of it’s stepping stones along with a Charlotte Mason approach.  From the classical approach, it utilizes a chronological approach to history.
Also there is a hands-on approach in many of the grade levels and a focus on science and arts, which is encouraged by a Charlotte Mason approach.
Moving Beyond the Page{but does not have math}  Moving Beyond the Page uses a unit study approach to covering all the subjects except math.
Having the combined layout of structure along with using the basic concept of a unit study, which is tying all the school subjects around a main theme is another option for your family.
Oak Meadow

Seton Seton uses a strong language arts focus in their boxed curriculum and they are a Catholic provider.
Sonlight  Sonlight uses living books which is both a feature of the Charlotte Mason approach and classical approach along with a strong emphasis on Bible.
Trail Guide to Learning<{but does not have math}  Trail Guide to Learning uses living books in their boxed curriculum and takes on more of a Charlotte Mason approach with a classical bent because of using their history focused guides.
Veritas Press   Like Memoria Press, Veritas Press has a strong classical approach to homeschooling with an emphasis on history.

Whether you are new to homeschooling and trying to learn the ropes or if you are overwhelmed with the season in your life right now, knowing the 8 components of a boxed curriculum can help you to avoid the busy work that can accompany a boxed curriculum and find one that can help you make headway.

Hugs and love ya,

Check out Cathy’s Duffy’s 101 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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,

Look at these posts too

What If I Choose the Wrong Homeschool Curriculum

How To Choose Curriculum Other than the Looks Good Method