Is there a resource that ranks homeschooling curriculum or is there a consensus as to which one is the best "all around", or maybe the best in certain subjects.
There is no such thing as a "best" curriculum. What works for one person will not for another. For example, I REALLY like "Mystery of History". Others on here have tried it, and it didn't work for them. Why? Because they have a different teaching style than I do, and because they had different expectations. The beauty of homeschooling is that we don't have to use what others are using; we can find what works best for us. And, sometimes what works best for ONE of your children won't be best for another. You need to stay flexible. HOWEVER, having said that, there are places that review curriculum. But I personally don't check them out. I will usually get the opinions of people here, though! As far as science goes, btw, you will find that most hs'ers who are looking for a Creation viewpoint leaning toward Apologia for middle/high school. What grades?
I think Curriculum is relative. Depending on the family, the student's need, learning levels or styles, etc. If ou are just starting otu I generally see a lot of people who start with AOP. For math I see a lot of people who like TT and MUS for jr sr high levels. But even those are varying due to the students likes and learning styles. So you need to find most of us have our own opinions. I would agree with Jackie on APologia Science being tops for those grades she mentioned.
I actually DO go look at the homeschool reviews site even though not all of the reviews are good ones. When looking at reviews it is easier to decide when there are LOTS of them for the same product. If a product only has a few reviews then I would be leary about taking someone else's word on things. I always look on Amazon first for one reason only and that is the review system they have. Now, I don't always buy from Amazon, but I like to see what others are saying about stuff and some of the older or more popular products will have tons of reviews. Christainbook.com has a lot of reviews for their products too, and of course if you post HERE you will ALWAYS get an ubiased review because this forum doesn't have any ulterior motives when it comes to curriculum. i.e. The Spot isn't selling anything...it is totally a place for us...and not all homeschool site's can say that, heck not even mine can say that. Buying the right curriculum is "trial by fire" for sure. You'll never *really* know until you try it. I love Spelling Power, but believe me lots of others hate it. I hate Singapore Math, but many swear by it. Buying and using curriculum really is a personal and individual decision.
I think Jackie said it best.. there is no best curriculum. I do agree that if you are looking for a Christian view of science Apologia is amazing.. sadly I can't say that there is a secular program that is so wonderfully geared towards homeschoolers who want a strictly scientific science. Math.. I feel that teaching textbooks is amazing, but there are many others who don't like it at all...so it just goes to show that there is no best curriculum out there.. everyone is different and what is best for one isn't best for another.. and even what is best for a single homeschooler this year or even this week may not be the best the next year or week or day.
As everyone else has said, there is no "Best" curriculum. However, looking at reviews can be very helpful. You can find curriculum reviews at many places that sell hs curriculum, HomeSchoolReviews.com, hs blogs, and message boards. Look for the reviews that go beyond saying if they did or didn't like the curriculum & actually say WHY they did or didn't like it. These will give more information about the curriculum. The reason some dislike a curriculum may be the exact reason other like it and vice versa. Also, if the publisher offers free samples, get them. If you know someone who has a certain curriculum you're considering, ask if you can borrow it to look over for a few days. That way, you can see if it's something you would be able to use - if it covers what you want covered, and would work for your child. When asking, on boards like this, for suggestions for a curriculum, be as specific as possible about what you want & need - secular or religious; grade level; child's learning style, strengths & weaknesses; how much teacher planning and/or involvement, etc. Also, ask for specifics when asking about one specific curriculum - don't just ask "Do you like ETC?", ask " Do you like ETC and why/why not? What made you continue to use it? Why do you prefer it over other phonics curricula?" You'll get a better idea of what the curriculum is like & if it will work for you & your child(ren). Choosing the right materials can be difficult & it is a very personal decision, but doing some research, reading reviews, and asking the right questions can help prevent you from wasting money on some expensive curriculum you end up hating.
You can ask 10 people for their opinion of the curriculum they used and you will get 10 different answers. You just have to find what works for you.
Thank you all for your comments. I probably should have stated in my original post that we have 5 kids. Their grades in the fall will be 5th, 2nd, kindergarten and then a 2 year old and a newborn. Four girls 1 boy. I ask about the reviews obviously having no experience however your comment about people having different opinions makes since. We want to bring our kids out of the public schools (they are terrible here) however we do not have a lot of money to test the different curriculums. We must get it right the first time or I feel that we will have wasted time and money. The good thing is I have 3 months to be educated on HS'ing and the different curriculums. Anyway, thanks for your help. God bless!!
If that is the case the best thing you can do is post the ones you *think* you'd like and get everyone's opinion on it. That way you can sift out the negatives that won't bother you and vice versa.
You might want to check out some homeschooling books at your local library. That is how I learned about homeschooling. I really liked Cathy Duffy books, especially 100 Top Picks for Homeschooling Curriculum. Not only does the book talk about good curriculum, but it helps you figure out their learning styles and your teaching style. Picking curriculum is a lot easier once you figured this out! HTH! Michelle
Some curriculum sites have sample pages. They obviously will not give you all the information you need but they will at least allow you to take a quick look at what you might be purchasing.
Money is an issue for my family.. most of our curriculum isn't curriculum at all. In fact other than a few hand me downs.. and a few things that I have listed here for sale somewhere, most of what I have used has just been making things as I went along and finding things free online. I will post some links to threads that we talked about homeschooling on the cheap in a few minutes...
Here are a few threads that may help you keep it on the cheap.... http://www.homeschoolspot.com/showthread.php?t=17186 http://www.homeschoolspot.com/showthread.php?t=17152 http://www.homeschoolspot.com/showthread.php?t=17151 http://www.homeschoolspot.com/showthread.php?t=17298&highlight=frugal
You will also want to check with your state. In VA I don't have to tell them what curriculum I am using - just that I am teaching Math, Language Arts... etc. Also - even though we can start in Sept... we just started our 2009-2010 year a couple of weeks ago as we school year round. There are so many options out there - and each kid might learn differently. But I will say if you want something boxed and easy to go with to start out while you learn your kids (don't be shocked to find out your 5th grader is actually in 3rd grade in certain subjects!) LifePacs from Alpha Omega are great for a BOXED CURRICULUM. We used it our 1st year and now we just use math - but it made year 1 super easy to get through... my husband just didn't think they were doing enough
Also, if you're not going with a boxed curriculum, your library might have stuff. I'm blessed with a very good library, and when someone suggests something in particular, I check to see if they have it. Then I can get my grubby little hands on it first to see if it actually "works" for me. There have been several highly recommended stuff that I have REALLY disliked (and I discovered this without spending any money!!!), and some that I went out and bought after I found I was going to use it constantly.
Mine is the best. JUST KIDDING!!!! LOL There are so many opinions. It depends so much on your kids. I would kinda poke your 5th grader and find out how he learns best and try to get things that fit thier style vs. what you THINK you need to do. I can 2nd the recommendation for the Cathy Duffy Book...VERY HELPFUL. also, for starting out Lifepacs are good. I used with 1st (History/Science), 2nd (full) and 3rd (full) and still use Math, and will continue to next year as well. It's pretty easy to do school on the cheap - use your library!!! Come here often, there are so many amazing women here (dads too...at least a couple right???) and they're soooooo encouraging, and soooooo helpful!!!
I just read some reviews on the Cathy Duffy book. I would rather focus on a curriculum that will allow the fullest preparation for college. I'm sure most do, but I want to make sure that my child gets a complete education instead of leaving out facts inconvenient to someone's religion.
If I could give you one very good piece of advice I'd tell you NOT to dismiss the "religion" in the homeschool texts as leaving things out for convenience. Once you do this long enough you'll see that the BEST curriculums all have one thing in common - they are published by religious organizations. The only exception would be math. I'm a secular homeschooler by the way - so no agenda here - just the obvious conclusion after years of experience. And do not make the mistake of dismissing Apologia Science because it focuses on Creationism. Those books will prepare a kid for college like few brick and mortar schools could...this is not my personal opinion - it is my scientific opinion.
I know people who used AOP all the way through - only supplementing literature and both kids made it into good colleges. Also - depending on your state - you can dual enroll after they are 16. We plan on my son taking college classes at home PROBABLY around that time in a couple subjects. He'll be old enough for college math - so I believe he should get credit And I agree - don't dismiss something because it is published by a religious group. Rod & Staff is AWESOME in my opinion (just didn't work for my kids).....
I wish there was a site that gave you the ins and outs of curriculum with just the facts, no opinions. Compare them with all facts, no opinions. Cathy Duffy and homeschoolreviews.com- that's all opinion. For example, when I looked into publishers you normally see in schools, there were facts listed for the curriculums, not anyone's opinion of the curriculum.
