Homeschooling has been on the rise in recent years, as parents take a more active role in their children’s education. While homeschooling has numerous benefits, such as personalized learning and individualized attention, it also requires more planning and organization than traditional schooling. A carefully crafted homeschool curriculum can make all the difference when it comes to successful homeschooling.
But with all the options available, where do you begin? In this article, we’ll cover fifteen important questions to ask when creating a homeschool curriculum.
1. Who is the Curriculum For?
The first step in creating a homeschool curriculum is to figure out who the curriculum is for. Homeschooling can be a great option for students of all ages, as long as the parents have the tools, resources, and knowledge to properly implement and teach the curriculum. Before starting to create a homeschool curriculum, it’s important to consider the needs of each individual student and set clear goals for what should be accomplished by the end of the school year.
2. What is the Goal of the Curriculum?
It’s also important to consider what the goal of the curriculum. Depending on the individual students, goals may range from mastering a particular subject or skill to simply being exposed to a variety of content in a fun and engaging way.
Further, although the goal of a homeschool curriculum may be closely aligned with the standards set by public schools, oftentimes the goal is to go above and beyond the standards by providing a customized and engaging learning experience. Oftentimes, parents look to resources like Khan Academy or online courses to provide supplemental learning materials to enrich the curriculum.
3. What Format should the Curriculum Take?
Homeschool curricula can take many different forms, depending on the goals for the curriculum. For example, some homeschoolers use only books and physical materials, while others rely on digital resources like videos, apps, and educational websites.
Others may use a hybrid approach, using both physical and digital resources to create a comprehensive homeschool curriculum that best suits their specific needs.
4. What Educational Approach Will be Used?
When creating a homeschool curriculum, it’s important to consider which educational approach (or approaches) will be used. Different educational approaches can help to make the learning process more engaging and effective.
For example, some families may choose a more traditional approach, while others may use a hands-on approach or an approach that centers around projects rather than textbooks. Different subjects may also require different approaches.
5. What Resources are Available?
Making sure the homeschool curriculum includes enough resources for the family to use is another essential part of the planning process. Resources can range from textbooks, worksheets, art supplies, and printers to online resources, such as videos, games, and interactive learning tools. In some cases, parents may even join a homeschool community to get help and advice from other homeschool families or to access resources that are unavailable elsewhere.
6. How Will You Implement the Curriculum?
Once the homeschool curriculum is created, the next step is to consider how it will be implemented. In fact, this is arguably the most important part of the planning process, as the way in which the curriculum is implemented will largely determine the success of the homeschool experience. One way to ensure the implementation is effective is to create a regular schedule, complete with clear expectations and rules, to support the learning process.
7. Who Will be Responsible for the Curriculum?
Since homeschooling is such a hands-on endeavor, it’s important to decide who will be responsible for the curriculum. Generally, one parent or guardian will be in charge of the homeschooling, but the student should still be invested in the learning process. For example, the student can be held accountable for completing assignments, attending virtual classes, and participating in activities and discussions.
8. What Time of Day Will Education Occur?
It’s also important to establish a regular schedule for when educational activities will occur. This will help the student (as well as the parents) to get into a routine. It will also create a sense of structure and order, which is important when it comes to staying motivated and on track.
9. What Assessments will be Used to Measure Progress?
Measuring progress is an essential step in evaluating the success of the homeschool curriculum. Depending on the type of curriculum, assessments can range from individual tests and quizzes to essays, reports, and projects.
Additionally, most parents will want to set clear expectations and timeline for completion of the curriculum and use this to gauge whether the student is on track.
10. How Can Learning Be Motivated and Engaged?
Motivating and engaging the student is another important component of an effective homeschool curriculum. This may include encouraging the student to use their imagination, create projects, and explore different ways of thinking. Additionally, it’s important to provide positive reinforcement and recognition for accomplishments, as this helps to create a positive learning environment.
11. What Alternatives to Traditional Education are Available?
It’s important to remember that homeschooling does not have to be constrained to a traditional model. In fact, there are a variety of alternatives to traditional education that can be used to supplement the homeschool curriculum. This may include options such as unschooling, using international baccalaureate (IB) education, or joining a hybrid school program.
12. What Overarching Themes can be Explored?
In the process of creating a homeschool curriculum, it’s important to consider which overarching themes should be explored. These overarching themes can take the form of history, science, mathematics, literature, performing arts, or any number of other topics.
This provides the student with a way to explore multiple interests in a comprehensive and holistic way.
13. How Will Technology be Incorporated?
Technology can be an incredibly powerful and versatile tool when used in the homeschool curriculum. Technology can range from educational apps, online resources, and virtual learning platforms to video streaming, e-books, and gaming consoles. Depending on the goals of the curriculum, the homeschoolers may want to consider incorporating some form of technology into the learning process.
14. How Should Experiential Learning be Incorporated?
In addition to technology, experiential learning (or “learning by doing”) can also be an invaluable part of the homeschool curriculum. Experiential learning can provide the student with hands-on activities and opportunities to apply their academic knowledge in practical ways.
This may include field trips, visits to local places of interest, or educational activities for the family to do together.
15. How Will Support be Provided?
Finally, it’s important to remember that homeschooling is not a journey the student must take alone. Even the most experienced and organized parents may need help and support along the way. So, providing access to outside resources and communities can be incredibly beneficial.
Support could range from hiring a tutor or enrolling in a homeschool co-op to connecting with other homeschoolers or engaging with an academic mentor.
Conclusion
Creating a homeschool curriculum can be a daunting task. It requires planning, resources, and a great deal of commitment. However, by answering these fifteen questions, parents and students should be one step closer to creating the ideal learning experience.
With a carefully tailored plan that takes into account the individual needs of the student and provides access to learning resources and support, homeschooling can be a rewarding and successful experience for all.