Today at swimming lessons, I was talking to another mother about homeschooling curriculum. She is pulling her oldest child out of public school and plans to home school him and his siblings. She has been researching curriculum and told me that she thinks she made up her mind. She told me about the curriculum that she is leaning towards and her reasons for choosing it. She will probably uses Rod and Staff Curriculum for their first year of homeschooling. She had some very valid reasons for why this is the curriculum that she thinks will work best for their family. I love to hear others discuss their rationale for choosing curriculum.
I went home and read a lot online about Rod and Staff. I don't think that we will consider it for our home but I did learn a lot about it. It is interesting to discuss with other parents what works and doesn't work for their family situations. It's really interesting that despite the fact that we probably will be using very different curriculum in our homeschooling settings, we respect the reasons that we each have for choosing what works for our family. I can totally understand her logic in choosing this curriculum but I can't see it working for us. We each respect that. When I was teaching, teachers would get so stubborn about what they felt was the best curriculum or method of teaching. Homeschooling parents that I've met so far haven't been that way. They might have their mind made up but they are respectful of the choices that each family has to make.
A cool thing about homeschool is that you do not have to use just one curriculum for all subjects. You can mix it up. I have and it works great!
ReplyDeleteThe younger years really do not need a "curriculum box" so to speak. I think (IMHO) that mixing it up...going easy...is by far the best. Not only that, the younger years lends itself to that direction. Yuck! Sitting at that table all day and what not. When the child is older...sitting at the table for subjects becomes much more important. When I say older, I am meaning late grade school ages. Oh by the way, sitting at the table is good discipline for the younger child but not necessary for all the subjects. Ok...enough of my thoughts and experience because that is what that is..."MY thoughts and experience"
You, Jody, will be a great teacher and not because you were a teacher by profession but because you are passionate and thoughtful.
Ibeeeg,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely! We are definately not a sit at the table and do workbooks kind of family. Thanks so much for what you said in your last paragraph. I know that I will return to this comment often when I need reassurance that I am doing the right thing. You are such a great friend and encourager! Thank you!!!
Jody