How to Select Curriculum for Homeschooling
Curriculum can be so confusing-even to teachers! With an abundance of online learning, we have also found an abundance of online materials, and sorting through each and every one can be tricky. This blog post may help some parents and professionals sort through their material with a “checklist” in mind:
Be sure that any academic curriculum is standards-aligned. This means that the curriculum is developed under (at the very least) the Common Core guidelines. There is no federal governing agency for standards, but the Common Core is widely accepted as the guiding curriculum in the United States. States governments enforce what is taught and the majority of the states have their own curriculum maps and define their own specific standards. I live in New York State, and the New York State Department of Education maintains an online website that provides us with all materials to be used for ELA and math-science and social studies have some guidance, but the modules are not clearly defined at this time. These are great resources, but can be difficult and overwhelming to navigate in the beginning, so that is why we created free documents to help you with understanding the learning standards.
Another strong checkmark for any curriculum is to make sure it is diverse and multicultural. We live in a melting pot of cultures and traditions-our children should also have the chance to feel accepted in what they are reading and learning as well. Most common core and state curriculum sets will include diverse and multicultural learning, but consider doing your own research and “expanding” your child’s personal library with books and novels that are rich in past and current cultures, societies, and ideologies. This will help students adapt to unknown situations and events in the future.
As strong as the need is for exposure to a diverse and multicultural curriculum, there is a strong need in mental health and social-emotional learning resources to help the individual develop! Students (and even adults) are facing a challenging time in history right now, and there is an abundance of resources on the internet to help children and young adults grow by focusing inward at themselves and recognizing feelings, situations, and problem-solving not just in academics, but in life.
Linked below are useful curriculum guides and websites that can get you started in selecting the best curriculum for your child:
If you would like to take the guesswork out of finding the perfect curriculum, then click here to learn more about our online homeschooling program!
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