The 4 Main Homeschool Curriculums

• There are several different types of homeschooling curriculums including Do-It-Yourself, purchased curriculums, online curriculums, and online schools.

• Factors that may affect your choice of homeschool curriculums include your child’s learning style and ability, your desired flexibility levels, your state’s school standards, and your own preferences.

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Learn About Homeschool Curriculums

When I first started homeschooling, one of the first questions I had was which curriculum to use. There are several different types of curriculums, and each one offers its own unique qualities. However, I, like many of you, was looking for the “best” one.  After a lot of research and time, I realized that there is no ‘best’ kind. Each homeschooling parent has to find the one that works best for them and their family.

 In this post, I will go over the four main types of curriculums and what you can expect from them. That way you can make a more informed decision about which curriculum may work best for you.

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Curriculum

The first kind I refer to as DIY Curriculum. That is because you, the teacher, will come up with your own lesson plans and schedules, find your own resources, and teach everything yourself. Doing paperwork such as keeping grades, grading assignments and tests, and even keeping attendance are all your responsibility. While this may seem a bit overwhelming, keep in mind that this means that you get to choose what your children learn and how they are being taught. You also get to start and end classes when you want, and take breaks as needed. This flexibility is great for families who are on the go or who like to make their own schedules.

If you are wondering where to start, I highly recommend checking out your state’s standards. You can conveniently find them HERE in our state’s standards tab. Once there, you will come across multiple links that will provide you with a downloadable, detailed list of the grade’s standards per subject including extracurriculars like art, drama, music, P.E., health, and computer science. You can then use these standards to find online resources, such as educational games and videos or even printable worksheets (see our collection of resources HERE in the “Resources” tab).

There are also curriculum workbooks that you can buy if you want physical books for your student to work in. Some workbooks such as Comprehensive Curriculum, or Brain Quest cover multiple subjects. Or you can buy individual subject workbooks such as TInkerActive for science or Singapore Math for math. I have used all of these and really enjoyed them. There are many curriculum books out there, the one caution I will make is that some curriculum workbooks are not comprehensive and may only cover a couple of subjects.

Highlights:

• You know exactly what your child is learning and can cater to their needs such as the speed in which they learn or the depth of knowledge for each subject.
• Freedom to do schooling when and where you would like.

Challenges:

• Making lesson plans and keeping schedules can be time consuming for the parent, especially when you are teaching more than one student.
• Keeping up with grades and other paperwork can become overwhelming.
• You will need to make sure that the material that you are teaching lines up with state standards requirements. As well as ensuring that all high school transcripts and credits are transferable to brick-and-mortar schools or universities.

Boxed Curriculum Sets

Boxed Curriculum sets are sold by grade level and generally come complete with all or most of what your child will need for that grade level in the four main subjects (math, history, science, and language arts). Sets include workbooks, instructor guides, pre-made lesson plans, and reading books. Some also include handwriting, cursive writing, spelling, and phonics for lower grade levels. Even more, some sets include access to online resources such as videos and worksheets. Know that you can purchase extracurriculars, such as art, music, and language curriculums, separately. A few of the most popular boxed curriculum sets include Abeka, Timerdoodle,  Sonlight, and Bridgeway Academy.

If you have decided that you want to use a curriculum set, make sure to do your research. Double check that the set that you choose contains all that you want out of a bought curriculum. You may even want to make a list of things that you would like to have. This may include pre-made lesson plans, the 4 main subjects, or that it contains reader books. Then check to see which ones check off all of your items. 

Highlights:

• This is great for families who like to set their own schedules.
• For parents who want the security of knowing that their child is learning all that they need to but can still cater to the child’s individual needs, this is a great option.
• Families can save a big chunk of time and stress if buying a curriculum with lesson plans pre-made.

Challenges:

• Many of these boxed sets are quite pricey, ranging in the $300 – $600 dollar price range. Some cost upwards of $1,000 dollars.
• Paperwork such as grading assignments and tests and keeping attendance is still needed.
• Extracurriculars such as the fine arts, health, and physical education will still need to be bought separately.
• You will need to make sure that the purchased curriculums keep up with state standards and that all high school transcripts and credits are transferable to brick-and-mortar schools or universities.

Online Curriculums

Online curriculums, such as Time4Learning and ABC Mouse, are similar to boxed sets in that they include all of the core classes that your child needs based on their grade level. The main difference is that everything is available online. Some even offer extracurriculars such as music, art, and health. Many have pre-made lesson plans or paths for you to follow as your daily schedule. Most online curriculums allow you to choose how much of each subject your child will do per day. They also give you the opportunity to schedule breaks and vacations. Many also include extra courses like handwriting or cursive, or languages like Spanish and French.

Online curriculum classes generally have lessons taught in video form, include printable worksheets, and incorporate songs and games that go along with each lesson. Most also include assessments and tests to ensure that your child has grasped each subject. They usually charge monthly or ask for an annual subscription. However, you can find some for free or try a free trial. They are generally less expensive than the boxed sets. Many also offer to spread out the cost with monthly payments.

Highlights:

• Provides some confidence that your child is learning what they need to know for each grade level.
• Your child can learn at their own pace, you still have freedom of planning, and lesson plans are already set up for you.
• Grade keeping and attendance is done for you.

Challenges:

• Most are paid programs with prices ranging from $13 to $50 monthly per child so these can get expensive.
• You have less control over what and how your child learns if you are strictly following their lessons.
• Online studies mean a lot of time spent in front of a screen daily.
• You will need to make sure that the online curriculum that you choose keeps up with state standards and that all high school transcripts and credits are transferable to brick-and-mortar schools or universities.

Online Schools

While technically this is considered ‘schooling from home’ instead of homeschooling, this is still a good option to consider. Online schools are available in both public and private sectors and provide a school-like atmosphere from the comfort of your own home.

When looking at online schools keep in mind that each school is set up differently. All of them have a start and end date similar to brick-and-mortar schools. Most will give you a daily guide. Generally you don’t have to strictly follow this as long as the classwork gets done by the due dates.

In online schools you will generally have access to at least one teacher in case of questions or concerns. Some schools allow you to set your own breaks, rearranging classwork to fit your schedule. Others have a strict schedule, much like a brick-and-mortar school where you have to log in at a certain time, join live online classes where your child can participate with their teacher and classmates, and classwork that is due by the end of the day.  Online schools may also be a good option to consider if you want your child to have teachers to go to with any questions or problems and classmates to get to know and befriend, but still want to be able to give them one-on-one attention from the comfort and safety of your own home.

Highlights:

• Provides comfort that your child is learning at least the state standards, if not more.
• Teachers are available if your child has questions or is having problems with a lesson or subject.
• Since online schools keep attendance, grades, and transcripts it makes transitioning to brick-and-mortar schools and colleges easier since they handle the transferring of transcripts and credits for you.

Challenges:

• While some schools offer you the ability to set your own breaks and such, your students will have to start and end at a specified time, as well as turn in assignments at specified times.
• Most of these schools are also subject to your state’s testing requirements.

How to Choose a Curriculum

When choosing a curriculum for your family, there are a few factors to consider. One of the things to consider is your child’s learning style and ability. Whether they are a visual, auditory, read and write, or tactile learner, or a combination learner, there will be curriculums more geared toward that style. Some curriculums are more rigorous in studies which may do well for those looking for more advanced classes while others are more move-at-your-own-pace.

Another factor to think about is your wanted flexibility level. While all homeschooling options are somewhat flexible, some are much more so than others. For example, DIY curriculums, bought curriculums and some online curriculums give you the ability to make your own schedule including starting and ending times and taking into account any trips, events, appointments or other obligations you or your student may have. Make sure you really pay attention to the online learning curriculums and schools since most, especially the schools, have a stricter daily schedule and due dates for assignments.

Your own preferences are also important. You will need to decide what all subjects that you want your curriculum to include. If following state standards, then the fine arts will need to be touched upon either by the curriculum itself, by you, or by using an outside source. If religious studies or a foreign language are something that you would like to include, there are curriculums that you can look into in all four categories that may fit your family better. Also keep in mind the time that you have to spend on lesson plans and scheduling. If your time is tight, finding a curriculum that already has your daily plan set may be something that you may like.

Also, if the plan is to return to a brick-and-mortar school, make sure the curriculum you decide on using is transferable. This is important for any grade but especially important for high school credits. For this you may need to talk to a school administrator or a guidance counselor. To make sure that your chosen curriculum covers all of your state’s standards, you can check HERE on our state’s standards tab to find your state and its learning standards.

Lastly, don’t stress over it. You can always test run a curriculum. If you don’t like it or if it doesn’t fit well with your family then try another one or try a different approach. You may even want to try different types of curriculums for different subjects. For example, you can make your own curriculum for reading, writing, and science and then buy or use online curriculums for math and science. The main objective should be to find a curriculum that fits well with you and your family.

What are some of your favorite curriculums? Feel free to share in the comments below.