Choosing a curriculum can be a very ominous and overwhelming decision. There are so many choices. Besides that, which one is right for my children? And how do I know whether to order from a catalog or online? These questions are not easy to answer, I hope I can give you some ways to sort this all out. The advice that I give to first time homeschool parents to help them through this process of choosing curriculum is to go with a full - line curriculum, one that is published from the same publisher, rather than choosing curriculum from various publishers, as I have become accustomed to do. Getting a full - line curriculum helps to take a lot of the sweat out of this big decision. Most new homeschool parents lack the first hand knowledge of what is out there, what is good and what works for their children. Having all that is needed in one package gives one the confidence needed for starting out.. By the end of the year, after using their curriculum, they will then be able to evaluate whether or not they want to go with the same package or venture out into a different kind of curriculum or a different publisher. I have to admit, that my curriculum decisions, were made by trial and error. It is important that new homeschool parents get connected with their local support group. One of the most common things discussed is one another's curriculum recommendations and why they like it or dislike it. But that still doesn't answer the question as to whether or not any particular curriculum is right for your child. You will never know unless you actually try it with your child to get that first hand experience. But it is good information to hear what other people have to say. Some things may strike a chord and perhaps it might just work well with your children. Other information will give you red flags because it just doesn't sound like the right thing for your family for one reason or another. As people email me with questions about curriculum recommendations, I usually go with what I have used personally, or have read in reviews. I can't tell a person for certain, whether or not, what I recommend is the exact right thing for them, but I hope I can give them some things to consider as they make this important decision. Another criteria to consider is the child's learning styles. Whether the parent realizes this or not, when they pull their child out of public school because the child is not doing well, it is because they are not being taught the way the child can learn best. For those parents, it's important to get a curriculum that can match the child's learning style as close as possible. One of the beauties of homeschooling is to be able to tailor the curriculum for the child's learning needs. For example, I am currently homeschooling my youngest daughter, who has just turned 6. According to the public schools, she should be only in kindergarten because of her late birthday. But since I did kindergarten with her last year, I have put her right into 1st grade curriculum. She is doing well, but I am considering her young age and attention span. So when her spelling book says to write her weekly list of words everyday 2 times a day, I just have her go through them orally instead, with me overseeing . I don't want to overload her and cause her to feel burnt out with school at this time. I really want her to enjoy the learning process. So we try to accomplish what the book wants, without a lot of tedious writing for now. I am sure my methods will change, as she grows older. My expectations of her standards of excellence rise, as she matures. You don't have to go by the book (pardon the pun), doing everything according to the curriculum, but you can make changes according to the child's needs. Many times I will skip a concept if I know my child already knows it well. It is pointless to take the time to go through a lesson they already know. Many times I will do a quick review, just to make sure she still understands the concept and then move on. Not to belabor my point about getting the right curriculum, I was talking with my sister - in - law about the possibility of her homeschooling her two girls. She is apprehensive about starting, because she is afraid she won't be able to do it. Math is very intimidating to her. I told her that getting a good curriculum that has everything spelled out for them and with teacher's keys is really important. This was new information to her since she doesn't know anything about what is available. Some parents need hands on curriculum with plenty of interesting projects to do, so doing extra preparation doesn't bother them. Some need a balance of both, a well planned out curriculum and some hands on curriculum thrown in to keep things interesting. But it is not just the child's curriculum needs that need consideration; it is also the parents teaching needs that are just as important. My child may want hands on curriculum. But if this is too burdensome for me to fulfill, I may see the need to expose my child to a different type of curriculum that meets my teaching abilities better and also expand my child's learning style. This has to be weighed out very carefully. Maybe a balance of them both could be a consideration to make both child and parent satisfied. I know this is a lot to think about, especially if you are new to homeschooling, but try not to think about everything at once. Just take one idea at a time. I hope this helps and brings encouragement to your homeschool endeavors.

Sherri Jones Homeschool Advisor

We hear alot about freedom. The war in Iraq, the First Amendment, choice , etc. all have freedom in view. But have you ever thought of homeschool as an expression of freedom? There is much freedom mentally (academically) and socially within the homeschool world.
Academically the sky is the limit for the homeschool family. There are many curriculums available to choose from. Just look in this site's bookstore as a start. In addition to this there is the local library. My family uses the library on a regular basis. Then there is the internet with an endless supply of information. These are obvious resources but there are also support groups in most areas around the country as well as community events, classes, etc. All these give ways for the homeschool to express freedom.
Another way freedom is expressed academacally is in the flexibility of time. You can do the books in the morning and the activities in the afternoon or visa versa. You can take in that music lesson or team sport any time of the day they are provided. You are not locked into 6 hours every day. Monday can be different than Tuesday, no need to clone every day after any particular day or someone elses idea, just let life flow!
Socially your children have an advantage over institutionalized kids. As a base they have you, the parents and siblings. This is a great place to learn proper communication, values, and respect for self and others. At home children are less likely to become peer dependant and generational lines which divide parents from teenagers are eliminated.
With home as the base children can take their social experiences and apply them to all of life. They can take it with them as they visit the elderly and needy. They demonstrate their social skills on the sports field, ice arena, dojo, Church, and the list goes on.
In public and private schools there is more group interaction than one on one. In my view this developes inbalances in the social life of a person. Most people can be good leaders but they need quality one on one , day in day out experiences to attain to it. My chidren are living proof of this. All four of them are socially friendly and un-afraid. They communicate well with young and old alike and they did not inherit it from their parents by birth. I and my wife both are by nature shy, we had to relearn social skills after we grew up. What a distinct advantage our offspring have over us; they learned positive social skills growing up! Now they are experiencing great success in life. You can provide the same for your children.
Freedom, what a beautiful word! Homeschool what a great opportunity to pass freedom on to your children!

Keith Jones