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