Transitioning to homeschooling: Part 2

Now that you have researched, homeschooling styles and what learning style your child may respond best to, it’s time to talk about curriculums. There are so many options out there that it is very easy to get overwhelmed quickly. When you know your child’s learning style, it allows you to shave down a lot of choices and focus on options that are applicable to the learning style you’re looking for. Sometimes it is a trial and error experience, and that’s ok.

There have been times where I have switched curriculums a couple of times as I was trying to figure out how my children respond best. For example, when my daughter was in first grade, we used the Singapore Math curriculum. It’s a great curriculum for some families, but I began to realize that it advanced too fast for her. We ended up switching to Horizons math, and that has been a great fit for her and her learning style.

As you’re researching all of the options out there, it helps tremendously to ask other homeschool families what they use. Ask if they would be willing to let you look through the material and flip through some pages. That’s exactly what I did leading up to my first year of homeschooling. One of the programs a friend let me look through, and that I was seriously considering using our first year of homeschooling, was the Good And The Beautiful. I have many friends who use that, and while it’s a fantastic program, I knew it wasn’t right for us as I was looking through it. Now, if I didn’t ask around and had the opportunity to look through that program, I more than likely would have ordered something that wouldn’t have been the best choice for my children.

As you’re asking around of what other families are using, don’t fall into the thinking that you need to do exactly what they do. What is a good fit for them may not be a good fit for you. That’s one of the positives of homeschooling. You create a program specifically for your children to thrive on.

Listen, I know you may feel very overwhelmed, and at times, and may not know where to start. I get it! I was there. Take it a day at a time, and moment by moment. Every family is different and has different needs. Tailor you’re program to your children’s specific needs and learning styles. Regardless, you are making one of the best decisions for your children by homeschooling. You will find the right curriculum and your children will thrive!