Episode 252

Curriculum Planning The Easy Way?

It never gets old, the feeling of excitement OR dread when you are planning your homeschool curriculum. What is curriculum? It is the books, and the methodology you will use to homeschool your children. I won’t go into all the styles of homeschooling, this has been done in other podcasts.

Easy Way Curriculum Planning: An overview of methods are and links to these podcasts on the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network are as follows:

Charlotte Mason

Classical Method

Unit Studies

Principle Approach

Textbook and Workbook

Unschooling and Delayed Academics

Homeschooling Elementary Years

Homeschooling Middle School

Homeschooling 101

There are more, and that is an eclectic approach mixing some of these methods. For example, I used the Unit Study method for the majority of the elementary years, but I supplemented it with textbooks when needed or unschooling, in allowing the children to pursue or go off on tangents that interested them – or an idea that was sparked by our unit study. This type of learning is the most effective because the children are excited to learn and that is when most “real” learning takes place. I notice this now in my older children. My son was interested in weaponry – making weapons after studying ancient history. This carried on in later years and my son has made throwing stars, and knives out of steel, a sword, a bow and arrow, and display cases. It is a fun hobby that he does in his spare time.

My daughter, on the other hand, learned her love for oceanography after studying about the topic and went on to Scuba dive, getting her advanced certificates while in college. This daughter has gone on to homeschool her children.

We are going to take a quick commercial break and when we come back we will discuss planning your year – using the 4-Square Planning Method. We’ll be right back.

Okay – where were we? Planning your Curriculum.

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