This post is a compilation of what I call my treasure trove. I will provide my personal treasure trove of curriculum and recourse suggestions at the end, but what I want to share first are those precious treasures of wisdom I've gathered over the years about homeschool life and structure, philosophy on education, and generally creating a house of order and learning, a house of prayer, a house of God.
Generally the first thing parents think about when they make the choice to homeschool what curriculum to choose for their kids. The problem with starting there is that there are thousands of options out there. In order to make good choices that don't end up breaking the bank and causing unneeded stress and anxiety, that may threaten to sink your homeschool before you get it off the ground, you need some idea about what educational approach you want to use. Your approach and educational philosophy will guide your priorities and give you some idea of what you are searching for in curriculum and learning resources. Your homeschool approach should match your children's needs and learning styles, while at the same time, it should draw on your unique strengths. It's because of all these important and unique aspects of building a custom education for your child that every homeschool looks different, just like every child is different.
When you decide to start homeschooling, start with the questions like:
- What is my vision for my homeschool and my child's education?
- What do I want my child to learn during these years I have with them?
- You can’t teach them everything but you can teach them what matters most, so what matters most?
- What do you want them to learn?
- What do they want to learn?
- How do you want them to learn it (this is an education philosophy question)?
- What is the destination?
- What are you preparing for? Family life, Moral Strength, College, Trade, Business, Service to their nation, community, and church.
- What are your child’s aptitudes, interests, and challenges? What do they need to excel in?
- What are their areas of strength?
- What level of proficiency do you expect for their academic attainment in areas of weakness?
Begin your homeschool journey with introspective questions like these. Journal your ideas and thoughts. Counsel in your family. Talk to homeschoolers you know and trust. Go to a local homeschool convention and take classes that peak your interest. Then take all that you learn from this exploration and begin to create the big picture vision. With this foundation you can begin to search for curriculum and resources with purpose. Based on your vision make a more detailed academic plan, but don’t plan too far out, your detailed plan is going to change and adjust in dozens of ways over the years to come; but begin with the end in mind and set up your plans for this year with your long vision in mind.
- Classical Education
- Charlotte Mason
- Well Trained Mind
- Well Trained Heart: Libraries of Hope
- Forest School
- TJED (Thomas Jefferson Education)
- Unschooling (Discovery ED)
- Unit Studies
- Online Schools — Online Private & Public Schools
- Online A La Carte: Outschool or The Great Courses
- Traditional Text Book Curriculum
- Eclectic -- Mix and Match
