Finding Your Curriculum For The Upcoming School Year

I’m often asked, as I’m sure you are too, what curriculum you use regularly. As a person on the receiving end of that question, you’re likely thinking, “Oh boy, this could take a while.” In truth, most families do not use an all-inclusive curriculum, but rather a mix of their favorites instead.

So why do we get this question so often? I’ll admit, I’ve done my fair share of asking. When I first started to homeschool, I had nothing BUT questions. I tried an all-inclusive curriculum, and surprise! It didn’t work well for us.

Don’t get me wrong, you may very well find everything you need in an all-inclusive kit. I would have loved to continue using one, just for the sake of simplicity. Since it didn’t work, though, I began my long search for a mix of resources that would fit the bill.

Finding Your Perfect Fit

With a lot of research and luck, you may find your perfect mix of curricula from the start. For me, it took years, and to be honest, it still changes every year (if only a little bit). You see, no matter how many people you interview, no two families will give you the exact same recommendations.

My advice? Take some time to think about what you need in a curriculum. Ask with the intent to discover a new resource, rather than a solution to your problem. What I mean by that is, if you are focused on researching your options, then by all means, ask away! With this mindset, you will lessen your frustrations in finding a perfect fit.

Here are some more questions to ask that may help guide you down the right path:

Asking these questions can help save you time, as you narrow down the resources that best fit your needs.

My Personal Choices For The New Year

To further assist you, here is my list of resources and curricula that we will be using this year.

Science

All About Spelling Level 3-5

• We have used All About Spelling program for several years. Each year, I do a short review of previous lessons before moving on to new activities.
• It’s a secular program that allows you to move at your own pace, and it’s great for all learning types.
• It’s teacher-led, so you will need to guide your children through each lesson, but I’ve tried other spelling programs and frankly, don’t see the results that I do with this program.

Math

Horizons Math Level 3

• For the most part this math curriculum is open-and-go. Each level has corresponding workbooks that your child works out of.
• Workbooks are colorful and without a lot of “fluff.”
• This is a spiral program, meaning you will learn new concepts while you review older concepts.

Science

Moving Beyond The Page Science Ages 8-10 + Lab Kit

• This will be my first year trying out this curriculum. In the past I’ve tried Bookshark and other simpler workbooks. While I did enjoy Bookshark science, my children grew bored of the lessons and the experiments weren’t very captivating. I’m looking forward to trying Moving Beyond The Page.
• I’ll give an update review of it later this year!

Social Studies/Geo/History/Government

Beautiful Feet Books-Early American History

• History is difficult in the younger years, I must say. Lessons need to be colorful, engaging, and short! I’ve tried several other history curricula resources in the past and nothing has compared to Beautiful Feet Books.
• This is a literature-based program. You will receive a guidebook and all corresponding literature to accompany each lesson.
• It has additional lesson suggestions, projects, recipes, etc, and you can do as much or as little as you wish.

KiwiCo-World Geography

• This subscription kit arrives every month, and my kids love to work through the crafts, readings, and challenges within each box.

Writing/Grammar/Literature/Language Arts

BJU English  4

• This will be our first time trying out this English curriculum. I was looking for a comprehensive language arts curriculum that focuses on incorporating different styles of writing, so I’m excited to give this a try.
• I will post an update on our progress later this year.

Lakeshore Grab & Play Reading/Language Arts Games

• Occasionally I like to mix things up and spend some time away from the workbooks. These games are great for challenging my kids on their language arts and grammar skills.

Beautiful Feet Books- Teaching Character Through Literature

• My family loves our read-aloud time, and Beautiful Feet Books has compiled a collection of novels that are age-appropriate and themed to build a variety of positive character traits. We can’t wait to dive in!

Extracurricular/Special Interest

Raddish-Cooking Kit

• My son loves to cook, so we began this subscription kit a few months ago. Each kit is themed with a different style/region of foods and you can work through the recipes at your own pace.
• The kit also includes a specialized cooking tool to aid in the recipes for that particular month, conversation cards, shopping lists, and more!

KiwiCo-Studio & Labs

• These kits are distinct from one another, in which one focuses on design and crafting, while the other focusese on STEM projects and engineering.
• My kids love to alternate between kits and work together to make something memorable each week together.
• Personally, I love how convenient these kits are and the fact that they can be done with minimal guidance on my part.

Dislaimer: This list is purely based on my family’s individual needs and preferences. Resources are listed for informational purposes only. I am in no way being compensated for mentioning any of these resources.

As you can see, I use several resources to complete our curriculum for any given year. Though is may take some trial and error, don’t give up! The right combination is out there for you. Experience and lifestyle will help you determine what you want and what works best for your family.

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