As a parent, there are several reasons that may have driven you to homeschool your child. For others, it may have been inevitable. Regardless, the decision to homeschool your child is just one part of the process. There still lies the question of how you intend to go about. One of the things you will need to do is choose a suitable homeschool curriculum package. These are basically a collection of lessons that you plan on teaching your child. There are several options available and here are some pointers to help you select one.
Choose the Subjects You Wish to Teach
As you do your research, you will find that homeschool curriculum packages vary from each other. Among the things that distinguish them from each other are the subjects offered by each. There are packages that will offer basic subjects. This includes subjects like reading, writing and arithmetic. Some packages will have these basic ones and other additional subjects. Also, not all curriculum packages have traditional subjects. There are those that offer learning that is more guided and natural.
To come up with an ideal collection of subjects for your child, you may need to curate a list that borrows subjects from more than one packages. If you are dealing with older kids, then you need to consider the future such as exams. The curriculum should be able to prepare them for such.
Determine How Much You Want to Be Involved
Your level of involvement as a parent can vary depending on the homeschool curriculum that you choose. It is a common misconception that homeschooling means that you have to spend your entire day teaching your child. This is however not necessarily true. There are homeschool curriculum packages that will take care of most of the work for you leaving you to only supervise at most. Still, there are those that only give a general outline of what your child should learn and leaves the rest to you. You can therefore choose either or something that falls in between.
Your choice in terms of your involvement should be driven by certain factors. One of them is the amount of time that you have at your disposal. The other thing you should consider is your level of education and if you are confident in teaching your child.
Decide on the Mode of Learning That You Prefer
When it comes to homeschooling, you have the freedom to choose how your child will learn. However, you have to consider this when choosing a homeschool curriculum for the same. This is because different curriculum packages will work better with different modes of learning. One of the most common methods of learning is that which involves sitting and learning at a desk just like a traditional classroom. This is suitable if you have other duties to attend to while your child learns.
If you do not feel inclined to the above method, you can go with one that focuses more on practical experiences. This will involve more practicability such as field trips and illustrations. This is a great choice if you have the ability to focus most of your time on homeschooling. Also, you can always look for something in between that will be a blend of theory and practical projects.