Start Planning your Next Homeschool Year
- Must Have Homeschool Supplies
- Homeschooling in only 15 Hours a Week
- FREE Homeschooling Forms to help you get organized
- How to Choose a Homeschool Curriculum
- Is a Boxed Curriculum Right for You?
- 12 Must Read Books for Homeschooling Moms
- Keeping Homeschool Kids Excited about Learning
- 9 Things to Start your Homeschool Year Right
- 20 Homeschool Organization Ideas
- 6 Back to School Tips for Homeschool Families
- Are you Making the Mistake of Over Planning
- Homeschooling when Mom is Sick
- Homeschool Room Makeover
- 5 Things We Changed in our Homeschool
- First Day of School Signs
- Lego All About Me Worksheets
Homeschool Curriculum
As a homeschool mom of 6 kids, I can assure you that each child has a different learning style and different needs. Some kids need more time, some kids love to write reports, and some kids love to answer questions. Encourage your kids to use their different learning styles to learn the information.
Rabbit Trails
Don't force your kid to read the books and answer the list of questions. Instead give the list of questions to your child. Encourage them to research the answers and see where it takes them.
Hint: We use these free Reading Comprehension Bookmarks so they can be looking for information all while reading.
I had one child researching the American Revolution who decided to take a look at how the British viewed the American Revolution. She came away with a wider perspective of what was actually happening at the time.
This method works well when you have a child who adores research. Encourage this love. You'll be amazed at what your child discovers on their rabbit trail!
Notebook Pages
Another option is to give your kids notebook pages to write a paragraph or short paper about what they learned instead of answering the questions.
I was amazed when my son wrote a long paper about the flu epidemic of the early 20th century. During our discussion it became apparent he'd learned for more about the time period than just the flu epidemic.
Notebooking pages are a delightful way to encourage kids to own their education. Children create their own history books, geography books, or nature books to enjoy in later years.
Read Books Aloud
Don't toss a pile of books at your kids and expect them to read them all. Instead choose a few to read aloud to your kids. Read The Wizard of Oz, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, or The Great Gatsby aloud with your kids.
Stop periodically to define words, discuss events, and chat about the plot. What do the kids believe is going to happen next? Talk about the characters of the story and what type of people they are.
Reading books aloud and discussing them as you go is an awesome method of adding literature analysis to your homeschool while building wonderful memories of the books you've read.
Here are some great resources in picking wonderful read-a-louds: Books Children Love and The Read ~ Aloud Handbook
Discussions
Don't require your kids to write down the answers to every question in the book. Use the questions as a springboard for discussions. Find out what your kids really think, ask questions, make them ponder new ideas.
Bake cookies and brew tea to create a cozy environment to chat about the various topics you're studying. Encourage the kids to wander off topic. You'll enjoy long discussions talking about history, literature, current events, and various issues on your children's minds.
Everyone will be happier discussing the questions as a family instead of pondering the questions alone.
Use Manipulatives
Giving kids a pile of math worksheets is easy but doesn't help kids understand the concepts behind the problems. So hand your child math manipulatives to use as they solve the problems. For instance using carrying and subtracting with dimes and pennies cements the concept of tens and ones. After all, one dime is worth ten pennies!
Do the same thing with spelling. Pull out magnetic letters and have the kids practice spelling on the fridge. Carve the words into play dough. Write the words with letter tiles.
Encourage your kids to grab manipulatives to master math, spelling, and grammar.
The trick to making a curriculum fit your family is to use the curriculum as a springboard. Allow it to guide what the kids need to learn and when.
But you choose how the kids learn the material. Should they read or listen to the books? Write a paper or enjoy a long discussion? You are the homeschool mom. You call the shots.
What are your favorite ways to make a curriculum fit your family?
Sara Dennis is a homeschooling mother of 6 children ages 4 through 18. After much research into homeschooling in 2000, she and her husband fell in love with classical education and used it as the foundation for their homeschool. Sara blogs at Classically Homeschooling, and you can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Google+.
