BellaOnline Forums Education Homeschooling Curriculums

I'm wondering if the majority buys a boxed curriculum or makes their own? There is also that group that buys the boxed set and then enhances it with their own embellishments.

I've done all three. This year though, I'm making my own preschool curriculum again. I was just curious to see what others are doing?

Last year (my first year homeschooling - 2nd grade) I bought entire curricula, most of it new. This year (3rd grade) I've pieced together stuff that I picked up at a local store that has used homeschool books, as well as new workbooks.

For Kindergarten, Usborne has some wonderful educational books for that age group. Please contact me by e-mail, and I'll be happy to send you the curriculum lists for that age.

Karen
Adoption Host
kidbooks4U@hotmail.com

Well - for my daughter's preschool years we didn't really use anything curriculum-wise. We counted, sang, played games, etc.

When she entered K, however, I went crazy-with-the-cheez-whiz and bought an entire A Beka curriculum. We quickly realized it wasn't her style and wasn't on her level - it was too advanced in reading and writing, but too slow in math. I guess you need to use the A Beka k3 and k4 programs to fit nicely into k5.

Since then I've created my own curriculum. We use classic lit for almost everything, we do informal unit studies I make up, we use a lot of the DK books and will use more Usborne once her reading skills & concentration improve.

We do use one piece of pre-packaged. We use Alpha-Omega lifepacs for math. I'm very pleased with it because it allows us to do extra study or skip sections when necessary.

I have a preschooler again this year, she just turned 4 and LOVES to "do school". So - when my older sits to do her work the younger sits with us and does a page from one of those dollar store workbooks, cuts pictures from magazines, colors letters, etc.

For those of us with younger kids I HIGHLY recommend the book "Homeschooling the Early Years, ages 3-8" by Linda Dobson! It's full of lots of ideas!!

Meg <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I have a poll running on my site about that. The question is:

What kinds of materials do you use and where do you get them?

Options to select are:

1.) I purchase a packaged religious-based curriculum. (12%)

2.) I purchase a packaged non-religous curriculum. (7%)

3.) I purchase various materials, but usually from a single supplier. (5%)

4.) I purchase various materials, but from many suppliers. (48%)

5.) I get most of my materials from the public library or from the internet. (28%)

So, it looks like most people that have responded to my highly unscientific study put together their own in some way.