Homeschooling Curriculum Guides

Homeschooling curriculum guides help provide parents with a "big picture" view of what topics should be covered when. While many homeschooling parents recognize that homeschooling over a long period of time allows some flexibility, many still find it helpful to have a general course outline.

Believe it or not, there are several free resources that you can use to formulate your own curriculum guide.

Worldbook's Typical Course of Study offers a list of topics that are covered in preschool through grade twelve. This can come in handy when you're looking to design a course of study over the time period of several years like in high school. Another nice feature to this list is that it is an essentially compiled and simplified version of various state standards.

Each state has a state board of education website on which is listed the curriculum guide for your state. This is especially helpful to parents whose programs must be approved by law. You can find your state board of education curriculum guides online or by simply calling the board of education.

Of course, if you want more than just what other kids in your state are doing, there are a host of curriculum guides written specifically to homeschoolers. The nice feature here is that although these won't necessary cover state standards, they will help you understand what typical homeschoolers are doing. Often this is ahead of typical public school standards.

Home Learning Year by Year cannot get more simple. Designed to be bought once and used throughout your child's education, this guide helps parents design their own curriculum using methods that they are most comfortable with.

Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks is considered to be one of the best resources for finding out what is what among homeschooling curriculum. The book is designed to give a variety of choices based on your child's learning style. However, getting to be on Cathy Duffy's top 100 list is a prize that is relatively coveted among homeschooling curriculum publishers. She offers very helpful reviews - all designed to help you find a "good fit."

Sometimes, parents already have an idea of their philosophy of education. From Classical to Charlotte Mason - each philosophy often offers its own version of the idea curriculum guide.

One of the most prominent guides to a modern day classical education is The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer. The book is a lengthy guide into both the theory and philosophy behind a classical education. In addition, it lists by grade topics that should be covered. Many people love this guide because it also gives suggestions for great curriculums that are consistent with the classical philosophy.

Ambleside Online is one of many Charlotte Mason curriculum guides. However, it is notable because it is free and online. Parents that want a strictly Charlotte Mason education can log in and follow the suggested curriculum - all for free. Another well noted guide is When Children Love to Learn. This book is noted in particular for taking the ideas of Charlotte Mason and bringing them into the 21st century.

While a homeschooling curriculum guide can be very helpful, especially for a family who is just starting their homeschooling journey, it's important to keep in mind that it is just a guide. The beauty of homeschooling is that if something isn't working for your child, you are free to adjust as necessary. The goal is to get the best education possible for each individual child.

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