Curriculum Soup
Nov. 3, 2005 at 11:36 AM
Homeschooling
Once the decision to homeschool has been made, the next big decision is HOW to do it. I'm always a little hesitant to answer that because what works for one family doesn't always work for another. I could never be an unschooler like the mother I posted about yesterday for example. We each have different goals and situations that will direct our choices. But curriculum is a big concern. We don't want to waste our money or time making unwise purchases that will frustrate us or our children. So with that in mind, here's how I view the curriculum options that are available.
I love soup. Making it and eating eat. So I will use soup as an analogy to describe the options available.
Canned Soup. This is the pre-packaged curriculum that comes complete in a box. It has all the essential nutrients necessary to teach your children but lacks some of the flavor. There is minimal preparation involved. All the preparation has been done. Just heat and eat. There are seasons of life where it is just nice to reach on a shelf and get something that does the job. Function over flavor without some flexibility.
Soup Starter. This is the unit study approach. You want a good curriculum with some flavor but you need a boost to getting things going. With a unit study approach you get the main ideas from others but you must supply the meat and potatoes. This is a bit more flavorful than canned soup but will require you to do a little more preparation and planning. There is a little more flavor than canned soup but your also putting in more effort.
Homemade Organic Soup. This is the unschooling approach. Without a doubt, home grown, homemade has freshest ingredients. Just as in organic gardening you are willing to grow things up naturally to get them. That means you supply plenty of time for your child and create an environment where learning takes place naturally. This soup tastes great and is full of flavor. But just watching the soup simmer is difficult for some parents. And even a soup that simmers can get burned if left alone too long.
I realize that no analogy is perfect. Neither is this one. But it does help me in different seasons of my homeschool journey I have used each of these three different methods to prepare my children. And I have done different things with different children. That is the blessing of home educating. Just as there is no one right way to prepare soup there is no right way to educate.
But just as with any meal...it is always best to to seek the hand of the creator of the food. Ask HIM to direct your path and be content with the pot of soup HE gives you to tend to.
I love soup. Making it and eating eat. So I will use soup as an analogy to describe the options available.
Canned Soup. This is the pre-packaged curriculum that comes complete in a box. It has all the essential nutrients necessary to teach your children but lacks some of the flavor. There is minimal preparation involved. All the preparation has been done. Just heat and eat. There are seasons of life where it is just nice to reach on a shelf and get something that does the job. Function over flavor without some flexibility.
Soup Starter. This is the unit study approach. You want a good curriculum with some flavor but you need a boost to getting things going. With a unit study approach you get the main ideas from others but you must supply the meat and potatoes. This is a bit more flavorful than canned soup but will require you to do a little more preparation and planning. There is a little more flavor than canned soup but your also putting in more effort.
Homemade Organic Soup. This is the unschooling approach. Without a doubt, home grown, homemade has freshest ingredients. Just as in organic gardening you are willing to grow things up naturally to get them. That means you supply plenty of time for your child and create an environment where learning takes place naturally. This soup tastes great and is full of flavor. But just watching the soup simmer is difficult for some parents. And even a soup that simmers can get burned if left alone too long.
I realize that no analogy is perfect. Neither is this one. But it does help me in different seasons of my homeschool journey I have used each of these three different methods to prepare my children. And I have done different things with different children. That is the blessing of home educating. Just as there is no one right way to prepare soup there is no right way to educate.
But just as with any meal...it is always best to to seek the hand of the creator of the food. Ask HIM to direct your path and be content with the pot of soup HE gives you to tend to.
9 Comments and Trackbacks
posted by Momma2theMax on Nov. 3, 2005 at 3:46 PM
and my DH like his soup canned....i however like mine homemade :)
posted by spunkyhomeschool on Nov. 3, 2005 at 4:26 PM
Too funny! So how do you end up cooking?
posted by Momma2theMax on Nov. 3, 2005 at 4:36 PM
to continue the analogy....i guess "she who cooks decides what to make"....so i throw in a little bit of "real work" here and there to pacify him and when he wanted our oldest to see a tutor i found one whose style i agreed with and who understood where i am coming from...mostly he just wants them to go to school...but he's decided that that's not a battle worth fighting (he married a homeschooler after all.....)
posted by gottsegnet on Nov. 3, 2005 at 6:12 PM
Uh...those are those few of us who attempt to write their own curriculum. So we have homemade soup, but our day is pretty structured...
posted by gottsegnet on Nov. 3, 2005 at 6:16 PM
btw, not that it matters much, but if you would like to you may add me to your blogroll under Nebraska. Isn't there anyone else out there from my great state? Actually, I know one other blogger here from NE, so I guess I'm not alone : )
posted by spunkyhomeschool on Nov. 3, 2005 at 6:18 PM
Good for you! LIke I said, no analogy is perfect. And your homeschool would be an example of that. I applaud your effort and I am sure that you will achieve great blessings for your diligence and hard work! It's moms like me who truly beneift greatly from mom's like you. I'm just not that creative! I"m using Tapestry of Grace this year and that was written by a homeschool mom of 6. Maybe some day it will be your curriculum I'm using.
posted by spunkyhomeschool on Nov. 3, 2005 at 6:20 PM
I'll get Spunky Jr. right on it. Thanks for letting me know. If there are any others who would like to be added let me know. The more the merrier. I hope to get all fifty states in here eventually.
posted by Aslan on Nov. 3, 2005 at 8:41 PM
Hi Spunky,
Normally I would just email you something like this but I want to let your readers know that the 2 articles you have submitted for the "BlogLibrary" are now published. Here's the address: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/library
Spunky fans should look for:
"A Full Family Life" and
"Marketing Your Products on a Blog"
Both articles are very nicely done and a great addition to our BlogLibrary :)
Thanks for all you do!
Mark
posted by KarenW on Nov. 5, 2005 at 1:16 AM
I like your analogy. Any good diet should be balanced. Serving each of these soups could make for a healthy homeschool diet. : )
