CHOOSING CURRICULUM FOR YOUR HOME SCHOOL

by Terri L. White

Selecting curriculum from the thousands available can be an overwhelming experience. Because of this, many beginning families choose to enroll their children in an umbrella school for the first year. An umbrella school provides the curriculum, teacher support services, testing, and record keeping. This is the most expensive type of home schooling. Other families choose to buy a complete curriculum from one supplier. Another option is to "tailor" your educational program to meet the needs of each student by purchasing materials from various sources. The curriculums that require the most preparation time for the parent are usually the least expensive. Families may spend as little as $50 or as much as $1,000 per school year.

Home school book fairs (usually held in the spring or summer) are excellent places to view the materials available. Also, consult with home schoolers who have used the materials in which you are interested. Their input can warn you of subtle pitfalls, or share advantages that they experienced. And nearly every curriculum includes teachers’ handbooks that still the fears of the most timid.

If you are a young family, do not overspend on elementary curriculum! Inexpensive choices can be made with the help of seasoned home schoolers. Along with a limited amount of the "three Rs," children under seven need a predominate amount of time spent doing ordinary things with Mom and Dad, and ample time for play with fresh air and exercise, gaining experiences that will put meaning to "book learning." With this approach, by the time your child is seven he will eagerly master his academic studies.

Curriculum styles from which you can choose are varied. Your philosophy of education, the needs of your child, your abilities as the parent/teacher, and cost will determine which type of curriculum you purchase. The following includes a description of the types of curriculum available along with names and addresses of some of the current suppliers:

TRADITIONAL TEXTBOOKS: These materials are designed for the classroom. They cover the subjects thoroughly and usually include study questions, tests, answer keys, and teacher handbooks. There is usually more material in each text than can be reasonably covered in a school year’s time; therefore, caution should be exercised so that you do not become a slave to the textbook, but rather let the text be your servant.

A BEKA BOOK         

BOB JONES UNIVERSITY PRESS    

CHRISTIAN LIBERTY PRESS

ROD AND STAFF PUBLISHERS

MOTT MEDIA

WORKTEXTS/MASTERY LEARNING: Generally consumable workbooks, but can also include texts.  They provide instruction on a subject followed by questions or student projects. Tests and answer keys are provided. Some include a whole year in one book, and others divide the year’s work into about 10 booklets. In the latter case, the supplier often provides testing that would determine which of the booklets need to be covered by a given student. For example, a student might begin with booklet 3 of grade 4 English and booklet 6 of grade 5 math, thus, working at his own level of mastery. Often, the student is able to work at his own pace with a minimum of assistance from the parent/teacher, as they are self-instructional.

SCHOOL OF TOMORROW   

ALPHA OMEGA       

CHRISTIAN LIGHT EDUCATION          

SAXON PUBLISHERS, INC.

ISHA ENTERPRISES   (Language Arts)

UNIT STUDIES: This approach is based on the concept that all knowledge is inter-related. Instead of four or five subjects being studied separately, they are blended together and centered around some common theme or project. For example, a character quality such as attentiveness may be chosen as a theme, and material from each subject selected to relate to attentiveness: the ear and eye studied for science, scriptures examined along with Bible characters (i.e. Samuel), Daniel Boone read and written about for English/history, a field trip to an ear or eye specialist arranged, a nature hike planned, and, for the younger children, games like "Simon Says" played. This method enables all ages to study together, each mastering the material at his own level.

HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN UNIT STUDY & THE UNIT STUDY IDEA BOOK, Home School Favorites, P.O. Box 2250, Gresham, OR 97030, 1-800-225-5529.

KONOS HOME PAGE

THE CLASSICS   

FIVE IN A ROW

While there are other styles of curriculum, the above covers the mainstream. The following is a list of curriculum  suppliers who handle specialized subjects, helps, and a wide variety of curriculum:

SUPPLIERS:

CBD - CHRISTIAN BOOK DISTRIBUTORS - curriculum, educational supplies/resources, & various Christian resources

CORNERSTONE CURRICULUM - hands-on math and science; music and art appreciation, worldview study, K-12

EDUCATOR'S EXCHANGE -  Used-New curriculum updated daily; free curriculum consultation

GREAT CHRISTIAN BOOKS - curriculum, educational supplies/resources, & various Christian resources

MARDEL CHRISTIAN & OFFICE SUPPLIES - educational supplies and curriculum; stores located in Texas, Oklahoma, & Kansas

MATH-U-SEE -  low cost manipulative based k-12 program

STEVENSON LEARNING SKILLS, INC.  - Includes phonics, spelling, grammar, penmanship, & math

TIMBERDOODLE - curriculum, educational supplies & resources

THE THREE R's - Grades K-3, by RUTH BEECHICK 

HELPS:  :  (Most of these resources were published in the 1980’s and 1990’s and are considered classics – must reads.)

          Biblical and academic reasons for home schooling; a guide for beginners.

          "How to" teach every subject, grades 4-8.

          Phonics, cursive, and arithmetic step-by-step approach for elementary ages or remedial.

          A comprehensive handbook for ages through 14.

          New directions for Christian home education by the founder of Home School Legal Defense Association.

          A public school teacher/home schooling father presents the history and theory of education; aids to establishing your home  school.

          Why home schooling is beneficial; preschool and early elementary.

          Encouragement for all grade levels.

          How to organize and simplify teaching and learning.

          Hilarious account from authors’ personal experiences.

          Comprehensive treatment of the reasons for and legal rights of home schooling.

LINKS TO MORE CURRICULUM & RESOURCES