6 Tips for Finding the Right Homeschool Curriculum

Finding the right homeschool curriculum for your child can be a challenge. With so many variables that need to be considered, here are six tips for finding the right homeschool curriculum for your family.

Every child learns differently and every parent has a different teaching style. When looking for the right curriculum for your homeschool there are a few things you can do to help find the right balance for you and your children.

1. Look for Used / Free Curriculum

Seeing that sometimes it takes more than one try to find the right fit for your child and homeschool curriculum is expensive, you should consider looking for a curriculum you want to try and use so you do not spend as much money if it is not the right fit for you. If you find that a curriculum is not a good fit for you, selling it for someone else to try is a great way to help recoup some of the cost.

There are also many different websites that offer free homeschooling materials such as Khan Academy and of course, us – Simple Living. Creative Learning. (Subscribe to our email to have lots of free and paid resources sent to your inbox!)

2. Find your child’s learning method.

Every child learns differently. For a child that learns best hands on, a typical written-only curriculum will not be a good fit for your child. For a child that learns best through reading a curriculum that focuses on video lessons will not be the right curriculum. Spend some time learning with your child not using a curriculum before you purchase curriculum to see how your child learns best and then look for options that work well with

3. Take a look at your teaching style

While your child’s learning style is vital in finding the right curriculum, the style you teach best is a factor as well. If you struggle with traditional teaching then a classical education curriculum is likely not the right fit for your family while a hands-on unit study curriculum may be just perfect.

4. Talk to other homeschool parents

Having a community of homeschool parents be it a local co-op or an online support group is a great way to learn more about different curriculum options. Talk to mothers that use the curriculum you are considering to see what they like and do not like about the curriculum before making your choice. Many homeschool curriculum programs have a Facebook group you can visit and learn a lot about the curriculum and even ask questions before buying.

5. Give the curriculum a test drive

Many curriculums offer free sample lessons online or a free trial period for digital-based curriculums that allow you to see if the curriculum is a good fit for you and your child. Trying the program hands-on is a great way to see if the program will work for you before you make the investment. 

If you are looking for a music curriculum, try this Sampler Music Appreciation Course from Music in our Homeschool.

6. Try building your own curriculum

While all in one boxed curriculums can be handy it is not uncommon to discover these are just not the right choice for your family. Instead, try building your own curriculum by piecing together different programs and supplements to really cater to your child’s learning style. This is a great way to have the right curriculum even because you can customise it to fit your needs and even work around your child’s varying levels of learning as it is rare a child is ever on grade level for every subject and having the flexibility to mix grade levels can be a blessing.