I hope this isn’t a disappointment, but this article cannot identify the best curriculum for each child and family. That is something you must work through for yourself. But don’t stop reading here and get out the old decision-making-dart-board. What this article will do is provide ideas and information that will help you navigate the daunting range of curricular materials available to homeschoolers, and help you select materials that will work well for your family.

Though at times bewildering, having choices is good. It isn’t that long ago that most curriculum publishers were unwilling to sell to homeschoolers. Homeschoolers had to buy what was available, find a school (usually a private school) that would "piggyback" a homeschooler’s order along with the school’s order, find sources of used textbooks, or piece together their own curriculum from what could be found in libraries and bookstores. As time has shown, they made it work, but they spent much time looking for and adapting and supplementing what usable materials they could find, time you can now devote to teaching, using materials that are well-suited to your children. This article will look at a number of relevant topics, with a view to helping you determine what will work best for you, your family, and, especially, each of your children.

This sounds like an odd starting place in choosing your family’s curriculum, but it is the context in which each family’s curriculum quest begins. Most parents begin homeschooling at one of three points in their child’s educational career: beginning their child’s homeschooling when the child reaches school age; beginning their child’s homeschooling at the start of a school year after one or more years in a classroom school; withdrawing their child from the child’s classroom school during a school year. In the latter case, the withdrawal may be for a reason that makes their sudden move and making a quick and smooth start at homeschooling a matter of some urgency.

Parents who decide their homeschooling will "begin" when their child reaches school age are really continuing the education process they began at the birth of their child. Instead of delegating the task of academic instruction to others, they are undertaking that task themselves. Since these parents often make their decision to homeschool months (or even years) before their child reaches school age, they have quite a bit of time in which they can investigate and select curriculum. And since, in most states, school isn’t mandatory until age 6 or later, even parents who make their decision to homeschool in the August before their child would enter kindergarten have a year or more to select their "official" curriculum. In spite of this, parents who decide early to homeschool often experience a sense of urgency to select something quickly. I know we did! Many people like to make a decision and have the plan laid out for carrying out that decision all completed in a short time-frame. If making the plan takes very long, the whole decision starts to feel uncomfortably incomplete, and its feasibility may come to seem doubtful. Then there are the well-meaning (usually) relatives - aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. - who start asking questions like, "So when does Johnny (Janey) start school?" While homeschooling is no longer a "10" on the weirdness scale, it is still in the "4" to "7" range, and answering relatives’ questions tends to be easier when plans are complete. The temptation to pick something hastily should be resisted, and the available time used to full advantage.

Parents who decide to start homeschooling with the start of the next school year usually will have 1-9 months in which to select a curriculum. Their decision process should be paced according to their available time. The parents will be tempted to assume that they should pick up at about the same place and pace as at the child’s former campus school. This assumption needs to be examined, and some questions asked. It may be that simply starting where the campus school left off will lead to frustration and a lack of progress if the child is "behind", or boredom if the child is "ahead". The parents need to determine where Johnny or Janey is really at academically. Frustration and boredom are both "great" learning de-motivators. Homeschooling relies considerably on the student being willing to learn, and acquiring the self-discipline to take initiative in moving ahead with schoolwork. If the campus school left the child bored, frustrated, or simply accustomed to the teacher having to nag them into doing their work, it may take some time for the child to get used to the idea that learning can be fun and satisfying. Taking a few months to "decompress", review at a relaxed pace what wasn’t understood (or skipping stuff already understood), and establishing a workable "school" routine - a process some call "de-schooling" - could be one of the best times in your child’s academic career!

A child withdrawn from a public school mid-school-year may present a special situation. The parents may need, in the week or two before the withdrawal, to buy enough appropriate workbooks and literature for a couple of months of interim work to allow time for the parents to research and select curriculum. If the need to withdraw the child from the campus school is sudden and urgent, the parents should go that same day to the library or a store that carries educational materials (even Wal-Mart and Target frequently carry some educational materials) to obtain some appropriate workbooks and reading materials. Why the need to do something quickly? A sudden withdrawal such as this may quickly attract scrutiny from a public school that may be less than pleased at the withdrawal and the circumstances leading up to it. If this is the case, then the parents may have to demonstrate very soon after the withdrawal that what they will be teaching is comparable to what their child would be learning in the public school. If the reason for the sudden withdrawal entails special consideration for the child - counseling, a particularly relaxed manner of learning, or lots of field trips and activities - do what your child needs. Otherwise, the ideas in the paragraph above for a child who starts homeschooling at the beginning of a school year after having previously attended a campus school should be helpful for a child who is withdrawn from a campus school while the school year is still in progress.

I’m not going to reproduce a scope and sequence here (they can be found online and may be helpful in your school planning), but knowing in a general way what classroom schools are trying to do in the various stages of schooling will help parents know what they should look for in curricular materials. Be careful, overbuying is easy to do.

In grades 1-4, schools focus on teaching basic skills, tools that will be needed for later learning: phonics; reading; vocabulary; spelling; basic grammar; the four basic math functions; a little geometry; some state- and community-level social studies; a few famous people’s life stories; a little physical and life science; some basic art and crafts skills; some music. The reading and math skills especially are foundational to future learning and life as an adult in a literate society. Learning these skills may seem tedious at times, so some effort needs to be made to make the process enjoyable, have ways to make the practice and use of newly-learned skills interesting, and give a taste of the interesting things that are yet to come.

In grades 5-8, schools continue building the educational "toolbox": grammar; mathematics; basic history and geography; basic science; composition. What is taught uses and builds on the skills learned previously. Done properly, this should also stimulate interest in the subjects that will be covered more thoroughly in high school and beyond.

In high school, some tools are still taught, mainly in mathematics and the sciences. Some students prepare for college in their high school years. Much of high school, though, deals with the knowledge needed to function as a citizen, live in the country’s culture, have some understanding about the world, and, sometimes, vocational skills.

Entire books have been written about individual homeschooling methods, but here is a list of some of the more common methods:

* "School-at-Home" - some people practically recreate a school classroom in their homes - textbooks, desks (student and teacher!), whiteboard, etc.;

* Principle Approach - this method approaches subjects and topics through certain Bible-based principles and a formal analysis method;

* Classical - these homeschoolers use a traditional approach of teaching learning tools in early school years and how to apply those tools in later schooling and life;

* Unit studies -draw themes from books (borrowed from the library or purchased) for science, history, music, art topics related to that theme, projects, and activities;

* "Relaxed" or "Eclectic" - this method is most easily described as mix and match - using whatever strikes their fancy and works in learning the usual education topics;

* Unschoolers - users of this method basically try to provide a rich, interesting environment for their children, expecting that they will find and pursue interests, and learn tools such as reading and math in order to facilitate their pursuits.

The style of the curriculum used in your homeschool can greatly influence how your homeschool feels to your child and you. Though the style range of the curriculum may be narrowed some by your chosen homeschooling method, there often remains considerable variety among the curricular materials that are suitable for a particular homeschooling method.

Hardcover textbooks are probably what first comes to mind for most parents. If the child takes care of the textbook and doesn’t write in it, the textbook can be used later by a younger sibling or sold as used. This is handy, since hardcover textbooks tend to be relatively expensive. If you are thinking of not buying answer keys to save money, I recommend against doing that. Answer keys can literally save you hours every week, and possibly your family’s and your sanity as well. Answer keys can be resold, and a set of a textbook with its answer key tends to sell quicker than the textbook alone. Textbooks have a more structured, formal feel, and they also look more "official" (I’m only referring to perception). Daily progress through a "thick" textbook may seem less perceptible to the student.

Workbooks and worksheets are, since students are supposed to write in them (and erasing is impractical and unlikely to succeed), consumable. As with textbooks, I recommend buying the answer keys, where applicable. Though workbooks are consumable, the answer keys for popular series, such as Alpha-Omega (LifePacs), Accelerated Christian Education (ACE or School of Tomorrow or "Paces"), Miquon Math, or the "Key To" series can be resold, and there is demand for them. Workbooks "feel" less formal and give the student and the teacher a good sense of the child’s learning progress. Pausing to supplement may be a little easier, since many supplementary materials will be in the workbook format already familiar to the student. Workbooks make a student’s progress more perceptible as workbooks are completed, and the stack of workbooks yet to be done gets shorter.

Unit studies differ considerably from textbooks and workbooks. Unit studies use books borrowed from the library or that have been purchased to draw themes from the books for science, history, music, art topics related to that theme, projects, and activities. There are complete unit study programs (e.g. KONOS or Weaver) or one can find many individual units at education stores, online, or from friends, allowing parents to piece together their own "program". Since it is often up to the parents to find the books and materials for the units and the activities, unit studies may entail quite a bit of preparatory work by the parent at the start of each unit. On the other hand, making learning fun and working well with students who dislike "seat work" are strong points for unit studies. If your child doesn’t do well with a lot of structure and likes to see and do things, unit studies could be the ticket for your family.

Not everyone learns things most easily using the same method. In a classroom school with 20-30 students per class using the same textbooks and method, this can present a problem for students whose learning styles differ from the style(s) used by the school’s curriculum. Homeschooling gives you the opportunity, not just to avoid this problem, but to enhance your child’s learning experience by presenting skills and information in ways that suit their learning style(s). So, what is a learning style? Here are some examples:

* Some people learn best by reading something. Give them an instruction book and they’ll do whatever the book describes.

* Some people do best with verbal instruction. Describe a task or give them a spoken list of tasks and they’ll do exactly what was described or listed.

* Some people do well if you demonstrate how something is done. They see some process once or twice and they can do it.

* Some people learn best by doing. Put something in their hands and they’ll figure it out. Or walk them through some process, letting them do the work, and they’ll have it down pat.

I’m not sure how many people are purely of one learning style to the exclusion of others, but you can expect to recognize that your child is strongest in one or two of the styles. You should take that into account when you pick curricular or supplemental materials.

You need to know where your child is academically. This is less difficult for a family starting homeschooling as their child reaches school age, but for parents whose child has attended a campus school, this is more involved. I would suggest obtaining a scope and sequence on the Internet and using it to check what your child knows - where they are behind, where they are ahead, and whether there are gaps - compared to their grade level. This will help you know where to start in each subject, and whether selective corrective supplementation is needed.

You also should work with your child’s personality. A child who is relaxed and informal might do better with unit studies or workbooks. A child who likes organization and structure will probably do better with textbooks or well-organized workbooks. You do want to challenge your child to be a self-starter and to be able to work beyond their comfort zone, but avoid setting up needless battles by choosing a curriculum that ill suits their personality.

Remember all that stuff about learning styles, academic knowledge, and personalities in previous sections? It applies to you, too! As much as possible, pick curricular materials that suit you as well as your child, since you will be teaching it. Of course, since you are the adult, if it is a choice between you having to stretch to work with a curriculum or your child having to stretch to work with it, you should do the stretching.

You need to consider what your family can afford (or wants to spend). There are excellent phonics and reading programs that cost $150-$300. There are also excellent, no-frills phonics and reading programs that cost less than $20. Some math books and programs cost $40-$100. There are also excellent math workbook series that, with answer keys, cost less than $20 a year. A tight budget can narrow your choices, but low cost does not have to be low quality, nor does higher cost have to mean wasted money.

When you evaluate some item of curriculum be sure you get a good idea of how it would be used by the teacher (you!) as well as the student. You need to know what resources will be needed and how much time will be required for preparation, activities, correcting, and evaluation. Every family differs some, but you need to make sure Mom and Dad have time for each other and their family. That may mean avoiding curricula with a high teacher time overhead, or being selective in using a curriculum’s student activities.

Whew! I bet you thought I’d never get here! Hopefully, though, the importance of all the preceding information is clear. This is when you integrate and use the ideas you’ve thought through and the information you’ve learned. All that stuff, as it applies to your family, will become the screen through which you will filter all the curriculum ideas and suggestions you will gain in the activities suggested below.

Ask other homeschoolers what they use - friends, support group members, or in online discussion forums. You will hear recommendations - positive and negative - and, more importantly, details of why and how something worked (or didn’t) for a particular family.

Collect catalogs from curriculum publishers and distributors. The publishers’ catalogs will describe in detail what their publications cover and how, and often will show sample pages. The distributors’ catalogs will help you learn what publishers are out there, often have better prices, and offer you the convenience of being able to order several publishers’ materials from one place.

Cathy Duffy and Mary Pride have each published books that review curricular materials for content, presentation, quality, and learning style. Look for their books at conventions, Christian bookstores, and from distributors. Your local public library might have older editions, or you might find copies offered for sale at used curriculum sales or on online used curriculum sale boards. Older editions won’t be as complete, but they still should be useful.

Another good place to learn about curriculum (OK, several places) is at convention exhibit halls, curriculum fairs, and stores that carry educational materials. These places offer more than talking about or reading about, or catalog browsing. The materials are right in front of you and in your hands. You may even want to have your child check out the materials too, if that would be helpful in making your choice. Be careful with sales persons. Every sales person is selling a "great" curriculum. Learn from the sales person how the program fits together and works generally, but then try to get some time to look over the materials by yourself (as much as the store or exhibit hall booth allows).

You may have in mind several items as candidates for possible purchase. If at all possible - from a friend or from the library - borrow copies of what you have in mind. Or if a friend or acquaintance is willing, you might observe how the curriculum is used by their family. Doing both would be good, since that would be like a guided test drive.

Whether you simply examine the items, or are actually able to "test drive" the items, get as good an idea as possible of how a particular textbook or workbook might suit for your family. From there, the (gulp!) decisions are up to you.

As the saying goes, nobody’s perfect. With good preparation, disasters will be unlikely and serious mistakes should be infrequent. You may never have one, but one should still be prepared. One key thing is to recognize early when there is a problem. When a problem is detected, you must decide first whether it can be handled with review or supplementation or whether the curriculum needs to be "thrown out" (sell it as used - it could be a very good fit for another family - to recuperate some of the purchase cost). Either way, you need a "Plan B". Where supplementation is indicated (e.g. the curriculum moves on to another topic too soon, or its explanation was unclear), get appropriate supplemental materials at a store that carries educational materials or from a distributor (one with fast service!). Throwing out a curriculum or even a textbook can be expensive! If you really can’t make something work, try to find and coordinate inexpensive materials (think of it as a 100% supplementation situation) to cover the rest of the year. This will afford you time to find something better for next year (which may incorporate some of your "Plan B" materials).

In the big picture - your child’s overall academic career - recovery from a curriculum disaster is very doable. Depending on how well you do in working out a comprehensive "Plan B", it may mean little more than finding a better curriculum for next year. On the other hand, you may have to play a little catch-up next year. Many curriculum publishers design their textbook or workbook series so the first month or two is mostly review, which may cover some of your catch-up topics. While recovering from a curriculum disaster might not be "fun", keep in mind that a curriculum-child mismatch disaster probably would not be detected promptly (if at all) in a classroom school, and a classroom school affords limited opportunity or flexibility to recover. This ability and flexibility to detect and promptly correct curriculum-child mismatch is one of homeschooling’s advantages over campus schools.

There is no perfect-for-my-child-anything-else-would-be-a-disaster curriculum. More than one curriculum could work, and most will need at least some adjustment, adaptation or supplementation. Though this article has focused on the importance of selecting suitable curricular materials, remember that they are just tools - your tools, not your master. Pay attention as you teach. Slow down or supplement if necessary; speed up or skip material if your child fully understands what is being covered before the book finishes the topic. Don’t be a slave to a textbook’s intended pace. Keep the learning process enjoyable and challenging. And don’t keep your family’s noses glued to the textbooks. Learning isn’t confined to a textbook, a classroom, or school hours. Use your day to day home and family activities as learning experiences. There are also many community activities and organizations your child might find interesting as well as educational. Take advantage of these for your family’s homeschool.