Curriculum Review Part 1

     I thought I would start a section on some of my favorite curricula, as well as why I chose to use a particular publisher or system. When deciding to homeschool, it can be very overwhelming when you see the options out there. It can also be frustrating when you realize that it is not a one size fits all learning system. It can be expensive, so understanding how to analyze and purchase can make your homeschooling life much easier. 

    I will start with Math for this post. One advantage that I have as a former teacher is exposure to various publishers and textbooks. When you are a student, you are handed a book, and that is what you use, regardless of learning style. As a teacher, you are handed a teacher's manual, and that is what you use. If it is not working, then it is up to you as the teacher to adapt, usually at your own expense. Some texts work great if your child is a high achiever. That same set may not work as well if your child has special needs. One advantage of homeschooling is that you don't need to use the same curricula for each child. With that said, that situation can create a great deal of added expense, so it is important to carefully analyze your students' needs in light of curriculum. For example, ABeka has a good math curriculum that is fast paced and works well with high achievers. It is cyclical in nature, so there is constant review. I did not choose this because a couple of mine just needed a little more time to process the information. 

    I did a lot of analysis and examination before choosing my math curriculum. I had something in mind but wanted to explore all of my options. One advantage that I have is a wonderful co-op that will graciously lend out books, as well as a curriculum pantry where donations are made, and a homeschool consignment store not too far from home. After careful evaluation, I settled on my original choice. I like Saxon Math for several reasons. 

1. Saxon is simple. There are no colorful pictures or elaborate designs. The text is simple. It reads simple. 

2. Saxon is cyclical in nature. Each problem set is a constant review of what was learned before. Each lesson builds on the other, providing a cumulative assessment after about 10 lessons (depending on the level). 

3. Online lessons. There are an abundance of lessons online. You can pay for some of these, but more often, you can find a teacher with lessons uploaded to YouTube out of that exact textbook. 

4. Problem Sets have the same number of problems. In most cases, there are only 30 practice problems. It is important that all problems are completed because of the review process. 

5. You don't necessarily need the newest edition. Math is math. You can find an abundance of used books online or in consignment stores. This is probably one of the most affordable ways to teach math. 

6. This works with a variety of learning levels. My children are all over the place with levels and special needs. This works with all of them. 

    These are just few reasons why I love and chose Saxon Math. However, your curriculum must be based on your children's learning style(s) and needs. You may have your own teaching preferences, as well. That is the beauty of homeschooling. You have the choice. You can switch mid-year if something is not working. I have enjoyed re-learning many of the math skills that I had forgotten. It seems much easier this time around. Never quit learning. Keep learning alongside your children. Show them how to be life-long learners. 

Homeschool Hacks

 Nope.

Nada.

Nil.

There are no homeschool hacks.

A hack is considered a shortcut. You see hacks all over social media. Some are really cool. Some don't work. However, when homeschooling, there are no shortcuts if you are going to do it well.  With that being said, planning can make it easier. Here are a few ideas and suggestions.

1. Get a good planner. 

I like this one. 

It has room for multiple students, as well as year-long, month-long, and week-long plans. 

2. Create a pacing guide for each subject.

A pacing guide is a plan that shows you how quickly you should be moving through the material. Often the curriculum you choose includes a suggested pacing guide. Since you are homeschooling, you have complete control over the pace you move, and often it will deviate from your plan. That is why, I suggest, you write in pencil. Before your first day of school, you will have an idea of where you should be at each point of your journey. Your plan is not set in stone and can change, but you now have a road map to lead you on your journey. Take your time. Take a detour, but at least follow your map. This above planner is great for this. 

This means that you are actually going to have to read your materials. This is no small task, so do not think you can simply buy a book, follow a script, and not get frustrated.  I will include curriculum reviews later, but for now, get a plan.

3. Use technology. 

BJU Press has created the Homeschool Hub. You do not need BJU curriculum materials to use this. It is designed to be used with BJU Press curriculum, but there is an option to manually enter non-BJU materials. It works best with BJU Press because once you select the course, the lessons pre-populate. The Homeschool Hub keeps records, prints progress reports and reports cards, as well as manages transcripts for high school. We use a combination of different curricula, so I do have to manually enter certain subjects.

Each student gets the ability to log onto their account. They get real time grades and better manage their schoolwork. I have found that this creates a sense of independence at an early age. We have expectations, and if grades do not meet those expectations, then they know what they need to do. 

The best part is this program is FREE.

I am sure there are other options out there. If you are an Excell wizard, you can certainly go that route. However, I am not, so this option works best for our family. It does reduce the paper consumption. 

4. Collaborate

Don't be afraid to ask questions to homeschool veterans. No one is going to judge you for what you don't know. In fact, you don't know what you don't know. When we decided to go down this path, I reached out to a dear friend who had been homeschooling for over a decade. She gave me lots of suggestions. I used some of her ideas, others I didn't because I knew what my kids needed. 

We also joined a co-op. I highly encourage you to find a group, whether it is an academic group or a social one. Homeschooling can be very isolating. The benefits of a group are the myriad of available academic resources, as well, as opportunities to socialize. My children have made good friends through this group. I have found that homeschoolers are the most accepting group of children (and parents). After our very first event, my kids joined in with a huge gaggle of kids that were playing a game. This group included children of all ages. The older ones made sure the younger ones were included. It made my heart so happy.

If your area hosts a homeschool conference-GO! I was hesitant to go last year because I was so tired. I did not plan to homeschool more than one last year, but mid-year we ended up homeschooling two. I was rushing to gather materials for the second one and felt like I was half-way on a rollercoaster that just took off. Yet, I am so glad we went. It was so refreshing to see so many people doing what we are doing and loving it. The vendor room was AWESOME! I want to take my children next year. 

5. Don't feel like you have to purchase everything new.

We are blessed to have a homeschool consignment store fairly close to our house. I have been able to consign items, as well as get good deals on used curriculum. 

Share with friends. I have friends that swap materials regularly. We share books and only have to purchase consumables. 

Our co-op recently opened up a curriculum pantry for members. We donate items that we are done using and can pick up materials we may need. It doesn't have to be the latest and greatest to accomplish the purpose. 

Ebay has a lot of reasonably priced curriculum. Sometimes all you need is a teacher's guide. I got a grammar guide that matches my student book for $12. 

Used bookstores can be a diamond in the rough for novels and other resources. 

6. Think outside the box.

Homeschooling gives you the opportunity to teach how your kids learn. It's not an assembly line. You take breaks as needed. Skip what they already know. Slow down when they need more review. Learn on the go. Take field trips. Get dirty. Have fun!

We do school Monday through Thursday. Friday is my day to get caught up on the household things that got put on the back burner. Plus, if we are behind, then we have an extra day to catch up. We also started school mid-July. My kids were hot and bored. No one complained. We just recently took a week off to rest and recharge. When I was in the classroom, I worked at a year-round school. It was incredible! So, with that in mind, I modified our schedule and did somewhat of a year-round schedule. I am not bound by a district calendar. Just make sure you are following your state guidelines. 

7. Join HSLDA

HSLDA - Making homeschooling possible

HSLDA not only provides legal assistance should you need it, but offers advice, classes, discounts, as well as many other resources to homeschooling families. It is well worth the money. This is not a paid endorsement, but a strong recommendation. You can check out homeschool requirements by states. Their extensive legal staff are there for you no matter what time of day.

Not What I Planned

 What have I gotten myself into? This is not what I had envisioned! Don't get me wrong, homeschooling is great, but it is HARD--I am not going to lie. I am not an English major. I am not a creative writer, but I did want to start a place where I can offer encouragement to those who have taken the same path our family did. This may not be the most polished, but it will certainly be 100% authentic. 

One of the first questions I am asked is, "Why did you choose homeschooling?".  That's a good question. I don't know that we really chose homeschooling, but homeschooling chose us. My reasoning is often different from most. 

Why did I choose to homeschool? TIME 

It's that simple. I feel I can make the most of the time I am given with my children. It wasn't the school system. It wasn't the school's curriculum. It wasn't the obvious agenda. It was TIME.  

My third child started kindergarten in 2019. I hated packing lunchboxes. I hated driving carpool. I hated class parties. So, when the school let out for COVID, and he came home, I was thrilled. Little did I know how far behind he really was. Now, I had TIME to catch him up. 

We discovered early that fall that he had dyslexia. Unfortunately, where we live, the public schools offer no specified intervention for dyslexia. There is no one in this area that can even professionally diagnose him. Thus, we couldn't even get services if we wanted them. It took me a long time to finally to admit that dyslexia was the root of his problems. You see, I have a Masters in Education with a supplemental reading endorsement focused on dyslexia. I was trying not to project that on to my son.  However, it got to the point where it could not be ignored. He fit 95% of the indicators. I ran several different screenings, and each one came back more positive than the first.  Thankfully, I had already started an intervention program with him that had already made drastic improvements. We are still using it to this day. 

We needed another option, so I enrolled him in the virtual school with my older two. First grade was a dream. Teachers were awesome. He worked at a pace better fit for him. I had more control over his learning. Second grade was a disaster. I felt no one listened. It was a constant battle to keep him out of remediation classes. It was a waste of TIME. Testing took up hours of potential instruction. We couldn't take it anymore. My older two had already transitioned to homeschool (explained in another post).  I threw my hands up and said, "If I am going to give some of them my TIME, then I will give all of them my TIME." 

We do not "unschool." We have a structured time of learning. We follow a curriculum, whether formal or informal. However, our TIME is spent on learning and the waste of transitions, of walking to specials, of class-wide bathroom breaks, of walking to the cafeteria, of dealing with class disruptions, of fire drills, of bullies, of afterschool parent-teacher conferences.....it's all gone! We can now stand up and learn if we need to. We can jump up and down while practicing the preamble to the Constitution. We can spin in our chair and practice multiplication tables. We can read our textbook in the recliner. No more missing school for doctor's appointments. No more two-hour delays for snow or inclement weather. We go out and play in the snow and then do school! There is more hands-on learning. 

Now, don't get me wrong. This sounds dreamy, but we also deal with the fact that I am the teacher and mom at the same time. I get the mouth they wouldn't dare give a teacher. The battles are hard. The battles are long, but the battles are worth my TIME. 

I hope to be able to share our journey, our struggles, our victories, as well as strategies and ideas. While we are fairly new to homeschooling, I've been in education for over 20 years. I've seen what works and what doesn't. Come with us as we journey down this path together, but hang on because I promise it will be a bumpy ride.