It is becoming increasingly popular for parents to choose homeschooling for their children. Before you decide to make the leap and homeschool your child, one of the biggest decisions you will need to make is what curriculum to use.
Some families prefer to purchase set curriculum materials, others prefer to create their own, setting their own standards and goals for their children. In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of creating your own curriculum for homeschool and how to decide if it is the right choice for you and your family.
What is Custom Curriculum?
A custom curriculum is one that is tailored to the individual child’s learning needs. It is a curriculum designed specifically by the parent or other persona to meet the child’s learning style and academic goals. This type of homeschooling allows the parent to have full control over the content, material, and pacing of the curriculum.
When parents create their own homeschool curriculum they are able to pick and choose topics of study, resources and activities that interest their child. Parents can customize their child’s homeschool experience according to the individual’s interests, desires and learning style.
Because the parent can be so flexible with the material and resources, homeschooling with a custom curriculum can allow for unique and creative experiences that may be difficult to find in any other education setting.
Advantages of Creating Your Own Curriculum
When creating your own curriculum, parents are presented with a variety of advantages. One of the main advantages is that parents can create the curriculum to meet their child’s individual needs or goals.
For example, if the child has a specific interest, such as music or science, parents are free to create a curriculum that focuses on that interest. This can create a unique learning experience for their child and give them an advantage in certain subjects and interests. Another advantage of creating your own homeschool curriculum is that it can be tailored to fit the learning style and abilities of the child.
Some children learn better through hands-on activities, while others prefer to study more traditional materials. Parents can create a curriculum that meets the needs of their child and also adapts to their learning style. Parents are also free to use as many resources as they see fit and can easily incorporate interesting and unique activities.
Parents are also free to adjust and change the curriculum as needed. This can be especially beneficial if the parent finds that the child is struggling with a certain subject or the curriculum is not challenging them in the right way.
By creating your own homeschool curriculum, parents are in control and can adjust and tweak the content as needed.
Disadvantages of Creating Your Own Curriculum
While creating your own curriculum certainly has advantages, it also has its disadvantages. One of the main disadvantages is that parents may not be aware of the appropriate academic standards to set for their child.
This could lead to the child being unprepared for certain activities or tests later in life. For example, if the family did not set rigorous enough standards for math, the child could struggle when entering the adult world and taking college courses in mathematics. Another disadvantage of creating your own curriculum is that it can be time consuming and overwhelming.
Parents must dedicate a great deal of time to researching and choosing materials, activities, and resources. They must also find ways to evaluate their child’s progress and use that evaluation to adjust the curriculum if needed.
This can take a great deal of time and effort and can be a daunting task for some parents.
How to Decide If Creating Your Own Curriculum is Right for You
Deciding if creating your own curriculum is right for you and your family can be a difficult decision. It is important to consider the pros and cons and decide if the advantages of creating your own curriculum outweigh the disadvantages. Parents should also consider their child’s learning style and goals and decide if a traditional curriculum would be able to meet their needs more effectively.
Parents should also consider their own strengths and weaknesses. If the parent is not confident in their ability to create an effective curriculum or monitor its progress, it may be beneficial to purchase a traditional curriculum.
It is important to consider all factors and research different resources before deciding which type of curriculum to use for homeschooling.
Conclusion
Creating your own curriculum for homeschool can be a great way to give your child an individualized and unique learning experience. Parents should carefully consider the pros and cons before deciding if creating their own curriculum is the right option for them and their family.
By considering the student’s learning needs and goals, as well as the parent’s strengths and weaknesses, parents can decide if creating a custom curriculum is the right fit for their homeschool.