By Mary Joyce
For those just starting out, determining the best homeschool program can be, at the very least, a bit challenging. Probably the single most relevant point on this would be to keep in mind that the eventual best home education program for your situation and style may involve pulling home school resources from more than one home school curriculum.
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Many homeschoolers start by using a complete curriculum package. And if you are just starting out on this wonderful voyage, this approach will get you more than started and on your way. The key to finding ‘what is right’ is more of a process than just a decision. Ultimately you may settle in with using a complete curriculum package modified somewhat to fit not only your teaching style (which you may not know yet yourself), but even more importantly, your child’s learning style.
As you gain more experience and confidence, you’ll see that effective teaching is using a combination of educational resources that are readily available (including online home school programs) that round out your personal program and insure your child’s success.
The key to a good homeschooling program is the ‘fit’. Both you and your child have to be comfortable with the homeschool study on an ongoing basis. If you start out with a good base program as a roadmap, you can then tailor it to fit your needs.
Consider when looking for a curriculum that it will provide for a method to determine not only the current ‘grade level’ of your child, but how your child determined their answers. This helps to determine what type of learner your child is, and their ability to apply their skills.
As you now know, a good home school curriculum will draw from many educational sources and will direct the child to discover and learn the material and not just memorize answers. As the teacher, be sure to take a close look at the provider’s support materials. For example, good detail in the manuals and lesson plans, concepts with examples and details, and suggested outside resources and activities.
And finally, good unit testing will communicate to you, not only if your child has grasped each concept, but will also let you know how well you have presented and taught the subject matter and how solid your homeschool program has been.
Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and the primary contributor to the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com/ ) for a complete list of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information. Also tips guides and how-to's to help you successfully teach your child at home.
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