One of the most difficult decisions a homeschooler makes is which curriculum to use. For the most part, your choice will carry you through an entire school year, so you want your curriculum pretty close to being the perfect fit. You can always tweak a program to suit you though. It's a lot like buying a formal dress. You may expect to make small alterations to the fit to make is suit your body better, but overall you love the dress.
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QUOTABLES
DeeDee: "Every curriculum has a plan laid out. So sometimes you do have to just stick with something for a while to see it work."
DeeDee: "And then once you try it, give it a fair chance. Commit to keeping that curriculum going for at least one year."
Ximena: "... you always can tweak it ... Don't use what you don't like about the curriculum and use what you like."
Ximena: "So you definitely do have to do your research. But also know that not everything is set in stone and you kind of have to have a freedom mindset when you're choosing [curriculum] so that you don't get stressed out about it."
TIMESTAMPS
04:15 An overview of the different kinds of curriculum: online or computer-based, literature-based (like BookShark), Charlotte Mason style, classical style, unit studies, workbooks, textbook-based, all-in-one program, subscription boxes as supplements, DIY style, eclectic.
13:20 Questions to ask yourself before you buy a curriculum. These are to help you narrow it down to two or three possibilities before you make your final selection.
13:36: Question #1 What homeschool style do you want?
14:39 Why grade levels don't matter much with homeschooling.
15:30 Question #2 How will you be assessing progress?
18:06 Question #3 How involved do you want to be as the parent?
19:54 Question #4 Is it challenging enough for your kids?
21:50 Question #5 Is it enjoyable?
23:14 Question#6 How much money do you want to spend?
24:02 Once your choices are narrowed down, read curriculum reviews online. Cathy Duffy's site is a great resource, and so is YouTube.
SPECIAL SEGMENTS
01:04 Self-care Your Way
12:08 What We’re Reading
The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore, about the fight between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla over the patent for the light bulb.
Thanks to show sponsor BookShark. Request a homeschool curriculum catalog or download samples at bookshark.com.
