I have been homeschooling my kids and everything is going good but I sit and wonder if i should have a "regular curriculum" like SOS or K-12 or whatnot.... I have a ton of stuff but we are mostly eclectic and I put my own together but I'm starting to wonder if that's the way to go...........................I sit here wondering a lot whether I'm teaching them on time or if there learning what is needed..... I don't know. I am not stopping homeschooling I just think maybe we need a different approach.... i have some sra math and i just don't like it..... so they are working out of workbooks and life of Fred.....I don't have a good science for my 1st grader so we have been winging it... I feel sometimes I'm doing an injustice to them by doing it "ALL MYSELF CURRICULUM". Maybe im just having a rough self doubt patch i don't know..
It is probably just a rough self doubt phase. I also wanted at one time (and still would if it would work) an all-in-one curriculum. But, I don't think it is the best for my son, because he does not learn well from textbooks in some subjects. And also, some subjects are good for us from one publisher, but not the others. I like BJU literature, but the math was tough for him, so we went with TT. I really am getting away from the traditional textbooks with history. I am just picking up different books at the library and assigning assignments out of them. For example, I am having him read about ancient China. I told him what to read and to draw and illustrate a picture of his choice and to write a paragraph on Confucious. I want to help him learn without the useless memorization of facts. I think we have the flexibility to do that in homeschooling. So, while there may be a "feeling" of security in an all-in-one curriculum, it may not be the best fit. Also, remember if you raise your children to believe in themselves, whatever may be missed will not be such a big deal IMO. I think we tend to believe that if we miss something then our kids will never get it. I think that with self-confidence and a knowledge that they are loved can conquer a lot of "gaps" and help them to close those gaps on their own.
Oh I go through that all the time!!! Seriously - just set back a little and then think about it - HARD!!!! Like I said on another thread I would rather do one thing - but DH really wanted something different so we compromised (I get to homeschool and use something he likes - which is fine). If you like it and your kids are learning (which I am sure they are) then you are set!!
This seems to be a common thought especially when children begin jr. high. When my children were younger, I liked to create the curriculum and do a lot of unit studies. (I almost wish I had another child just to do that. ) When they each reached jr. high level, I began to feel the need for textbooks. This seems to be a very common thought for us parents. IMHO by that age there is a call for some of the more structured learning. All through jr high and high school age my children (daugher completed homeschool and son is in 8th grade) they had textbooks for some subjects and unit studies and non textbooks for other subjects. Do what you think is best and surely it will be the best. There is more than one way to teach a child and there is more than one way that they learn. That is one of the beauties of homeschooling.
The above is so true IMHO. We don't want our children to hate learning. None of us can know everything; but if we know where to find it, then we can learn. Also, schools certainly have their gaps in educating children. P.S. Hope the quotes worked. This is the first time I tried it.
Stop doubting yourself! I've always put my own together. I've used a hodge-podge of curricula and books. I've tried so many things, many of which we didn't like. But my kids always learned. My high schoolers take online classes, but I pick and choose classes through various schools. If you and your children like what you're using, stick with it. If a book/curriculum doesn't work in a particular subject, ditch it and try something else. Don't throw out everything and go to a curriculum package for each child. You'll almost certainly dislike that. I think you'd more likely be doing an injustice to your kids if you stick them in one-size-fits-all-x-graders curricula. First graders do *not* need science. If you feel your dd needs some science, go to the library and get books on, for example, cats, and read them together. Then get books on rain forests and read them together, etc. If you both like doing experiments, get simple experiment books from the library and do some experiments together. If your dd likes paper crafts, she may enjoy lapbooks. There are a bunch of free lapbooks on animals at Homeschool Share (some are better for younger elem and some for older elem). If your state requires science for your first grader, you may have a few restrictions, but they shouldn't be hard to meet without a textbook curriculum. Because Apologia elementary wasn't out when dc#1 was in elementary school, and because I tried a couple of curricula, didn't like them, and ditched them within a few weeks, ds' science education throughout elementary grades was from reading book after book from the library. He started into Apologia General Science with no problem when he was in 7th grade, and he loves science. For his first online science class, Apologia Biology, he made a final grade of about 99 percent. He also got an A in Chemistry, and his teacher said that anyone who made an A or B in the class should consider going into the field of chemistry for a profession. So, not using a science curriculum for so many years didn't hurt him at all.
When I have a K'er or first grader, I end up putting together unit studies (if you want to call it that) out of whatever occurs to me. I have a book from a teacher store that's about Helpers, both family/friends and community helpers. This year I made one about our state with online resources from free printable worksheet sites, coloring books, and our state website. I didn't get real technical with it, just a map of the US to highlight our state in color and its neighbors in different colors and water in blue, practice writing the name of iour state and our town, picture of our state capital building, state seal and flag, state flower and tree and bird and mammal and crustacean and (we have a lot of "state stuff")... and some coloring books pages about things to do in our state. We'd talk about a topic for a few minutes, read about it in a book (one of several!) from the library, and he'd color his coloring page of it. Turned out to make a nice little book when stapled together on the side. I've made one on birds this year too - again using online resources, books from the library, and coloring books and such. We're going to do one on mammals, one on fish, and one on reptiles and amphibians before we're done for the year. We'll probably get to one about the USA for social studies, done the same way.
I'll say, I winged it for K and 1st for my oldest. I used a mishmosh of things. She's VERY bright and was not harmed at all! I felt guilty and for 2nd and 3rd grade used an out of the box curriculum. She did well with them (and I had my middle use K from the same company - he HATED it). We used SOME of the boxed curriculum for 4th...but ended up ditching most of it after we got started. This year, I'm totally winging it again, and we are LOVING it and my kids are learning tons and having so much more fun. That's been amazing. Hope this helps you in some way!
Girl, I am envious of you (know that's not a good trait, lol)!!!!! I would have LOVED to put all of mine together! I just have never had time! Honestly if we hadn't already got SOS for next year I would consider putting it together myself next year (we're going SOS because I think computer learning will mesh better with ds' learning style). I would love to put together our own unit studies just based on what the kids enjoy ((((might do that some as I get more time this semester)))). I have put some things together in the past but not even entire subjects or the entire curriculum. And just so you know, I ALWAYS feel like they're missing something and we USE a curriculum! lol!
Autumn...sometimes you make my day! My2kids...EVERYone has gaps. If it is boring and they don't learn anything...even if it was covered, it would still be a gap, right? So if the kids are learning anything, and are getting to the point where they can carry on a conversation on a variety of topics. Even if one is video games Then they are ok. Some kids work better within a curriculum, but often I think that what you feel comfortable teaching is important too. I would much rather read a book outloud that I am interested in then have them read, or have to read to them a paragraph out of a boring text. If I am involved, then they are more so. I am finding (see Learning Adventures day one) that even with an inclusive curriculum that I have to tweak it. And I did that too when we started with Time4Learning. That really didn't last long at all. I sure wouldn't want to buy a school in a box and then spend as much time as before tweaking it. I will just do the best I can and hope God is with us.
I have been putting unit studies together for many of our subjects. As long as they are learning it doesn't matter if it is put together by you or someone else. As far as the science for the first grader I have been using schoolexpress.com this year and love it. You pay about $30.00 I believe for the year membership to the site, but I went ahead and printed all the units I was interested in and have enough for several years of science, history, and etc. In my opinion many of these units are much more indepth than they would be in a textbook.
why should one set curriculum be any better than what you are teaching? It isn't like just because someone through one together it means that they are so much better at it. in my opinion just make sure not to get to stressed out and that the kids are having fun with it and learning and you should be fine. i havent had the experience of having and homeschooling kids myself yet, but thats my opinion on it. I remember i used to love scholastic readers when i was little, they always had interesting facts that could fit into the 'science' category. I kind of agree with the person who said that kids dont need science at that age, but i think learning fun science things could definately be a different story
I am not goign to read through everything untill I give my two cents. It is fun doiign the stuff you piece together, I have been doing that for at least one kids now for a coupel years too. So now I am getting relaxed with it because I know I have the stuff to teach him if it takes a little longer it will will work out, one wya or another. But-- I too get worried now and then I was even loking this morning at AOP thinking, maybe for next year I should get his Language arts through them again, cuase I am totally eclectice there and laid back this year, not sure we are keeping up where it belongs and all that. I keep questioning if we did everything , then tell my self not to worry, mostly when the two SOS classes shwo he is A and B levels I know things are going okay at least in that section.. so then I wonder, if he should be doing more SOS, lol. NOPE< WE have it right were we need it, maybe it would be good for you to do like me, do part SOS and part eclectic? I think this year we are enjoying schhooling more, even though I am half there half not for it and we are half the time like an unschooled bunch of one lol, only one homeschooler this year. Today I feel sick and normallywe would take today off but he is off doing his Math SOS right now1 FIXED ME A COFFEE FIRST TOO so I can rest knowing I am here andhe is working, but not have to worry. ok, my head is thick today so hoping this makes the sence I think it does.. gonna read what other people said now!
We have homeschooled for ten years and I am convinced eclectic is the way to go. Saxon specializes in Math and so they do it really well. Apologia specializes in science, etc. I can also custom-fit my curriculum to each child according to passions, strengths or weaknesses. I have tried the one curriculum method and we were all miserable!
I don't know what is best for your family. As long as your children show an interest or love of learning, you are on the right track. Whatever you do, it's better than a public school education.
