When I first entered the world of homeschooling, it was quite overwhelming that 'I' have to find the 'right' curriculum for me and my daughter out of so many available out there. To actually look at them and even try one or two lessons will be ideal, but that most likely means possible waste of a lot of money.
Here is the guideline that helps me to choose the right curriculum for our homeschool:
1. Read reviews and choose top 2~3 curriculum/books for each subject.
2. Take more time to read as much review as I can find about those top choices.
3. Purchase and stick to it.
Here are the curriculum we've used so far at our homeschool:
1. Math - Saxon Math I
2. Phonics, Reading - All About Reading I, II, III
3. Spelling - All About Spelling I, II
4. Spanish - The Easy Spanish, Junior
5. Geography - Evan-Moor Beginning Geography, Evan-Moor Daily Geography Practice Grade 2
6. Devotions - Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing
7. Latin - Song School Latin Book 1 (*We purchased this one, but I haven't mustered up enough ump to start on it yet. I might need DVD help for this curriculum.)
What I like about the curriculum we use:
1. They are pencil & paper curriculum, not DVD based. I personally believe homeschooling, especially during the early years, is about establishing strong, healthy bonding between parents and child(ren). I want our homeschool to come with lots of personal touch and interaction, and for that reason, we try to avoid DVD/online based curriculum.
2. With very minimal preparation, they are 'open & go' style curriculum. My daughter is 5 1/2 years old and I usually spend 30~45 minutes to prepare for one day's lessons. For the worksheets that come with each curriculum, in order to be able to use them again for second child, I make & use copies.
Curriculum that we are still looking for:
1. Science - I am looking for something that (1) comes with lots of hands-on activities (2) requires minimal preparation.
2. Piano - I need something that will help me teach music fundamentals and basics in piano.
3. Christian Character Development
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