My Curriculum

(Note: I will be adding more links, once I can get my connection to to stay connected :-)

I often get asked if I use a curriculum that someone else sends me. A "boxed curriculum" is one of the options available to homeschoolers, but it is not a good fit for my daughter. An advantage of learning from home is the ability to customize learning based on the individual child, and on the family. A lot of new homeschoolers will picked a boxed curriculum because the format is easy and automatic, with lessons outlined and explained for both teacher and student. Other homeschoolers might follow a specific philosophy, but not a preformed curriculum. Some might "unschool" (self-learning). Still others, like myself, will choose an "eclectic" approach.

I chose an eclectic curriculum for a variety of reasons, not the least that our family life is fairly eclectic in and of itself, with many interests and a lot of creativity. My daughter, herself, is a very creative individal- often outside of the box. She also has some issues that can make learning difficult, one of which is ADHD (and here.) Since I work, I also had to choose a way to teach that allowed flexibility with scheduling. So my pick-and-choose system started and has grown.

For grammar and writing, I tried "Climbing to Good English" this year. I quite like this text and workbook, and plan to continue with the fourth grade level. I have had to explain some of the more old-fashioned words used, which my daughter was unfamiliar with- pupil, rather than student, for example- but I personally love the focus on proper English and good writing, something I grew up with, but that I found lacking in the public school education my daughter was receiving. For Literature, I use a large variety of classics as well as some more modern child-friendly authors. My daughter has a high reading level, but does not love reading, so I have learned to find samples of good writing that I can use to pique her interest while still exposing her to rich language. She has outright objected to Dickens!

For math, I spent a long while on "real life" math- math that could be done during daily life. Her public school experience left her very anxious about worksheets and formal math- she would literally start hyperventilating. So, while out at the playground, I would have her trace shapes with her scooter and we would add up the "perimeter" with imaginary numbers; I taught her how to use a shopping budget and placed her in charge of makign sure we "stick to our budget" when grocery shopping. We did measuring and fractions while cooking recipes. She learned to do bank transactions, her own shopping transactions, and how to decide what to spend or not spend with her allowance. And we played lots of games that used numbers and logic. We still do those real-life experiences, and more. After several stop-start attempts to go back to worksheets (so I would have something physical to demonstrate her learning) I finally discovered Sylvan workbooks. The Sylvan format seems much less frightening for her, and we are both thrilled when she completes her assignments and gives herself a fist-pump! She is finally reaching her grade-level for math, and has fewer anxiety attacks when worksheets.

Science is very free-form. I have two large "worksheet" books that I use. I also have her explore online learning videos, look up information on specific topics, and we do hands-on experiments. I do pick the main topic, but there is enough leeway to take a side-trip or two. I combine a lot of science topics with the history lessons, which reinforces the history topic and also demonstrates how science is present and usable in daily lives, even from ancient days. She also deals with math while exploring science.

Social Studies takes several directions in our hoemschool. My main text is "Story of the World." We are nearly done with the first book, and this classical curriculum has, by far, been my daughter's favorite. "Story of the World" is mostly chronological, and can be expanded with many other resources- I use the Internet as well as other books and museums. The lessons also fit in with other subject areas- science, as I mentioned above, as well as literature, math, government, religion, art and music. I use the ancient maps to compare with modern maps, and open up discussion sometimes on how the ancient civilizations she is learning play a part in our modern world. I also take side trips into American history and government.

Art and Music are frequent. My daughter loves exploring her creativity. She has always loved music, so she is a member of a vocal and an instrument choir, as well as taking private voice lessons. Planned or unplanned, art projects often end up part of other lessons- a collage or sketch or painting, making a sculpture or bead necklace to learn more about a culture, and so on.

Health may incorporate information on our bodies- a topic, with my background, I regard as science, but the reviewer marked as health. I also cover various safety topics- danger signs, what to do in an emergency, okay versus not okay contact with other people, fire drills, handling peer relationships. Physical education sometimes incorporates health- taking care of your body- but also includes a variety of outdoor and indoor games, sports, dance, and learning about famous events and participants.

I do cover religious education, though that is not a required subject for reviews. Faith is a big part of our lives. We have a terrific Church network, and my daughter attends children's classes. At home, we discuss the Bible and faith practice, and what she learned at Church. We explore how faith works daily in our lives. I do discuss different religions and belief systems, so I classify this as "Religion" and not "Bible study".

Finally, I keep track of her social life. Having been asked often enough "but how does your daughter learn to get along with others?" and other less well-put questions, I feel it is easier to simply glance at her calendar and go "oh, well, this week she's had Church, two classes with other kids, several hours at the PAL center..." For those who believe homeschooling isolates a child, I have learned that my daughter's social circle is massive now compared to the social circle she had while in public school. She interacts with people of all ages, is comfortable knowing who to talk to when in a public situation- bank, store, museum. She has friends who are homeschooled, private schooled, and public schooled (and, yes, she has commented on the differences she sees in how those kids all relate with themselves and adults). She knows several adults she considers safe people- in abuse prevention, it is important for a child to be aware of who they can go talk to if they feel unsafe in a situation or with another person, and while a parent should always be a good choice, a parent may not be the most comfortable initial choice for a child- and has some encouraging adult mentors.

In short, I use a varied approach to homeschooling lessons, and allow flexibility for self-interest. I have leaned toward a more classical approach, with some "unschooling" influences, and some more traditional and "standard" ideas. I try to encourage my daughter's strengths while helping her grow in the areas she has less interest or comprehension. We have found a system that works, for now, and I leave room for adjustments. And so, our adventure continues!