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You’ve Pitched the Homeschool Curriculum – Now What?

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You've Pitched the Homeschool Curriculum - Now What? What if you make the same costly mistakes? Check out these super helpful tips and reminders.

Falling in and out of love with homeschool curriculum is a rite of passage for us. But after pitching my curriculum, many years  I wished I would have done something differently besides just purchase more homeschool curriculum.

And of course, any solution has to be easy because by the time you hit a road block, another time zapping and energy draining fix just adds unwanted stress.

Look at these 3 things to do and to not do when you’ve pitched the homeschool curriculum.

One// – Do not use that low time of feeling frustrated to make another mistake, like quitting homeschool or worse yet, joining a confining homeschool co-op.

A co-op may be the solution, but until you identify the problem, something else added to what you’re doing can be taxing.

Two// – Do embrace your teaching personality and style.

We can’t deny who we are. And when we try to fit our style of school into another homeschool teacher’s school, our children could be disappointed.

Before I started homeschooling, I read a lot about not just learning styles for my kids, but about my personality, which is my teaching style. Two of the best books that helped me the most to understand my personality, which helped me to pinpoint my aggravation with curriculum are Discover Your Child’s Learning Style and 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.

Though Discover Your Child’s Learning Style was written with understanding your child’s learning style, you can also take the personality test alongside your child. The results are eye-opening because some of the things you may have been doing unintentionally because you learn best in a certain way can actually be irritating your children.

And the curriculum you chose may or may not be based on the way you need to teach.

For example, I know that one of my strengths is organization, but it can easily go from organizing to onerous if I don’t rein in my personality.

On the one hand, many homeschoolers told me that I would never use a homeschool room, I did. And I used it for a long time.

On the other hand, because I know I have a tendency to be more severe than I like to be, I started doing lapbooks and unit studies with my boys because I didn’t want to make learning comfortable for me.

This may sound opposite of what I’m telling you, but in the beginning I found unit studies that were laid out so that it would fit my personality style of being organized and routine-oriented.

Gradually, as I gained more experience, I created my own unit studies. This was the balance to my personality that wanted to be demanding. I gave my planning, organized itchy self an important task to do like planning my children’s education.

The point is you can’t abandon your personality. And your dynamic personality should come through with any curriculum you choose to bring into your homeschool.

List three things you like and don’t like about the curriculum you pitched and then do the same for your children. As you take the learning style test in the book, a picture will emerge.

I would love to know what you found out if you do the personality test in Discover Your Child’s Learning Style .

Relax Without Regret

Three// – Do rest, step back and relax.

Relaxing is not something a lot of homeschoolers do well. Dare I say we probably downright stink at it? I admit, I do too. Stepping back helps you to look at the bigger picture.

Being a can’t see the forest for the trees person, I have to always pull up and back away from my school when everything seems like a hurdle.

Another reason we don’t have the art of relaxing down is because like me, you also probably have many ideas or projects that you want to accomplish. That comes from a love of learning and teaching.

Some homeschoolers feel they need a certain type of curriculum for guidance, but a curriculum could be sucking the breath of creativity out of your day.

I know, I have heard people say they are not creative, but that’s just not true.

There are many ways to be creative, whether it’s art, history, science, crafts, cooking or the art of conversation.

Instead of purchasing another homeschool curriculum so quickly, take time to rest, discover your strengths and not jump into another stressful situation. You don’t know, you might not need to buy anymore homeschool curriculum.

What has been your experience?

Also, I have a whole lot to say about how to choose homeschool curriculum. Look at these other tips:

45 Ways to Define Homeschool Curriculum – Is Your Definition Holding You Back, Mixing It Up: How to Combine Homeschool Approaches (Without Losing Your Mind) and 10 Signs. Know When to Walk Away from “Perfect” Curriculum.

Hugs and love ya,

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Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


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Linking up @ these awesome places:

3 Reasons to NOT Avoid the Homeschool Middle Ground

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3 Reasons to NOT Avoid the Homeschool Middle Ground @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Fighting mini battles while we homeschool becomes part of our homeschool lifestyle. And it’s true that for many issues involving education, homeschoolers don’t wade in lukewarm waters nor take the middle of the ground approach. Being firmly decisive is key to surviving the harsh amount of negativity that is thrown our way.

Standing Firm on Homeschool Middle Ground

However, many things in homeschooling are more successful when you can step back and straddle the middle road. Sometimes taking an all or nothing approach can be counter productive, even extreme at times.

Look at these 3 reasons to NOT avoid the homeschool middle ground.

ONE/  When you do a unit study with multiple ages of children.

You can set your homeschool day up for failure when you use a learning resource that is too high above your oldest child’s head or one that is too young below it.

It’s a common mistake; choosing a unit study resource that is the grade level of your oldest child.

The secret to individualizing a delightful unit study topic is to  choose the middle grade between the ages of your children.

Seasoned homeschool veterans know that it’s easier to scale down activities for younger grades. Use the example of a plant unit study.

Younger students can color, label and dissect a plant. Older students or high school students can use the same unit study, but expand the activities on it to a high school level.

For example, older students can include plant history, learn about the local plants in your area and even spend some time in an apprenticeship learning from local professionals about herbs or plants. Ideas to use for an older student spring from the middle of the grade resource that you are currently using.

Not all ideas are so easy to round up for an older learner, but they are more useful than a resource used for your youngest learner.

TWO/ When you mix and match homeschool curriculum.

It’s easy to use the same curriculum provider with all of your children. Why would you do that though?

Each child is as unique as each homeschool family or should be.

Take the middle ground, avoid the extreme by choosing just one homeschool curriculum and use pieces and parts of a boxed curriculum, unit study and another curriculum to create a study that is unique for each child.

If you’re using just one type of curriculum, then one or more of your children may not be benefiting from it as much as another child. Mixing and matching homeschool curriculum will ensure a better fit for all of your children.

THREE/ When you begin homeschooling high school.

I did it too when I started homeschooling high school and that is to right away in 9th grade take a sock it to him attitude when planning.

High school is not about controlling your teen through his high school years, but it’s about working alongside each other. It is a give and take.

You give because your teen is a different person than you and your husband and he has goals and inspirations now that he too wants to meet. But it’s a take also because you don’t want to give up all your goals or plans for your teen’s future and some things will be must-haves in high school.

What I’m saying is that you choose the middle ground in high school when you help a teen keep balanced in all subjects until he decides his goals.

Some adults don’t even know what they won’t do, so don’t put a lot of pressure on a teen. Take the middle road by keeping subjects balanced until a mommy track, college track or job track is decided.

Also, grab some other tips from my other articles Homeschool Confession – My Homeschool Mistakes, Go Ahead and Make a Mistake: Homeschool Without Fear and Homeschooling – Beginnings are Usually Scary, Endings are Usually Sad, but It’s What’s In the Middle that Counts!.

Don’t give up the fight in touting the decisive ways we need to take a stand when it comes to homeschooling, but just know that the middle ground can not only be productive, but necessary many times in your journey.

What else do you take the middle ground on while homeschooling?

Hugs and love ya,

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Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

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45 Ways to Define Homeschool Curriculum – Is Your Definition Holding You Back?

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I am sharing 45 ways to define homeschool curriculum. Also, look at my page The Best Homeschool Curriculum by Grade Level for more tips.

The word curriculum has Latin roots and it means to “run a course.”

Instead of taking time to expand your definition of homeschool curriculum, it’s easy to run out and buy the first textbook that smells good (okay, I did that). Can you relate?

45 Ways to Define Homeschool Curriculum - Is Your Definition Holding You Back?

Not only am I hoping that it will help you to expand your definition of how to use your experiences in everyday life to teach your children, but I hope you will see how many of these things that you can easily and without much money put your hands-on.

Don’t get me wrong.

You have to have curriculum and it’s paid for somehow.

Whether you spend hours poring over free curriculum or you pay with your hard earned money, homeschool curriculum has a cost!

Looking beyond the cost of homeschool curriculum, I put this list together because I want you to focus more on the content or quality of your instruction.

Many one-room schoolhouses of the past had very little in the way of formal curriculum. Also, they had shorter school days.

What they did have was a strong work ethic and took time to build not only character, but teach kids life skills that would take them into adulthood.

Too, more than ever, we are booming with an abundance of techie devices and online learning, but have they really raised literacy levels?

Don’t let the overwhelming amount of curriculum that we have today, which tout high rigorous standards replace everyday experiences in our life.

Teaching our children how to think can’t be replaced by online learning.

So look at these 45 ways to define homeschool curriculum.

  1. View videos.
  2. Study art prints.
  3. Watch a documentary.
  4. Listen to CDs. Yes, they are still around and sometimes have the best lessons about a subject.
  5. Watch movies.

True ‘Classic’ Homeschool Curriculum

  1. Your life examples.
  2. Your life experiences.
  3. The life examples of others.
  4. The life experiences of others.
  5. Analyze primary resources.
  1. Play board games to learn about math, science, history and language arts.
  2. View online and print magazines.
  3. Use educational apps.
  4. Oral interviews with professionals, experts in specialty fields and persons with first-hand knowledge of current or old events. Think of an interview with a grandmother or grandfather or neighbor.
  5. Animal care.

Grab My Book on How to Homeschool

Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is a real eye-opener on homeschooling. It will alleviate a lot of the anxieties about getting started homeschooling.

  1. Gardening.
  2. Manipulatives.
  3. Learn about olld toys.
  4. Read any book like history, biographies or cook books.
  5. Your specific written plans about any topic.
  1. Watch and learn from reenactments.
  2. Memorization.
  3. Podcasts.
  4. Visit museums and attend museum classes.
  5. Listen and study music from the past and present.
  1. Learn and study musical instruments.
  2. Analyze old photos and new photos.
  3. Study a timeline.
  4. Review old and new advertisements.
  5. Attend plays.

How to Begin Homeschooling With Minimal Curriculum

  1. Attend a musical or ballet.
  2. Read old newspapers. (or review Old Wills and Deeds at the Courthouse. So cool.)
  3. Take nature walks and a trip to the beach.
  4. Nature collections.
  5. Learning about sculptures or statues.
  1. Old cemeteries not only showcase a period in history, but provide details about people from a certain time.
  2. Specialty workshops or group classes like cooking classes, CPR classes and babysitting classes.
  3. Read old documents in a courthouse. Did you know that most of the documents are free to the public? Read an old Will or an old Deed to learn about what people owned and how they lived their lives.
  4. Visit significant battle sites.
45 Ways to Define Homeschool Curriculum. Is it possible that you could be overlooking one or two of these possibilities. Grab them at Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
  1. Visit first homes of Presidents.
  2. View historic buildings or homes in the old downtown part of your city.
  3. Visit an antique shop to learn about things used in agriculture and everyday life from times past.
  4. Visit an aquarium.
  5. Free online old school books.

More Homeschool Curriculum Tips

What else do you include as homeschool curriculum? Look at some of my other tips below.

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

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10 Signs to Know When to Walk Away from “Perfect” Curriculum

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I’m sharing 10 signs to know when to walk away from the perfect curriculum. Also, look at my page The Best Homeschool Curriculum by Grade Level for more tips.

The perfect homeschool curriculum is music to our ears or at least we think so.

Well, it was “perfect” homeschool curriculum at the time.

However, times change.

And having two homeschooled graduates, you think I would learn from my quest for the perfect homeschool curriculum.

Admittedly, I can be hard-headed, but I learned a few things as I knocked my head on the wall. (ouch, don’t do that)

10 Signs to Know When to Pitch the “Perfect” Curriculum

Sharing 10 tips to know when to walk away from the “perfect” homeschool curriculum hopefully you’ll not do some of these same things.

1. When your child out grows the curriculum.

You may think well duh, my children are getting older and they will outgrow it. No, I am not talking about that.

What I mean is that whatever made you decide to use the curriculum at that time and then suddenly the circumstance is not there, curriculum can turn from sweet to sour.

I have one son that went from wanting the full picture each day in his curriculum to a checklist.

The curriculum outgrew its usefulness and now becomes a burden. Time to move on.

2. When your child’s learning style changed.

Most kids are wiggly willies (meaning girls too) until about the age of 6 or 7 years old.

Along about 8 to 10 years of age, a child’s true learning style emerges. Normally, this learning style will be the one that will be with them longer or maybe even their whole life.

This happens at anytime and kids don’t wait to the first day of school to present their new learning style. But, you can start seeing frustration now in a curriculum that seemed to have worked before.

This happened to me with another one of my son and it was in the middle of a school year.

The textbook method to math no longer worked because his auditory learning style started to be dominant.

So in the middle of the year, I was on the prowl for a math curriculum that suited his auditory learning style.

 3. When you have to change your homeschool approach.

Saying that you’ll use the same homeschool approach your whole journey is a rookie mistake. I know, I did it.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to stick to a homeschool approach because it works for your family, but the problem is that life gets in the way.

Changing my homeschool approach because either I was pregnant, sick, or had to take care of aging parents are all things I’ve had to focus on.

Curriculum then becomes a burden when I don’t have time to plan it. Switching to a boxed curriculum was a welcomed relief.

It was easier to see this coming unlike some of the other signs.

Check out my tips at my article, Taking a Hit Doesn’t Mean to Quit– Homeschooling Through Crisis.

4. When most of your days are filled with tears. (yours and your kids)

I thought this would be another one of those duh things that you think that most homeschool educators know, but I have tell you about helping a homeschooler one year.

I won’t forget her because no matter what her boys said about not understanding the method and curriculum she chose, it was going to be her way. They were going to use it.

She had great kids and their tears flowed because the curriculum just didn’t click with the kids.

However, because the curriculum fit her learning style, she wasn’t giving it up at any cost.

It was a pretty ugly standoff and ambitious homeschooling has a way of biting back.

Look at my article, Homeschooling for the Love of Learning – Does It Really Work?

5. When your curriculum makes you feel like you’re behind.

Pitch it. That is all there is to it.

When a curriculum takes over your life, your day, and your kids because it no longer is a tool but a taskmaster it’s time to walk away from it.

It really is very simple and uncomplicated though you may read a lot of curriculum tips that try to make you feel like its you or your kid’s fault. It is not.

Unless your child has learning disabilities, he is just where he should be.

Let me say that again. He is where he is suppose to be and not where the boxed curriculum touts that he should be.

Also, check out the tips in 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.

6. When you didn’t ask specific questions before you bought it.

It’s okay for one of your homeschooling friends to be over the moon excited about a curriculum. However, that doesn’t mean it will work for you because she has tremendous success.

Your kids are different and unique and so are you.

I have purchased curriculum based on suggestions before asking specific questions.

Questions like how long does it take you to get through the curriculum, how much teacher prep does it require, do you have to buy anything supplemental and can I use it with multiple ages are some very specific questions to initiate conversation.

7. When your curriculum doesn’t reflect your family’s values or goals.

When you start to homeschool, it seems like there are lot of things you are just suppose to know right from the beginning.

And knowing exactly the goals and values for your family is one of those things you need to know, but I also learned that goals and visions change and grow.

Do You Need to Unlearn these Homeschool Curriculum Habits

Whether you want to move toward more faith-based homeschooling or want to move toward a more secular approach, don’t wait to switch curriculum.

When a curriculum is not working, it sets your homeschool back.

Move forward by letting go of the weight of a curriculum that is not working.

8. When your teaching style has changed.

As you grow in your homeschool experience, there will be some subjects that you feel more comfortable teaching than others.

Some curriculum gives more detailed back ground information about a subjects than others do or they may not give enough background information. Your teaching needs changed and may be different than the present curriculum you are using.

What was a homeschool help at one time can become a hindrance.

Your teaching style will change, so don’t delay switching curriculum to breathe life into your teaching journey.

Also, I love trying out curriculum for free on a limited bases because it gives me a chance to see if it will work for me. You’ll love being able to do that with the Homeschool Buyers Coop. Although they have a lot of free curriculum during the summer to try out, they have many freebies throughout the year.

9. When you over buy one type and now need separate curriculum.

You are not alone. I think we all over buy at one time or the other.

But, what I am honing in on is that you may want to buy curriculum from different approaches.

For example, I have one son that likes textbooks and another son that wilts when one is pulled out.

Instead of buying or using the same curriculum across the board for all my children, I bought separate products that use a variety of homeschool approaches for each of my boys.

10. When you seem to be leaving more out than you’re covering.

This was the final straw for me when I left more curriculum out than I was actually using.

I knew that I had to change my curriculum. Becoming weighed down with curriculum caused stress instead of easing it.

There may be a lot of things you regret by the time you finish homeschooling, but switching to a homeschool curriculum that better suits your present needs won’t be one of them.

More Homeschool Curriculum Tips

10 Signs to Know When to Walk Away from the Perfect Homeschool Curriculum

Do You Need to Know What A Scope and Sequence Is When You Homeschool

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Do you need to know what a scope and sequence is when you homeschool? Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter for more tips!

No term seems as daunting to grasp to a new homeschooler than a scope and sequence.

You don’t have to have a teaching degree to understand new terms.

Too, sometimes there is just too much hype in trying to understand new terms and I feel scope and sequence can fall into one of those types of things.

I don’t want to minimize the importance of understanding the term.

But it’s not necessary to completely understand all the details of a scope and sequence before you embark on your new career as home educator.

Do You Need to Know What A Scope and Sequence Is When You Homeschool

A simplified definition of scope and sequence is this:

Scope means the range of knowledge in an area or subject that will be covered and sequence means the order in which that area will be covered. That’s it, simple enough.

If you choose something that is laid out lesson by lesson, which is called a boxed curriculum in the homeschool world, then the publisher has already determined what will be covered in that grade level and when or what days it will be covered.

I would prefer that you focus on how advanced or how much help your child needs instead of worrying right now at which grade level to cover which subjects.

You will have plenty of time to be educated about all the education-ese.

For example, look at the scope and sequence of each grade.

And then determine which grade your child fits into and not determine your child’s grade first and then buy that level.

There is a huge difference here.

Are You Making this First-Timer Mistake

The first way of selecting a grade level will set you up for a course that will make your first year more successful and the second way may set you up for a more stressful year.

Assuming your child is ready for the scope and sequence in a grade level because that is his grade level is a common first year mistake I want you to avoid like no other.

Let me say it again and that is don’t buy curriculum based on your child’s current grade level.

There is a time when a scope and sequence will weigh in heavier on your choices for curriculum.

That time is when you decide to play a larger role in lesson planning.

Then, it becomes more important to understand how extensive a subject should be taught in a grade and in what order it should be introduced or mastered by your child.

I encourage you for your summer reading to study and become somewhat familiar with both free online scopes and sequences.

Too become familiar some books that I will share with you at the bottom of this post.

Hear my heart on this.

Key to not getting overwhelmed is to not study all 12 grades.

What insane crazy person does that? I did.

FOURTH GRADE HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM ACTIVITIES

I almost gave up homeschooling in the beginning because I put myself under too much pressure.

Study the grade level your child will be in, the one above and the one below it.

That is enough for now.

That will give you a bigger picture skill wise, to see where your child’s level is compared to a scope and sequence.

I assure you instead of stressing you out, getting familiar with the set of skills a child is generally introduced to in each grade level will do quite the opposite for you in the long run.

It will empower you to be a teacher that is a cut above those that don’t take time to understand the learning process.

Do You Need to Know What a Scope and Sequence Is When You Homeschool

Look at my list below and one last reminder before you jump into some of this not so light reading is that this is just a “map” designed by curriculum providers.

What I don’t want you to take away from the reading is that your child has to cover x in x grade.

Eventually, I will share some posts about some significant milestones to look for in certain grades which is of far more importance than keeping up with each grade level.

Do Homeschoolers Need to Know What is a Scope and Sequence? Click here to grab these AWESOME tips!

Each child, barring any developmental issues will reach each educational milestone at their own time.

Look at these free online scope and sequences:

Books to read that I think help through your whole homeschooling journey:

The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home Even though you may or may not follow this homeschool approach, she has great tips for valuable resources in all areas.

Pick and choose what works for you. For example, I used her reading suggestions when teaching my sons to read and write.

Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School

Again look at some of the resources instead of honing in on exactly all that needs to be covered.

What Your Preschooler Needs to Know: Get Ready for Kindergarten (Core Knowledge Series)

What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know

What Your First Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a Good First-Grade Education (Core Knowledge Series)

What Your Second Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a Good Second Grade Education (Core Knowledge Series

What Your Third Grader Needs to Know (Revised Edition): Fundamentals of a Good Third-Grade Education (Core Knowledge Series)

What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of A Good Fourth-Grade Education (Core Knowledge Series)

What Your Fifth Grader Needs to Know (Core Knowledge Series)

What Your Sixth Grader Needs to Know (Revised) (Core Knowledge Series)

Books to Build On: A Grade-by-Grade Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers (Core Knowledge Series)

Slow and Steady Get Me Ready I used this book for my boys when they were babies and again, didn’t get stressed out if my boys were behind some of these things or some of them were easy.

It gave me a heads up about what to expect at each age.

When is Knowledge Power

Too, this series below is the set of books I much more preferred to use along with the ones written above by other homeschoolers.

I did glance at the Core Knowledge Series above and use some from those books.

But I loved the fact that the books below had ideas of how to teach concepts and it also came with an envelope in the back of the book that had a test I could give.

I know, I know, I couldn’t help myself about testing.

I was worried and had to test for a year or two, but after that I realized I was on track.

Do Homeschoolers Need to Know What is a Scope and Sequence? Click here to grab these AWESOME tips!

You will too. So if it gives you comfort, it’s okay to test, just don’t stress over them in the younger years.

How Is My First Grader Doing in School? What to Expect and How to Help
How Is My Second Grader Doing In School? What to Expect and How to Help
How Is My Third Grader Doing in School? What to Expect and How to Help
. . . . My Fourth Grader Doing in School?: What to Expect and How to Help
. . . Is My Fifth Grader Doing in School?: What to Expect and How to Help
How Is My Sixth Grader Doing in School?: What to Expect and How to Help

Try to remember that as you join with the other thousands of homeschoolers who have been down the road for several years now that we too have expressed some of the same feelings of not wanting our child to get behind or wanting to do this “right”.

So instead of following a scope and sequence, just use it as a guide to enlighten yourself about the general educational needs of all children. 

But focus on how unique your children are and know that what you will eventually be teaching them through all the years won’t be able to be contained in any set of scope and sequences.

What do you think? Do you feel a little more empowerment from this foundation of knowledge?

Do You Need to Know What a Scope and Sequence Is When You Homeschool. Tips for the Beginner. @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Look at these other helps:

Hugs and love ya,

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