Why I Would Rather Pull Together My Own Homeschooling Curriculum

It’s seems like a no-brainer, right?  Go to the big-name homeschooling curriculum website, add “Grade X” kit to your shopping cart, click ‘submit order’, and then wait for the box of books to arrive on your doorstep.

Bam!  You’re ready to homeschool!  What could be easier?

So if it’s that easy, that seamless to just order a kit and have everything you need delivered right to your door, why would anybody do it any other way?  Why would anyone feel the need to pull together a curriculum of their own from various sources?

The easy answer?  Because it works so incredibly well.  But I’ll explain in a minute.

First of all let me say I know a lot of people who do a “boxed curriculum” for their homeschool and they are perfectly content with it.  They like the ease and security of grade-level books chosen for them and detailed lessons planned out for them.  Sometimes family circumstances or life challenges make this an easier approach.  Sometimes it’s all about what is familiar and comfortable, and provided it is working well for the family, there is nothing wrong with that.

But.

When I started piecing together a curriculum on my own I began to reap the benefits almost immediately.  And I have never looked back. 

So why do I bother pulling together my own homeschooling materials, rather than use an all-in-one curriculum?  Here goes…

 

It makes it easier to tailor a child’s education to meet their personal needs.  

A boxed kit may offer the perfect math program for your child, while the language arts offering is a poor fit.  By taking the time to hand-pick each individual subject, I can better match the curriculum to the child with their particular needs and learning style in mind.

Not to mention I can mix grade levels if necessary!  I can have a child in one grade in some subjects while they’re two grades ahead in others!  (Check out Why My Homeschooled Child Doesn’t Know What Grade They’re In.)  If he is excelling in one subject, why would I not let him move ahead at his own pace instead of following whatever the boxed curriculum has decided for him?  When I’m piecing together my own curriculum, it’s easy to do.

 

It provides some variety.

Boxed curricula can begin to look much the same across various subjects, and they may even present different subjects in very similar ways.  That can get old for kids very quickly.  (And for their homeschool teachers, too!)

I love it that my kids may do one subject via video and downloaded materials, another they may do online, another they do as part of a unit study, and in another they follow a more traditional workbook style.  It breaks up the monotony so much — for them AND for me!  

 

It makes it easier to combine grades for some subjects.  

This is generally easier to do with younger children than with older ones, but I have done it to some extent throughout my kids’ schooling.  Math and language arts may need to be done more individually, but subjects like history and science can easily be combined for multiple grade levels, which can save both time and money, and may make it more fun for your kids, too.

 

There’s nothing wrong with letting my child pick a curriculum once in a while!

Do I really need to explain this one?  While I don’t let my kids pick all their own curriculum, I like to get their input where I can.  And if my child wants to try a particular science program and it looks good and doesn’t break the bank, I’m free to do that and I’m not agonizing over the money I wasted on the science program that came with our boxed curriculum.

 

It’s surprisingly easy.

When I first decided to pull together my own curriculum, it really seemed like a daunting task:  How would I know what level of English to put my child in?  How would I know which science curriculum was best?  Wouldn’t it take forever to hand-pick every subject for every child?

Listen, you’re the teacher — You are really going to know better than anyone what your child has or has not mastered, and a quick perusal of any book will give you some idea if it is on-level for your child.  If you still have questions, there’s likely a representative or even another homeschool mom who can help you find answers. 

Other things you can learn through trial and error.  I will freely admit I have purchased curricula that I later realized was not a good fit for our family.  At the same time, I have also discovered a few jewels that were exactly what we needed and have come to be favorites.

When it comes to homeschool curriculum, I think people should do what works for their family.  But if the all-in-one curriculum isn’t working for you, don’t be overwhelmed at the thought of pulling together your own.  It’s much easier than you’re likely imagining, and the benefits are pretty incredible!