Before you purchase curriculum, do some homework! There’s so much curriculum available to homeschoolers today that it can be overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Here are some steps you can take to help you choose the best curriculum for your family.
#1 – Do some assessment. What is your child’s current reading and math level? What subjects are required? What is your child’s learning style?
#2 – Choose a teaching method that works for you and your family, not what works for the family next door.
#3 – Plan your year. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, my people perish." (Perish means to go wild in the sense of wandering.) Write up a list of goals you want your child to accomplish by the end of the year.
#4 – Write up a shopping list based on your answers to these questions.
#5 – Shop! Go to curriculum fairs, shop in catalogs (http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/textbookpub.html), or buy online. Whatever method you use, stick to your list to avoid costly purchasing mistakes. You’ll save money and have a much better school year.
Check out my free, step-by-step guide to choosing curriculum at: http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/choose.html
Cindy Downes is the author of The Checklist, a "retired" homeschool mom of two, and wife of 35 years to a wonderful husband.
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/EmptyNestMom/
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