| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp |
| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp. All rights reserved. |
| about the book |
The Homeschool Diner's Guide to
Homeschooling Basics
How to Avoid Costly Curriculum Mistakes
by Julie Knapp, copyright 2006
What is the most common mistake made by new homeschool
parents?
Spending a lot of money on curriculum, before they have taken a good
look at all the choices of homeschooling approaches.
A complete packaged curriculum can cost over $500 per child. That's a
lot to pay for something you may not really need or like.
Most homeschoolers have made bad curriculum choices at one time or
another. They buy a workbook without having looked thru it. They
decide, on impulse, to give something new a try. It happens. If you've
paid $10 for a workbook that never gets used, it's not the end of the
world. Maybe you can even re-sell it later. But, if you've paid $500 for a
curriculum that doesn't meet your child's needs, or isn't a good fit for
your family, it can be hard to get over.
How can you avoid costly curriculum mistakes?
Here are 5 tips to help you make good curriculum choices:
* Don't be in too big of a hurry to buy any curriculum.
Do some research. Let your child de-school for a few weeks while you
decide what direction to take. Get to know your child and how he or she
learns best. Explore the various homeschooling approaches, and think
about which ones would be more likely to work well for your child. Try
out a few of the methods and see how your child responds.
* Don't buy curriculum just because someone else likes it.
Of course you should ask other homeschoolers if they are happy with
what they use, and why or why not... but don't buy a curriculum or other
resources just because someone you know uses it and likes it. Try not
to buy anything that you haven't been able to sit down with and take a
good look at first. Starting off on the wrong foot -- with a poor curriculum
choice -- will make homeschooling harder than it needs to be.
* Don't buy more curriculum than you really need.
Think twice before buying a complete packaged preschool or
kindergarten curriculum. Take a close look at what topics are covered,
and decide if, maybe, you could teach some or all of these topics
yourself - using household items and library resources. Colors and
numbers aren't rocket science, after all... Preschool and Kindergarten
are also great years to try out some of the more unstructured alternative
homeschooling approaches, too.
If you might want to try out an alternative homeschool approach, such as
Montessori or Charlotte Mason, it's a good idea tp read up on their
philosophies and try out a few of their methods before purchasing any
curriculum. Most of the alternative approaches can be taught without a
packaged curriculum at all, just by following the advice and methods
discussed in their books, and using various free resources available
online.
If you do plan on buying curriculum, but you think you might be able to
teach some subjects yourself -- maybe with the help of library and
Internet resources, or a spouse, or other mentor -- give it a try! You can
always buy something more formal to use later, if it doesn't work out.
*Consider trying to "pull-together" your own curriculum from
library, online, or community resources.
There are plenty of free and low-cost resources out there for
constructing all or part of your curriculum. Even if you only "pull
together" your own curriculum for one or two subjects, the money you
save on those topics could be applied to the cost of whatever packaged
products you have in mind for other subject areas (or toward other fun
educational activities). If you're interested in tips for thrifty
homeschooling, check out "Can I Homeschool on a Budget?"
Homeschooling Basics
How to Avoid Costly Curriculum Mistakes
by Julie Knapp, copyright 2006
What is the most common mistake made by new homeschool
parents?
Spending a lot of money on curriculum, before they have taken a good
look at all the choices of homeschooling approaches.
A complete packaged curriculum can cost over $500 per child. That's a
lot to pay for something you may not really need or like.
Most homeschoolers have made bad curriculum choices at one time or
another. They buy a workbook without having looked thru it. They
decide, on impulse, to give something new a try. It happens. If you've
paid $10 for a workbook that never gets used, it's not the end of the
world. Maybe you can even re-sell it later. But, if you've paid $500 for a
curriculum that doesn't meet your child's needs, or isn't a good fit for
your family, it can be hard to get over.
How can you avoid costly curriculum mistakes?
Here are 5 tips to help you make good curriculum choices:
* Don't be in too big of a hurry to buy any curriculum.
Do some research. Let your child de-school for a few weeks while you
decide what direction to take. Get to know your child and how he or she
learns best. Explore the various homeschooling approaches, and think
about which ones would be more likely to work well for your child. Try
out a few of the methods and see how your child responds.
* Don't buy curriculum just because someone else likes it.
Of course you should ask other homeschoolers if they are happy with
what they use, and why or why not... but don't buy a curriculum or other
resources just because someone you know uses it and likes it. Try not
to buy anything that you haven't been able to sit down with and take a
good look at first. Starting off on the wrong foot -- with a poor curriculum
choice -- will make homeschooling harder than it needs to be.
* Don't buy more curriculum than you really need.
Think twice before buying a complete packaged preschool or
kindergarten curriculum. Take a close look at what topics are covered,
and decide if, maybe, you could teach some or all of these topics
yourself - using household items and library resources. Colors and
numbers aren't rocket science, after all... Preschool and Kindergarten
are also great years to try out some of the more unstructured alternative
homeschooling approaches, too.
If you might want to try out an alternative homeschool approach, such as
Montessori or Charlotte Mason, it's a good idea tp read up on their
philosophies and try out a few of their methods before purchasing any
curriculum. Most of the alternative approaches can be taught without a
packaged curriculum at all, just by following the advice and methods
discussed in their books, and using various free resources available
online.
If you do plan on buying curriculum, but you think you might be able to
teach some subjects yourself -- maybe with the help of library and
Internet resources, or a spouse, or other mentor -- give it a try! You can
always buy something more formal to use later, if it doesn't work out.
*Consider trying to "pull-together" your own curriculum from
library, online, or community resources.
There are plenty of free and low-cost resources out there for
constructing all or part of your curriculum. Even if you only "pull
together" your own curriculum for one or two subjects, the money you
save on those topics could be applied to the cost of whatever packaged
products you have in mind for other subject areas (or toward other fun
educational activities). If you're interested in tips for thrifty
homeschooling, check out "Can I Homeschool on a Budget?"