Deciding which curriculum to use can be a challenging task. In this article, I hope to give you a little guidance.

The first thing you need to do, is to ask yourself “Why am I Home Schooling”. Your reason for home schooling is usually the key to deciding which curriculum to use. For example, if you are a Christian you are more likely to choose the God’s Design for Science curriculum than a curriculum which espouses evolution. If your child is having trouble with spelling you might try Avko’s Sequential Spelling instead of one of the other curriculum because Avko Sequential Spelling is designed for students who have trouble with spelling.

But where do you learn all of this?

One thing I recommend is that you visit a home school convention. At these conventions you will be able to view many different curriculum up close. Representatives from the different publishers will be there to answer your questions. Please visit homeschoolconventions.com for a list of conventions. Most conventions are held from March through September.

Some publishers, like Abeka, travel around the country hosting curriculum displays in different cities. Go to abeka.com to see if one is happening near you.

Of course, not everyone has the time to travel to a convention and spend the day shopping. Fortunately, there are on-line sites where you can get information on the different curriculum.

In fact, there is a website called, homeschool reviews.com which offers reviews on many curriculum. Some other sites that provide reviews are:

abasiccurriculum.com/reviews/

homeschoolingfromtheheart.com

http://homeschoolhighlights.com/

For information on math check out the article How to Choose a Home School Math Curriculum at homeschoolmath.net/curriculum_reviews/  

There are also books like Cathy Duffy’s Curriculum Manual, or the recently released 100 Top Picks for Home School Curriculum that give hundreds of reviews of home school curriculum. She also has a website called cathyduffyreviews.com.

Another way to find infomation on curriculum is to talk to other home schoolers. Seasoned home schoolers possess a wealth of information that can only be learned through experience. There are many home schooling websites that have forums and chat rooms where you can ask questions and get answers. Or you can join a support group at Yahoo.

To find other home schoolers in your area go to Home_School.com and click on groups.  Joining a home school support group can not only give you more information, it can also be a great way for the children to make new friends.

 If you are one of those people who prefer to avoid curriculum you may want to look at a series of books called “What Your (1^st-12^th) Grader Needs to Know”. This is a nice series of books that will tell you what is usually taught at different grade levels.

As you can see, there are many places to find information about curriculum. As you continue your research, you may feel overwhelmed by all of the choices. Relax. Most home schoolers take a year or more to settle on one. Some are continually changing.

Some home schoolers don’t even use curriculum. Of course, taking advantage of the guidance a curriculum provides will help you to be sure you are not forgetting anything important. Just remember, if you don’t like your first choice you can always sell it and buy something different next year. So don’t let curriculum choices boggle your mind and wear you down.

Finally, you must understand that the curriculum you choose is not what is important. What is important is that you are taking the time to love, nurture and influence your own children. Make home schooling a time of  growing and bonding together and your children will not only love to learn, they will learn to love.

Lisa Lee