It’s estimated that roughly 2.8% of the population is homeschooled. There are a lot of benefits that come with homeschooling your child. You get more flexibility with teaching styles and a chance to focus entirely on your students. Unfortunately, the pendulum can swing the other way.
If you choose the wrong curriculum, your child could fall behind in their education. So, what is the best home school curriculum? The answer is there isn’t one. Instead, it depends on the specific learning styles and passions of your child.
Luckily, in this guide, we’ll break down some of the different ways to assess the right curriculum for your child. That way, they get the best education for their specific needs.
How Does Your Child Learn Best?
Most traditional classroom settings tend to combine auditory with reading/writing. Think lectures combined with classroom assignments. Occasionally, they may introduce a visual component, either with a video or PowerPoint presentation.
However, for the most part, it remains fairly rigid in terms of learning styles. This is one of the beauties of homeschooling your child. You can discover what your child’s learning type is, and then cater to it. Do they learn best when watching a video or diagram of the subject choice?
If so, you can pick a curriculum that caters to these visual preferences. Similarly, if you have a quiet child who prefers to learn by reading, you can make sure all of their lessons arrive in book form.
There’s also another style of learning that’s less talked about: kinesthetic learning. This type of learning turns the lesson into an active, rather than passive, activity. It’s a great way for children with ADHD to learn.
Often these students have trouble paying attention in class because they need to sit still all day. This style of learning allows them to become an active participant in the learning style.
What Are Your Child’s Passions?
It’s time to sit down with your child and find out what subjects they’re passionate about. Maybe they’re reading a lot for a child their age? Or are they naturally drawn to subjects like science and history?
If you aren’t sure what your child’s passions are, give them some time. They’ll gradually begin to emerge as you explore subjects together. One huge benefit of homeschooling is that you can allow your child to engage in active learning on their own terms.
Sure, there will be some subjects that they dislike that you will need to guide them through. However, if they excel at a certain subject you can allow them to learn it on their terms.
This is important because it teaches your child that education isn’t simply about passing an AP exam. It’s about gaining an actual understanding of both a subject and the world. Once you define a few of your child’s passions, it will be easier to find a curriculum that matches them.
Different Types of Curriculums
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of different homeschool curriculums out there. That being said, there are some popular, recognized options out there that you should consider.
Let’s start with the Charlotte Mason method. This is a liberal arts approach that seeks to balance a wide-ranging education with social experiences to prepare them for the real world. Does your child excel at critical thinking?
If so, you should consider a classical education that focuses on rhetoric, art, literature, logic, and language skills. Sometimes if a curriculum isn’t broken, you don’t need to fix it.
That’s the case with traditional curriculums. This method uses the type of teaching your child would encounter in a public or private classroom. Specifically, this includes the usual grading scale, worksheets, and tests/quizzes.
If you want a more creative approach to homeschool education, consider Montessori homeschooling. This groundbreaking method allows children to follow their interests in terms of their education model.
It provides a degree of autonomy that your child can expect in the real world. There are also literature-based or art-based curriculums (like the Waldorf) to consider if your child displays exceptional talent in their areas.
Keep in mind that these curriculums aren’t mutually exclusive. That means if you think it might help your child, you can use a combination of the different curriculums.
Do Some Research
As you learn about new curriculums, you should be researching to learn more about them. Specifically, we recommend joining Facebook groups and forums of other parents engaged in the curriculum.
These homeschooling parent support groups are a great place to ask questions while learning more about how to optimize the curriculum. There are also plenty of great YouTube resources that dive into the curriculum.
Lastly, read some reviews about the curriculum you’re interested in. After learning about other people’s experiences, you might decide that a certain course or method isn’t for your child.
Make Sure You Budget for the Curriculum
Any homeschool curriculum will likely require you to invest in various types of school supplies, like books, writing tools, and journals. However, specific ones will require you to purchase individual lesson plans.
Others might need laptop computers or tablets to teach certain learning styles. Because of this, you should make sure to set a budget at the beginning of the process. That way you can rule out any curriculum that you can’t afford.
Don’t Be Afraid to Re-Adjust
Maybe you try the Charlotte Mason curriculum and it’s just not working. Evaluate what’s working and what’s not working. Then, either ditch the curriculum or adjust it.
Remember, this is part of the process. It can sometimes take years to find the right education formula for your child. Stick with it and don’t be afraid to change on the go.
Appreciate Learning About the Best Home School Curriculum? Keep Exploring
We hope this guide helped you learn how to find the best home school curriculum for your child. Remember that at the end of the day, the most important thing is patience.
Stick with a curriculum for a few weeks and see if it clicks. If it’s clear that it’s not working, don’t be afraid to change to a different curriculum.
Trial and error are the best way to find something that connects with your child. Want more education advice? Keep exploring our website to find lots of similar topics to enjoy.
