The kids & I have enjoyed a nice 2-week break from homeschooling. I have been spending a little time this afternoon, getting their lessons organized to begin again next week. I went online and browsed for some homeschooling organization ideas. I was quickly distracted by a couple reviews of the A Beka curriculum that we use. The nice thing about this distraction is that it clarified a little problem that I have been mulling over lately.
I have a nice circle of homeschooling friends. We share a variety of reasons for choosing to homeschool, along with a variety of methods to achieve our homeschooling goals. Our different styles are as unique as our families themselves. (Which is a really nice feature of homeschooling--we tailor it to fit our family). I usually enjoy chatting with other homeschooling Moms about their experiences and how they are educating their kids. Oddly enough, this school year, my curriculum choice has been brought under question a few times.
Some folks are a bit surprised that our family has been homeschooling for 2.5 years with the same curriculum. There are so many curriculum options available these days, that it is easy to become overwhelmed by all of the choices, and it is easy to switch to something else. The fact that we have not switched curriculum yet, seems bizarre to some of my friends, especially the ones who switch programs every semester. I have been described as being "faithful" to one curriculum. I have been asked how long do I really think I can keep using this same curriculum? I have been drilled with a series of "have you heard about such-n-such curriculum? (as if I just have no clue that there are other options out there!) I am most entertained by the folks who insist on telling me the criticisms of the curriculum we are using, or the places where they have heard this curriculum can be weak.
Since my husband and I do not give random people a vote in how we raise and educate our children, I tend to let the comments fall away on their own. I do not believe that there is a single best curriculum for every school, homeschool, family, or child. I just know that we found the best one for our family, specifically for these elementary grades. I am very pleased with our choice. The comments from others sent me pondering just why am I so pleased with our curriculum choice?
I have always just explained to all of the questioners that I started stressing about schooling options when Jersey #1 was only 18 months old. We confirmed our decision to homeschool when she was only 3. I took over a year to research all of the schooling styles and curriculum options. I even attended a homeschool convention the year before she officially started kindergarten, browsing all of the curriculum vendor tables, without purchasing a single thing. I took notes, made charts, weighed out the pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses of many options. I am a scientist by nature, so I enjoy collecting data and analyzing it. My husband and I had lengthy conversations about our educational goals for our children. Over time, I narrowed down the choices, until I found what works for us.
Reading those curriculum reviews today, reminded me of some the things that drew me to this curriculum. Some of the descriptions fit us perfectly--really organized, highly structured, Christian grounded, accelerated, advanced. I personally love how well-organized it is. The fact that it is workbook based is great for aiding the kids in becoming independent learners, and helps me school separate grades at the same time. The workbook pages are colorful and engaging. The material is introduced step-by-step. This curriculum fits our educational priorities because it gives a strong foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic, in these early grades. In addition, it is very Biblically based (which is very important to me), and every subject points toward the Christian worldview. I have no concerns about meeting the education standards for each grade, because this curriculum tends to run a full year ahead of the public school curriculum.
Plus, did I mention it was organized? I have a passion and a gift for organization. It is absolutely essential for me to have a well organized curriculum, in order to school each of our children to their full learning potential....at the same time! We know our children are intelligent. We expect them to excel academically. We want to prepare them for success in college (and in life). That requires a strong foundation in the core subjects, structured study skills, and organization. Including verses, as well as references to stories from the Bible, helps impress upon our children that God's Word is relevant in EVERY aspect of their lives (even handwriting)!
I am well aware that there are many, many wonderful homeschooling curriculum resources available. I am at peace that I have found what works best for our family.
I have a nice circle of homeschooling friends. We share a variety of reasons for choosing to homeschool, along with a variety of methods to achieve our homeschooling goals. Our different styles are as unique as our families themselves. (Which is a really nice feature of homeschooling--we tailor it to fit our family). I usually enjoy chatting with other homeschooling Moms about their experiences and how they are educating their kids. Oddly enough, this school year, my curriculum choice has been brought under question a few times.
Some folks are a bit surprised that our family has been homeschooling for 2.5 years with the same curriculum. There are so many curriculum options available these days, that it is easy to become overwhelmed by all of the choices, and it is easy to switch to something else. The fact that we have not switched curriculum yet, seems bizarre to some of my friends, especially the ones who switch programs every semester. I have been described as being "faithful" to one curriculum. I have been asked how long do I really think I can keep using this same curriculum? I have been drilled with a series of "have you heard about such-n-such curriculum? (as if I just have no clue that there are other options out there!) I am most entertained by the folks who insist on telling me the criticisms of the curriculum we are using, or the places where they have heard this curriculum can be weak.
Since my husband and I do not give random people a vote in how we raise and educate our children, I tend to let the comments fall away on their own. I do not believe that there is a single best curriculum for every school, homeschool, family, or child. I just know that we found the best one for our family, specifically for these elementary grades. I am very pleased with our choice. The comments from others sent me pondering just why am I so pleased with our curriculum choice?
I have always just explained to all of the questioners that I started stressing about schooling options when Jersey #1 was only 18 months old. We confirmed our decision to homeschool when she was only 3. I took over a year to research all of the schooling styles and curriculum options. I even attended a homeschool convention the year before she officially started kindergarten, browsing all of the curriculum vendor tables, without purchasing a single thing. I took notes, made charts, weighed out the pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses of many options. I am a scientist by nature, so I enjoy collecting data and analyzing it. My husband and I had lengthy conversations about our educational goals for our children. Over time, I narrowed down the choices, until I found what works for us.
Reading those curriculum reviews today, reminded me of some the things that drew me to this curriculum. Some of the descriptions fit us perfectly--really organized, highly structured, Christian grounded, accelerated, advanced. I personally love how well-organized it is. The fact that it is workbook based is great for aiding the kids in becoming independent learners, and helps me school separate grades at the same time. The workbook pages are colorful and engaging. The material is introduced step-by-step. This curriculum fits our educational priorities because it gives a strong foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic, in these early grades. In addition, it is very Biblically based (which is very important to me), and every subject points toward the Christian worldview. I have no concerns about meeting the education standards for each grade, because this curriculum tends to run a full year ahead of the public school curriculum.
Plus, did I mention it was organized? I have a passion and a gift for organization. It is absolutely essential for me to have a well organized curriculum, in order to school each of our children to their full learning potential....at the same time! We know our children are intelligent. We expect them to excel academically. We want to prepare them for success in college (and in life). That requires a strong foundation in the core subjects, structured study skills, and organization. Including verses, as well as references to stories from the Bible, helps impress upon our children that God's Word is relevant in EVERY aspect of their lives (even handwriting)!
I am well aware that there are many, many wonderful homeschooling curriculum resources available. I am at peace that I have found what works best for our family.
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