Tips for Choosing Homeschool Curriculum

As a homeschooling parent, you have the significant opportunity to choose which homeschool curriculum you want to use with your children. But with so many options available, it can be difficult to decide which one is right for your family.

For the ultimate guide on choosing homeschool curriculum, be sure to also read my post: 10 Easy Steps for Choosing Homeschool Curriculum.

In this post, I will discuss things to consider while narrowing down your options and beating decision paralysis. By the end, you’ll be equipped to make the best decision for your child’s education.

So let’s get started!

*Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the link. Please see my disclosure for more details.

Will it fill the role you need it to fill?

Do you remember at the beginning of part 1 of this post where we discussed what to do first? Evaluate last year, set a vision and goals, and choose subjects.

Then once you choose the subjects you want to cover, start comparing the curriculum you find to those goals and subjects you chose.

To do this, I begin by looking at the resource in depth. I read reviews, download samples, or look at it in person. I open the table of contents for each resource and compare it to my goals for the year.

If it matches up well, I put it on my short list. If not, I keep looking.

Anytime you’re thinking about choosing a homeschool curriculum that doesn’t line up with any of your goals or is a subject you weren’t planning on doing this year, then you have two options: change your goals or move on.

If you decide to move on, maybe add it to a list to come back to in the future. Maybe it will align with your goals another year.

The whole purpose of those goals and the vision you set for your year is so that you can use that to keep your focus as you set up your plan. There really is no shortage of great curricula so at some point you have to draw the line.

And no matter how hard you try, you can’t teach everything in one year. Your past self set goals and boundaries already for you. Stick to them.

Are there other needs you have in place you are looking to fill? For high schoolers, you may want to pay attention to credits as not every high school curricula is worth a whole credit on its own.

Worldview

There is much discussion these days of what children are being taught, and this is a big reason many families are choosing to and continuing to homeschool.

One of the great things about homeschooling is that you get to choose what topics, when, and how your children are being taught.

When I was young and being homeschooled, there weren’t many homeschool curriculum options for my mom to choose that weren’t christian-based. The homeschool world in the US has roots in Christianity.

This was not a problem for our family, though, as my dad is a Music Minister in the church.

Years later, there are still those same options and so many more. Not only have the Christian curriculum options expanded, but there are also quite a bit of secular options available as well. And there are new options coming out all the time.

If your family has a specific worldview (Catholic, Secular, Christian, Jewish, etc.) you’d like present – or not present – in your homeschool curriculum, then this is one way to narrow down your options a good bit.

Consider whether you would like overt Christianity in your curriculum, a more neutral option, or something more secular.

For example, some science curricula are based on a young earth, others on evolution, while others combine creationism with an old earth. Some resources have Bible verses throughout, others do not. Many supplements can be added as well.

Do keep in mind that any homeschooling resources you choose are tools. You can skip or add anything you’d like as you present lessons to your child. This is something that is wonderful about homeschooling.

Actually, adding in rich discussions alongside curriculum can be incredibly valuable to your children, helping them to tackle all the big thoughts you encounter.

Cost 

Money isn’t everything, but it is a consideration when looking at homeschool curriculum. If you have a lot of children to buy curriculum for, it definitely will need to be considered.

However, there are a couple great things about homeschooling curriculum.

It re-sells pretty well if you are willing and able to list it and get it sold. Also, most resources can be re-used for multiple children. Up front cost for the oldest may be a lot, but after using it with multiple children, you have definitely gotten your money from it.

If you are unable to spend much or just like to save where you can, there are options out there for many subjects that are free or cheap.

• Easy Peasy Homeschool is a popular free option.
• Designing your own curriculum, while taking time, can be an amazing way to customize any topic for your family.
• Also consider borrowing resources from a friend.
• You could even buy used curriculum and maybe even re-sell afterwards.
• And definitely be sure to get a library card and take regular trips! Never undervalue reading good books.

The bottom line is that just because it costs a lot doesn’t mean it will be the best for your family.

And the same with free options. For your family, it may be worth it to you to spend a little money. But remember, no matter the cost, most anything can be adjusted.

Format (digital, print, etc.)

Another thing to consider when choosing homeschool curriculum is the format. Is it a workbook or online resource? Do you want something that is more interactive or something that is more independent?

There are homeschool curriculum options available in all different formats. It is important to consider what format will work best for your child and your family.

Some families prefer Homeschool curriculum that is completely online. This can be a great option for families who travel or have a lot of extracurricular activities.

Others prefer a workbook for independent work, and still others like a literature-based curriculum so they can sit down and learn together.

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the format of homeschool curriculum. It is important to choose what will work best for your family.

Learning style of your child 

When it comes to choosing homeschool curriculum you may want to consider the learning style of your child. Every child learns differently and what works for one child might not work for another.

Consider your child’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to learning and look for homeschool curriculum that will cater to their needs.

Do they learn well from a workbook? Perhaps they do better with more hands on projects.

Knowing how your child learns best will help you choose homeschool curriculum that they will be more likely to engage with and remember what they are learning.

However, now that I’ve said all that, do keep in mind that many homeschool resources include ideas for ways to incorporate multiple learning styles into the learning.

There are also many great supplements that are great for this. So buying a particular curriculum may not be as important as you think.

You can even come up with your own ideas!

Through adding audiobooks, related art projects, additional reading, or even games you can manipulate any curriculum to work for your children.

Your teaching style 

I love the idea of choosing homeschool curriculum that lines up with what my kids love and what makes them tick, but ultimately I still have to help them learn it. So if I choose a curriculum based only on what works for them it still won’t always work.

Your child is not the only one in this gig.

For instance, my middle daughter is an artist. She lives and breathes everything creative. So curriculum that is colorful and has lots of projects is right up her alley.

I actually bought a writing curriculum one year that I’m sure she would thrive with. Very hands on, lots of projects and most of it is done with me.

But I couldn’t even pull it out.

Every time I looked at the resource I wanted to cry. I could already feel my energy leaving my body and I hadn’t even set it in front of her. I can’t put my finger on it, but I couldn’t do it. And that’s ok.

This homeschooling thing is a team effort, it’s more than ok to consider yourself in the mix too.

Prep time

There is a wide range of prep involved in homeschool curricula. Many are open-and-go, while anything that tends more toward creative with projects and such (you know all the fun stuff?) those usually require more prep.

I love open-and-go stuff for sure but have found a few ways that can make some resources requiring preparation not so overwhelming. Of course I have to pay attention to how much of this sort of resource I use and plan accordingly.

A couple things I do to reduce prep time are to collect supplies in advance and do as much prep as I can at the beginning of the school year.

Here’s some examples. I have started buying our science curriculum with the supply kit. This way I’m already prepared with most of the supplies we need for experiments, I just have to look over the lab steps the night before.

We also love All About Reading, which has a lot of prepping involved for the activities. So I try to do as much of that as I can in one go, cutting out several lessons at a time, always trying to stay ahead. This way it turns into an open-and-go curriculum on school days.

Parent involvement required 

Think back to that writing curriculum I mentioned a minute ago. The fun creative one. One of the reasons I have a hard time using it is because it has a ton of parent involvement. Everything is done together.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love my kids and enjoy doing things with them. But big messy art projects with my kids every day is more than I can handle most days along with all the other things I’m trying to get done with multiple kids.

So I personally try to limit the curricula we use each year that requires a lot from me – especially because I have multiple kids that need my attention.

I’m also a bit of an introvert.

Many will go the opposite direction and be very involved with every subject, and do most subjects together. That works great too!

Do keep in mind that when your kids are little, like up to grade 2-3 at least, they will require a good bit from you, no matter the curriculum you choose. Any child that can’t read, sit still, or write very well is not going to have the capacity to do much on their own. It’s just how things go.

However, even with going a more traditional route, schooling young kids shouldn’t take long and often involves lots of play.

One great thing to help with freeing up your time is to incorporate a group or morning time. This allows you to do some fun things with all your kids together that you may not otherwise do.

If your history program includes a lot of read-alouds, combining your students and reading all together is very helpful. Many families also do science together. Really anywhere that you can combine your kids into one resource will greatly lighten your load most of the time and still allow you to be hands-on if desired.

See it in person

I’ve mentioned a few times that seeing homeschool curriculum in person can be so helpful. I want to be sure to drive that one home. Reviews can be misleading, so I recommend you also look at it yourself whenever possible.

Going to a curriculum fair, borrowing from a friend, or even downloading an online sample are great options to get a feel for the resource. You can look over the resource to evaluate whether it fits your goals, teaching style, learning styles, worldview, and all other potential needs for your homeschool.

Don’t get stuck

When I was little, I had a horrible time making even insignificant decisions. I remember having such a hard time that I would just cry cause I couldn’t decide. I did not want to make the wrong decision and it frustrated my parents as well!

One time my mom asked “are you sure?” after I had chosen, and she decided never to ask that question again after that. ha!

Over the years, I have gotten much better, but decisions are still a struggle, especially when I am feeling pressured to make a decision. One thing that really helps me is to make sure I have plenty of time to weigh my options and research.

With the overwhelming amount of curriculum options it is so easy to get stuck and overanalyze your decisions.

You may choose something you’re excited about and the next day see another shiny curriculum ad and decide that one must be the right fit instead of what you picked yesterday.

And then after a while, you have gone so far down the curriculum rabbit hole that you realize you don’t even know what you want or need and you are just stuck. You have decision paralysis.

It’s okay to be indecisive but don’t let it stop you from moving forward.

If you are struggling to make a decision, it can be helpful to re-align your thoughts back toward your goals for the year. Then maybe just choose something and go with it.

You can always change your homeschool curriculum later on if you find that it’s not working for your family. And the truth is, many resources are pretty easy to re-sell if you are willing to put in a little effort.

One thing I find helpful is to not make any quick decisions, though. I do my research, make a decision, then sit on it. I pray about it. If I’m still just as excited about it a week or two later then I’ll go ahead and make the purchase. If not, then I know it wasn’t the right choice and move on.

Want some ideas?

If you’re curious what other homeschoolers are using, I’ve written blog posts on what we use. Follow the links below. I will keep updating this list over time.

Homeschooling preschool
Homeschooling curriculum for kindergarteners

Wrap it up

In conclusion, there is no one “right” curriculum for every homeschooling family. The key is to find the homeschool curriculum that works best for you and your children.

Consider your child’s learning style, your teaching style, your worldview, and your family’s educational goals when making your decision. With so many homeschool curriculum options available, you are sure to find the perfect fit for your family.

Homeschooling can be a great adventure for both you and your child. Enjoy the journey!

Are there other things you consider when choosing your homeschool curriculum? Comment below with your thoughts!

Related posts

The ultimate guide to choosing homeschool curriculum

Customize your homeschool curriculum and make it work for you!

Where to find the best homeschool curriculum