Making a Choice on Curriculum.

      It's been about 6 months since I last blogged. So much has gone on this year, but this last six months has been absolutely jammed.  I did end up doing a very light, abbreviated version of school for the kids. We also spent quite a lot of time running in the sprinkler, swinging on the swing set, visiting the library, and doing a lot of art projects.  There were also a lot more movies than I allow during the school year. Summer is our wet season in the waaaay south, and it rains like clockwork every afternoon, if not all day.  We would get outside while the weather would allow, but we had to entertain ourselves indoors a lot. Raise your hand if you know how hard it is to keep a three and four year old inside 24/7. Bless your heart, I feel your pain. ;) But in all seriousness, while it was a challenge, it was also a lot of fun.

Fall arrived (on the calendar anyhow) and with it, the official start of school. While I have been using Sonlight K loosely for my four year-old, I have been doing all sorts of things with my baby (well, she's three but she is my baby). Like I mentioned in the previous post, I ordered a Letter of the Week curriculum for her. She flew through that so fast she was finished with it by the end of the first quarter. Honestly, I was thrilled and horrified. I love that she is so bright, but I was really frustrated that I'd picked the "wrong" curriculum again, and that she was finished with it already.

But wait; isn't this homeschool thing about making the choice that is best for your individual child? My kids have loved their school time, and they don't seem to think I made the wrong choice. Little Girl loved every minute of her LOTW curriculum, she just mastered it much more quickly than I had anticipated. So, where did this "wrong" label come from? Oh,  yeah. Me.   There is this huge pressure out there to make sure we do it all just right and, if we are honest with ourselves, we will own up to our own role in it.  I have never once had someone question my curriculum choice, or if Big Girl and Little Girl are learning enough. I have never had anyone tell me I am a failure as a mother or a parent because I homeschool. No one has ever said that my kids have to learn faster or more than the homeschool families on the Internet forums. There is a little competition on some of those forums, but I really think it is our own faults. We lay that guilt trip and that pressure on ourselves. Once we realize that, there is this beautiful freedom to be had. 

So once we have that freedom, what do we do with it? You make the choice that is best for your family. You do it thoughtfully, and reasonably, and you walk in the freedom that you are their parent and you know how they will learn better than anyone else in the world.  Other than Jesus, of course. ;)

I want to share some tips for planning your school year and choosing curriculum. Hopefully it will help you as much as it is helping me.

1: First step in planning and choosing: Don't!  

I don't mean don't pick anything at all, of course, but I do mean don't think you have to plan and pick everything for the whole year at once.  Who said you have to buy all your work in August? Yes, it's exciting and those curriculum companies are so good at calling you right up and helping you pick everything you "need", but just don't.  When you buy everything at once you feel like you have everything you need AND that you you have to fit it all in.  I don't have to tell you that your child is unique and special and marches to the beat of their own drum.  Just plan the first quarter, and see how it goes. You will  have to adjust the plan, and that's okay!!

2: Be Honest with Yourself!

 

Take a really good look at how your family functions.  How does your day unfold?  Are you the kind of family that likes to rise and shine early in the morning, or would you sooner blow someone up for talking to you before you've had your coffee? Do your little ones like to get out and run off their energy a bit before you start your lessons, or do you find that if you don't start right away you'll never get their attention back?  What kind of climate do you live in? Is it so hot in the afternoon that you can't play outside after 10 am?  Is it too cold to play outside until 3 pm and you have to keep everyone indoors until then? How long can your kids sit still without getting the fidgets? Do they like workbooks, or would they rather you read to them all day long?  Do crafts make the lesson sink in or does music?  Maybe it's videos or computer games that make the concept stick. Chances are, you've already been organizing your day in the way that is best for your family. If you struggle to function before ten, and your little ones really really love to watch Peg+Cat on PBS, why on earth would you pick to organize your school day to start at 8 and require you to teach math concepts before the caffeine has wakened your brain? Start when it's best for everyone. You're homeschooling: you can do that. :)  If your little one loves writing in workbooks, like mine do, then feel good about using a workbook based curriculum.  If they thrive on unit studies, awesome!  Pick that.  Do what your family loves, and own it.

3: Be realistic!

When considering what you are going to do that year, consider what you can realistically accomplish.  If you are on a very tight budget, understand that you might not be able to do field trips to the zoo and the aquarium, buy a cupboard full of art supplies, and still afford a bookcase full of reading material.  But you could visit a local farm, the fire station, and the local historian instead, buy a few really good art staples, and become best friends with the public Librarian. You'd be surprised at the books you can get your hands on for free.  Also, be realistic in how much you can accomplish in one year. Be flexible with your kids and yourself.  See step one: If you plan a little bit at a time, you will have a much better grasp on this.  I also have to stress that you don't make lofty goals just because you are certain that you can rise to the occasion.  You probably could do it for awhile, but you will wear yourself out. Just be realistic, stretching yourselves just a little at a time. You can accomplish so much if you just keep taking small steps.

I hope that saves you a little bit of trauma and drama. What kind of tips or questions do you have?