How do I go about choosing a homeschool curriculum that will work for me and my kids? One of the most important decisions a family has to make when they first decide to homeschool is what curriculum to buy; but the plethora of choices available can be overwhelming. Where should I start looking? What will work best for our family? When we started homeschooling in 2005, I read dozens of curriculum reviews online and basically ended up choosing the curricula that had the best reviews. With … [Read More...]
Homeschooling 101
The Basics
Learn how to choose curriculum, schedule lessons, how to use (or not to use) a scope & sequence, and more.
Printables & Downloads
Free Resources
Unique and helpful printables for many subjects, recordkeeping spreadsheet, planning worksheets, and more.
Strategies & Tips
For Parents
Learn strategies from a veteran homeschool mom to help you homeschool from preschool through high school.
How to Choose the Right Homeschool Curriculum
Keeping Up With The (Homeschooling) Joneses
I'm sure you never compare your homeschool with other homeschools.You are always satisfied with what you are doing and accomplishing. But.... You know the Joneses. They're the perfect homeschooling family that lives down the street from you. Ten kids, all well-dressed and perfectly well-behaved. The mom wakes at dawn every morning, bright-eyed and cheery, to fix a nutritionally-balanced hot breakfast for her family. When she teaches her children, they listen attentively and she never … [Read More...]
How to Succeed at Homeschooling
Teaching your children to fish is the real secret to homeschooling success. Every homeschooling mom longs for that one, perfect curriculum. That magical homeschool program guaranteed to transform her children into the kind of students who will ace their SATs and attract the attention of prestigious universities. If you're one of those homeschoolers searching for that Holy Grail curriculum, I'm sorry to disappoint you. It doesn't exist. While your choice of curriculum can … [Read More...]
Should College be the Goal, or Just an Option?
Our society today says college is a must for everyone but is it really our goal or should it be an option? When we first started homeschooling in 2005, I had the mindset that, aside from raising my children with a strong biblical foundation, my main goal for homeschooling was to prepare my children for college. In my mind, college would be that holy grail that would validate all my efforts at homeschooling. But I don't think that anymore. Not even close. Over the last few … [Read More...]
Should Homeschoolers Follow a Scope and Sequence?
Scope and sequence syndrome manifests itself in the teaching process but how strict an adherence is required of the homeschooler and the teacher? My philosophy changed radically as I considered what I wanted my kids to learn. When I began homeschooling in 2005, I wanted to make sure my kids knew what they were "supposed to know" by each grade level; so one of the first things I did was locate every possible scope and sequence I could find. If I was going to homeschool, by golly, I was going … [Read More...]