All articles are presented to stimulate thought and assist Christian families in homeschooling their children. Articles may or may not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the management of HomeschoolChristian.com.
On Choosing Curriculum
By Tammy Montel
Here's my advice on choosing curriculum and my credentials: I am a mom of 4 and have been (formally) homeschooling for over 5 years. Informally since the first one's birth in 1989.
You are and always will be your child's first and best teacher. You taught them how to walk, talk and use the potty. You can teach them academics at home.
To homeschool you need a Mom and Dad committed to:
- Love God
- Love each other
- Love their kids
Period. That is all that is needed.
On choosing curriculum...( my advice is worth very little because I teach a very special classroom of very special children, mine! What works for my children may or may not work for yours. That is why you teach yours and I teach mine.) my advice is to do your homework!!
Read about homeschooling on the Internet, from books in the library, the HomeschoolChristian.com site, etc. Attend a state conference or homeschool curriculum fair. Think about what you are trying to accomplish with your homeschooled child or children. The goals for a preschool/kindergartner will be very different from a high schooler bound for college.
My first homeschool goal was to teach my child to read and learn a basic understanding of math (numbers, adding and subtracting). I read all I could get my hands on and having lived with my child for his entire life knew what he could and could not do (sit still, walk and chew gum, etc). I choose a reading program (which one is not important) and a math curriculum. Your goals might be to accomplish this by reading to your child and letting him/her help you in the kitchen with cooking. The method is not as important as just jumping in and doing it. Sometimes your choices won't work. The child hates it or worse yet Mom/Dad hates it. Try something else. You don't have to finish the book in order to be successful.
Above all, DON'T get overwhelmed. The homeschool market for curriculum is a marketer's dream. There is TOO much for you to use even a small fraction of what is available.
See my How to Survive A Homeschool Convention on how to attend a conference and get the most out of it.
See other articles to support your homeschooing efforts.
About the author: Tammy Montel is wife to Dean, a project manager in the computer field, and mom to 4 children ages 10 months to 10 years. She has been homeschooling for 5 years and her children have not been to "traditional school". They live in the wilds of Colorado where they like to watch birds, do theatre, read, play Legos and attend numerous church activities. Tammy serves as the Drama Director for a large non-denominational church in her precious spare time. Tammy has a degree in Telecommunications and Theatre from Indiana University. She encourages you to take her advice with a grain of salt.
