1. There is no such thing as the perfect curriculum.
2. Choosing curriculum is a fluid process and not an exact science. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes when choosing curriculum—everybody makes mistakes. At some point, you will probably buy some materials that you just won’t like or won’t use.
3. Some things will be perfect for one child and not-so-perfect for another.
4. You will make some great choices that will work well for you and your family.
5. Don’t be a slave to your curriculum. You can adapt and enhance any curriculum by employing your own ingenuity and creativity, coupled with your knowledge of how your child learns and responds.
Above all, remember this: Curriculum is not an end in itself—it is a means to an end. Curricular resources are tools of our trade, just like paintbrushes are the tools of the trade for artists and painters. A skilled artist can take an old, imperfect brush and still paint a beautiful picture. Like the artist, we need to be focused on the quality of the final picture and not constantly examining the brush!
With two sons in college on scholarship (one academic, the other athletic), I have more time to reflect on the nature of home schooling and why it works. Home schooling works, first and foremost, because of God’s grace and blessing. Secondly, home schooling works because of the parent’s strong commitment to his/her children, and the depth of relationship which that commitment inculcates. Whatever curriculum you choose, make constant interaction and dialog with your children a top priority. Your children will learn beautifully in your home school because of your relationship with them and because of the nature of tutorial instruction
During the course of this school year, talk to other home-schooling mothers about what curricular materials have worked for them and why. Make notes about the good points and bad points of your current curriculum. Don’t dread the process of choosing curriculum. And remember that academics are only a portion of the home schooling equation. Equally as important as the academic development of your children is their spiritual, moral, and social development.
These verses from the psalmist are great words of encouragement for every homeschooling mother to contemplate:
Trust in the Lord and do good;Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.Delight yourself in the Lord;And He will give you the desires of your heart.Commit your way to the Lord,Trust also in Him, and He will do it. Psalm 37:3-6
Zan Tyler is the editor of the HomeSchool Channel for Crosswalk.com and author of the book Anyone Can Homeschool. She and her husband have three children and have been home schooling for 18 years.
