The question quickly becomes WHAT BOOKS? Are you at a stand still? Is the big question of what to teach or how to teach it got you frozen? Fear not we have all been there. This past year I was blessed to go to the Midwest Homeschooling Convention. The vendor’s floor was huge and packed. Frankly I walked in… then turned and walked out. I went got a drink took a seat for a few minutes then dived in.
This year's catalogue stack.
So really perhaps that is what we need to do. Let’s stop looking at the catalogues and take a moment’s break.
Do you have any clear goals for this coming year? Reading fluency? Adding? Memory development? List the top goals for this year, life skills and academic.
Now that you know where your energy needs to be focused let us consider outside factors. Do you want your material to be creationist based? What is your style of teaching? What is your child’s strongest and weakest style of learning?
For me one of my rules is the material needs to edify God. There is so much in this world that tries to rip God down. I chose to put our time and effort into material that does not. No matter your choice on this it does help clarify what materials you will be choosing from.
As for your teaching style. Do you prefer a traditional curriculum in a box? Or are you an unschooler? I am in between, I am eclectic. For my special needs children their abilities and likes are so uneven a simple grade level curriculum would not be appropriate.
What is your child’s strongest learning style? This is how you child just breathes in the material. Do they remember TV commercials word for word? Then use that, visual learner! Do they sing the radio songs on pitch, audio learner. Must they feel their way to the proper conclusion but once they have it’s locked in place? Kinetic!
Rely on the strongest learning mode to teach the toughest subjects. That way your child doesn’t have to fight the material and how they are learning it.
What is their weakest? Just the opposite of before, do they have CAPD (central auditory processing disorder) then auditory will be weak. No matter the weakest area always work on it. It may be tough but you want to encourage a well rounded learner.
Okay so now we have the ground work laid out.
Top goals for the year.
Creationist based or more secular materials.
Teaching style.
Your child’s strongest and weakest learning modes.
From here out it is easier if you have these questions answered first. So tomorrow lets talk about math curricula.
Until then God bless my friends!