How to Choose the Best Homeschool Curriculum

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“If our children were to grow up truthful, they must be taught by those who had a regard for truth; and not just a casual regard, a delicate regard. On this point, we were adamant.” – Amy Carmichael

Over the past several decades, homeschooling has become a much more prominent topic, overall. With that said, it has become even more crucial to families across the country in light of the events of both 2020 and 2021. It is not surprising to learn that there is an immense amount of information out there to help, or dare I say, overwhelm homeschooling moms across the country. There are so many different curriculum to choose from! How is a homeschooling mom to know where to start and how to choose the best homeschool curriculum for her family’s needs?

To begin, I would say that there are many different questions to consider before even starting your research. For example,

• Do you want to use only one curriculum exclusively or rather a combination of subjects from several different curriculum?
• Do you want to do some subjects together as a family or would you prefer your children to all study subjects within their grades?
• What method are you planning on following, if any?
• What is important to you in a curriculum? Do you want it to be pretty and illustrated, or would you prefer one that has fewer distractions for your littles?
• Is it crucial to you that your curriculum have a Christian perspective?
• Do your kids learn better through reading or watching videos?
• Would you prefer a curriculum that lays out the lesson plans for you or that enables you to set it up yourself?

As a side note here, I was homeschooled through my entire grade school years, and I did not even know until later that there were different methods. With that in mind, I do not think it is crucial that you choose a method. In order to find some clarity, it may be best to choose a method, but do not stress about it in the beginning.

Additionally, if you are a new homeschooling mom, I would encourage you to simply choose one mainstream Christian curriculum (Bob Jones, ACE, or Abeka) for the first year. For example, for most of my school years, my mom used Abeka videos for every subject and all six of us kids. I am here to testify that, though it was not complicated, it worked! Oftentimes, I think that new homeschooling moms can be extremely overwhelmed at the beginning when they realize they have so many options.

Because of this challenge, I would strongly encourage you to stick with one, simple curriculum for the first year. From there, if you feel so inclined, then branch out and be as creative as you like! That is the beauty of homeschooling. Once you become more comfortable with the process, you can research the different aspects and discover how to find the perfect homeschooling curriculum for you and your littles. Nothing is set in stone! Embrace the freedom and just jump in.

Once you have answered each of the above questions and know what you think you are looking for, I would say you are ready to dive into curriculum research. The things you really need to consider when you are choosing a curriculum for your family are as follows:

1. Credibility

I think that one of the main focuses for homeschoolers should be setting up their children for success regardless of how God chooses to lead them. For example, if your daughter decides she wants to be a doctor, then I think it is crucial that her homeschooling set her up to have a credible diploma, pass her SAT/ACT, and do well in college when the time comes. On the other hand, if your son decides he wants to go to trade school, I think it is important that his homeschooling has set him up for success as well.

Homeschooling should never hinder children from achieving their future goals, rather, it should set them up for success as you instill in them the character they need to dream big and achieve great things.

With that in mind, as you seek to choose the best homeschool routine for your family, I think considering a curriculum’s credibility is crucial. In other words, does the curriculum you are considering have what it takes to prepare your kids for college? Will it expound on the basic elements of education that your children need to know? These are questions you need to think about when considering the credibility of a curriculum. In order to know whether a curriculum is credible or not, simply research it. Whether you decide to search YouTube, personal homeschool blogs, or even the reviews for the curriculum, there are places to look.

Another option you have is to check out the Homeschool Review Crew who review all kinds of different homeschool resources including curriculum.

2. Perspective

Does the curriculum you are looking at teach things from a biblical and Christian perspective? Is it true, honest, and pure? I would seriously consider the perspective a curriculum is written from Christian perspective. With that said, you may find a math curriculum that you like is from a very neutral point of view. In that case, if you really like it, it fits your family well and is credible, I would say stick with your gut feeling and go for it. It is up to you to find out what works best for your family even if the solution you find is not what you may have originally considered.

As a side note here, do not be afraid to really incorporate Christian literature into your homeschooling whether that be in the form of your main literature study or even book reports. You have the opportunity to truly monitor and choose what your kids are reading and learning from in their homeschool and literature can be a big part of your curriculum!

3. Compatibility

Last but not least, when considering how to choose the best homeschool curriculum, we must discuss compatibility. Just because a curriculum is absolutely perfect for one family does not mean that it will be a perfect fit for you and your family. You must consider compatibility. If you children really struggle with learning from text alone, you may need to find a curriculum that offers audio and video resources. On the other hand, if your child really struggles to focus through videos, you may need to find a more text-based curriculum. In other words, when considering a curriculum, as yourself, “Does this curriculum actually work for my family and meet our specific learning needs?”

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This post has discussed some ways to help you determine how to choose the best homeschool curriculum for you and your family. When choosing your curriculum for the year, do not forget to consider credibility, perspective, and compatibility. Each of these elements play a crucial role in our homeschooling experiences and are truly worth considering!

What do you consider when choosing a curriculum for your homeschool?
What are some of the non-negotiables for you and your family as they pertain to curriculum?
Please let me know in the comments below!

Until next time