How I Choose What We Use for Our Homeschool - Part 1

So now it is day 5 of the Ultimate Blog challenge.  I decided to blog today about how I choose what we use for our homeschool.  Go to any homechool convention, browse any homeschool curriculum site, talk to any homeschoolers and you will get numerous ideas and differing opinions on what to use.  Some people use a box curriculum - meaning they get all their material from one company (hence the name box - because it typically comes in one box if they order it and have it delivered).  Others use all online resources.  Still others are called unschoolers - meaning they let children lead the learning by what the children are interested in.  Still others choose to use textbooks provided by their school district.  Some go through umbrella programs where all the material is provided for the parent and possibly even a teacher/tutor is provided to grade the work and do the planning for the child.

However, none of those options really fit my style.  When we first started homeschooling, as I stated in a previous post, we joined a homeschooling group comprised of military moms.  This meant we had people from a variety of states who had been homeschooling for a long time between them.  I have to say thanks to those ladies!  They were an invaluable resource for me.

One lady told me that if we went to a homeschool convention, never buy anything on the first day and this has proved to be one of the best tips I ever got.  Another lady brought up the book, "Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Picks".  This is my favorite book and the one I most recommend to people just beginning their journey in homeschooling or that maybe are struggling with what they are using.  This book helps you create a philosophy of education, determine your teaching style along with your child or children's learning style.  But then it goes one step farther - Cathy Duffy actually breaks down all types of curriculum by learning and teaching styles so you can have a good fit.  And she does this well!!!!  I had the privilege of meeting and talking with Cathy Duffy several years ago at a homeschool convention.  She is as amazing in person as she came across in her book.

Also, I listen to what other moms have to say.  I have created a vast network of online friends that I can turn to when I have a question.  And most of the time, they don't steer me wrong.  Finally I evaluate our materials based on our needs and what is working with that child.  So on more than one occasion I have thrown out my ideas of what I wanted to use in favor of starting over.  Sometimes retreating and regrouping is the right course of action.  Other times, it is beneficial to just put something up for a period of time.  Then when the child comes back to it, the choice works fine.  Other times, it may just take adapting the choice to fit the child (such as not doing as many problems or not following the exact schedule. 

Choosing curriculum is one of my favorite and most dreaded parts of homeschooling.  We try each year to attend at least two homeschool conventions, so we can physically touch the materials and get to talk with vendors and other homeschooling families about our choices.

I always begin by making lists for each child of the subjects they will be doing and the materials I plan on using or need to purchase.  Then my husband and I take the first day of the convention to just walk up and down all the aisles.  We choose conventions that are either in the state we live or that we know have a wide variety of vendors.  We have the lists of what we need, so we know what we are looking for and possibly what vendors will have those items.  Then we go back to our hotel room that evening and have a frank discussion of what we saw.  Stay tuned tomorrow when I will continue my discussion of how we choose homeschool curriculum.