Things to Keep in Mind when Choosing Your Homeschool Curriculum

So you are choosing to put your kids through homeschooling. Good for you! It is quite apparent that children who are educated at home have higher percentage scores on tests, higher grades, do better in college and even in the work force. Families that choose to home school their children have a tighter bond than those that don't. Leaving your reasons for homeschooling aside, do you know what kind of curriculum you want to use? Have you gained some knowledge about the kinds of options and approaches that are available? Selecting the curriculum for your homeschooling doesn't have to be difficult. With some analysis you can make up a curriculum that is effective for you and your kids. Here are some things to think about.

Before you begin buying anything, you need to study the federal regulations that govern K-12 education. While there are federal rules to know and follow, most of the regulations are left up to the individual states.

Your curriculum needs to meet the requirements that are currently being used which means you need to know and understand them, as well. Your local board of education can give you more information on these rules and regulations or you can contact the Department of Education directly.

The government and state will send out standardized tests that even homeschooled kids are required to take. Many "traditional" schools set days aside for these tests each year. Before administering the tests at home, check with your local school board to make sure that your child isn't required sit in a school classroom first. Your school system may even offer days where the local homeschoolers take the test together. Talking with your local school board will help you figure out how to handle the yearly standardized tests.

Alot of parents choose to focus on unit studies for their kids. There are several different approaches to this type of homeschooling which focuses various lessons and subjects into different "units" to make the learning easier. Traditional schools have had a large influence in the development of this curriculum. How bout those units in english class or the mammals unit in science you remember those right? This method can help focus your lesson plans. It can however end in disaster if your kids dislike the unit they are in. It may be really tempting to skip to another lesson. Homeschooling is not just for those devout christian families of the past. These days parents from all walks of life and belief systems now choose homeschooling over public schools. Homeschooling decisions are not hard ones to make. Figuring out what curriculum to use and how to implement it can be difficult. There are many choices in curriculums. Your kids input is important, pay attention to it, and do your research on curriculums. It is at this point that you will discover the right lesson plan for your family.