First of all, I´d like to put your mind at ease about choosing the perfect curriculum. If you have a lousy year of it, it´s OK. Your kids will learn anyway and you can pick something different next year or even switch halfway through the year, and there is nothing wrong with that. When I was homeschooled, my mom switched companies on a yearly basis with me . . . I was the experiment, she´d try a new curriculum with me and then if it worked, she´d use it with my sisters. By the time I hit sixth grade, I had done books from about 10 different companies and yet still scored higher than school kids on equivelency tests, so it obviously didn´t hurt anything!

Also, not all homeschool curriculums are good at all subjects. You might want to use one company for Math, while doing something else for Science, for example. If the company you like doesn´t have an art program, add one in from somewhere else. That´s the beauty of homeschooling . . . you can custom fit the education to your kids . . . they can even be using different books each, if you want!

So, that being said, how do you actually go about picking which curriculum to use? Here are some pointers.

• Ask around. If you have friends who homeschool, ask what they recommend. If not, go online, join a community and ask them. But don´t just ask if they like the program, ask WHAT they like about it, what the downsides are, so you can get a clear picture.
• Do some research. Check for reviews online. This isn´t always the most accurate way to determine which curriculum is good, since you will probably find a mix of good and bad, but if something is getting overwhelmingly positive reviews, chances are it´s good.
• Get your hands on a copy. Ask your friends if you can take a look at their books. This is a great way to decide whether or not you really want to invest in a curriculum.
• Go for second hand. If you still aren´t that sure, look into getting the books second hand and keep the cost down. If it doesn´t work out, then you won´t be out that much money.

Those of you homeschoolers who have experience in this area, what was important to you when choosing a curriculum? Which one(s) did you decide on?

First of all, let`s get one thing out of the way. There is no best method. Some kids do very well with unschooling. Some need the structure of a more formal educational method. Every family is different, just like every kid is different. Your best bet is to educate yourself and then choose the method that is best for your family.

I should also mention that it`s fine to switch if one homeschool method isn`t working out for you. My mother tried letting us “unschool” to a certain extent for one year. It turned out that we needed the structure of workbooks and schedules, so the following year we were back to regular curriculum, none the worse for wear.

So, without further ado, let`s take a look at some of the most common homeschool methods out there.

Classical

This method of homeschooling is possibly one of the most rigid, focusing on classical techniques. It involves three main stages, Grammar, where children are taught the basics of reading and writing and other necessary skills, Dialectic, which works on logic skills and finally, Rhetoric, allowing the students to present their knowledge and skills in an orderly, logical fashion.

Traditional

A huge number of homeschooling families opt for traditional schooling where they use one of many curriculums on the market. It is also referred to as “school at home”, following the conventional ideas of using a schedule, lesson plans and assignments to help children learn.

In this style, children take tests to see that they have understood what they`ve been taught and basically follow a traditional school ideal.

Unit Study

This method revolves around “units” or themes where the students learn about a specific topic, incorporating all subjects. For example, if the topic is Africa, children may write reports on the continent for English, cook traditional meals for Home Ec., perform a tribal dance for Drama, and work on statistics for Math. Unit studies are often used for the entire family, with children doing work on their grade level within the theme.

Eclectic

For those who can`t decide on one particular homeschool type, eclectic could be a good option. It blends several methods together to form a custom homeschool style. For example, math and language might be taught in a traditional way, with curriculum, but social studies and science done in unit studies.

Unschooling

There are varying levels of unschooling, but basically, you are looking at no formal curriculum and a child-led education. What your child is interested in is what they learn about. Your job as the parent is to facilitate learning. So, if your son has an interest in cars, for example, you might set up a chance to visit a mechanic and learn more about the inner workings, look up diagrams of engines online, etc. Likewise, when the child loses interest, the education in that area stops.

Not everyone is cut out for unschooling or classical education, but for some, these are the best options. Other families will have better luck with traditional homeschool techniques. And, of course, there are even more “sub” methods within each of these which you will want to look into, as well, now that you have a better understanding of what is available to you.