Exploring Curriculum

Curriculum? We don't need no stinking curriculum! Or so I thought when we started this journey. After all, there is the library. There are wonderful online resources. All of this is free.

But then my seventh-grader, who is not homeschooled, brought home these wonderful geology worksheets. Insecurity set in. How do I know the homeschooled youngster is studying what he should be learning?

Of course, the answer to that is simple. Research the core subjects. There are plenty of places to do that. Many regional educational districts align with the national standards, and many list their requirements. Some of these lists are more accessible than others.

If you know for example that 6th graders are supposed to study exponents, these days that's pretty easy to teach without a math textbook. It just requires a bit of preparation.

Some parents feel that there is no need to adhere to the national standards. They believe in trusting their children's innate desire to learn. Place them in the right environment and they will strive to learn all they can, just like they went from crawling to walking.

My problem is that while I'm trying to figure out our position on these topics, the clock is ticking. A child is waiting.

So if curriculum is under consideration, I found a handy tool:

http://homeedexpert.com

It's a questionnaire that asks about the child's learning style and level, the parent's teaching style, the environment, the subjects and the types of materials that you want, and then it makes recommendations. What really impressed me was that they asked about religious preferences and whether we wish to teach evolution. It's the first time I've inquired about homeschooling materials where our desire to teach a secular curriculum was taken into account.

Here's another tool I liked very much: A student planner by Christian Light Publications:

http://clp.org/product/student_planner_1786

We aren't a Christian family so the Biblical references aren't helpful, but the layout of the sample pages is very good. We are spending a LOT of time each morning trying to plan out our day. I'm hoping that we get it down to planning a whole week in advance eventually, but for now we spend a great deal of time on our schedule and calendar each morning.