Curriculum Development

The definition of curriculum development for homeschoolers is the process of putting different resources together to design a plan for your child's academic year. Believe it or not, almost every experienced homeschooler has been guilty of choosing something for their child that turns out to be a disaster.

For some unknown reason, the idea of picking the wrong curriculum has risen to a status of the “homeschoolers’ unforgivable sin.” New homeschool parents tend to have more questions and panic about curriculum development than anything else. Let me throw out two suggestions to keep in mind when making curriculum decisions.

1. Remember you ALWAYS have the option to change.

2. Don’t feel like you should regret your choice.

Sometimes, no matter how much research you do, odds are you will choose the wrong curriculum at least once in your homeschool journey. How will you know?

* Learning is a chore. There are going to be some bad days no matter what you do, but if the bad outnumber the good, you may want to revisit your curriculum choice.

* Your child is not progressing. You’ve tried to explain fractions 10 times using the directions in the book and you child just isn’t getting it. Maybe you need something different for just that lesson, or if this happens often you may need a new plan.

* You feel overwhelmed by the amount of work required on your part. This may not always necessitate a complete curriculum change, but it may help to “tweak” what you have to fit your needs.

* Every day is a battle to complete “school”. At the end of the day, your child is frustrated and irritable and so are you.

It doesn’t have to be this way! See suggestions 1 and 2 above…

I have been hearing this question a lot lately. My answer…“What about them?” Of course there are going to be “gaps”. Nobody in this world knows everything about everything. Depending on their future path, there are things children need to learn, but is one child “better” than another because they can rattle off all 50 states and capitals in alphabetical order? The point I am trying to make is to teach your child how to find answers to questions they have, and worry less about “gaps” in curriculum.

Remember WHY you are homeschooling your child. Review the Start Homeschooling step by step guide. If you haven't used it before, it may give you some insight into what will work for you child.

Although curriculum development is important, it pales in comparison to the relationships and the love of learning that should be the focus of your homeschool journey. If those are nurtured, choosing the wrong curriculum won't be something to get upset over.

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