| The homeschool shopping season has begun. | | | | feel secure about covering all required concepts |
| Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you select | | | | and skills. The Design-A-Study guides were written |
| materials. | | | | to provide that ""security blanket"" just so |
| ""One-stop"" curriculum shopping can be like buying | | | | parents could feel free to focus on educational |
| your groceries at a convenience store-expensive | | | | objectives, determining the best approach to |
| and limited. | | | | achieve those objectives for their children at |
| But, if you insist on the convenience of buying a | | | | every stage of development. |
| complete curriculum package from one company, | | | | As a teacher, I always looked for additional |
| be sure that it will suit your child's age and learning | | | | resources and approaches, no matter what |
| style. The salesman may say that it takes little | | | | curriculum was handed to me. |
| effort or planning on your part, but if the child | | | | As a homeschooling mom, I found it necessary to |
| finds it difficult, boring, or simply unappealing, you | | | | choose materials from different companies for |
| will find yourself expending more energy trying to | | | | each child, and often for each subject, in order to |
| make him suit the package than you ever would | | | | make the best match of resources to each |
| have spent on planning! Once you find a package | | | | student. If you find that your child does well with |
| you think is appropriate, remember that it is the | | | | a curriculum from one company year after |
| tool, not the teacher, and be prepared to | | | | year-continue to use it! However, if there comes |
| supplement lessons with additional experiences as | | | | a time when making adjustments is not enough, it |
| the child's needs dictate. | | | | would be best to consider looking at materials |
| Any lessons that cover objectives that the | | | | from other companies in the subject areas the |
| student has already mastered should be | | | | student is finding difficult. |
| completed only to the degree that it provides | | | | Finally: Be realistic about what you can manage. |
| practice to keep skills polished. The | | | | If a program looks appropriate for your child, but |
| Design-A-Study books can be used as a | | | | despite good intentions you really don't have the |
| reference both to understand the subject and to | | | | time or energy to carry it out, look for ways to |
| check the progression of objectives. This allows | | | | compromise. There may be a similar program |
| you to target areas of need as well as to | | | | with the modifications you need, or you may |
| determine mastery. | | | | want to pull together a curriculum by using |
| While it may seem easy to use curriculum from | | | | materials from several different companies to |
| the same company for all of your children, this will | | | | cover the various subjects-some that require |
| only work if they have the same learning style or | | | | time from you along with others that the student |
| if you make adjustments to the program to | | | | can use independently. |
| adapt it to each child. For example, you could read | | | | Every home school situation is unique. I wrote the |
| a text and the accompanying workbook questions | | | | Design-A-Study books in order to help parents |
| out loud, involving an auditory or kinesthetic | | | | become effective teachers. Each book provides |
| learner in a discussion for the child that finds too | | | | tips to help you approach the subject in a way |
| much seatwork difficult. You can also replace | | | | that will encourage your children to think as well |
| some of the suggested activities with those that | | | | as to use the concepts and skills in practical ways. |
| cover the same objective but are more appealing | | | | Because each book includes objective for either |
| to your children. | | | | grades K -8 or grades K-12, you have a |
| The Design-A-Study books offer activity ideas | | | | framework that prevents fear from dictating |
| and teaching suggestions that can prove helpful | | | | your curriculum choices. My hope is that you will |
| here. | | | | gain the confidence needed to pick and choose |
| If you want to use curriculum from the same | | | | from the variety of excellent resources available |
| company from kindergarten through twelfth | | | | in order to suit the curriculum to your specific |
| grade keep all of the above suggestions in mind. | | | | home school needs. |
| Usually parents choose this avenue in order to | | | | |