Homeschooling has reached a fascinating milestone. Whether you are exploring homeschooling or been around a few years, I suspect that you have met a former homeschool student or parent. It is possible that you have talked with homeschool graduates (or parents!) who have chosen to educate their children. It is possible that I am even describing you right now.

Once considered a radical movement, homeschooling has become an acceptable and advantageous method of education. As homeschooling has exploded, the available educational resources have grown as well. The options are overwhelming, but the real question is which option is better? Do I use the tried and true, that beloved program successfully used for a generation, or will the newer curricula options provide my child with a better education? As a former homeschool mom and future homeschooling grandma, these are thoughts that keep me awake at night (ok, so that may be a slight exaggeration!)

Seriously though. What option will give children the best education? The reality is that older homeschool curriculum classics have a place in today’s educational arena. And the newer curriculum options also offer excellent opportunities. It is important, therefore, to look at the strength and weakness of each curriculum option. They all have them– even the newer approaches or philosophies. It is also important to consider the needs of your child and family. And this leads us back to Rainbow’s FAMILY Way guided acronym. If you are not familiar with the FAMILY Way, take a few minutes to watch the video here. There’s also a helpful handout & worksheet applying this acronym. Essentially, the acronym was created to serve as a personal guide to help you narrow the curriculum options to find the ones that help you homeschool successfully.

Let’s take a quick look at the acronym:

F — represents the Faith or Philosophy of the curriculum

A — is the Approach of the program

M — represents Money (your budget)

I — looks to your individual child’s needs which includes learning styles, unique learning struggles, personality and more.

L — takes into account your family’s life. Let’s be real. Homeschooling is not your life. It is one facet, and to be successful, it is helpful to think about how best to fit teaching into your daily routine.

Y — represents YOU. This is often the most overlooked homeschooling consideration. What kind of curriculum do you need to be successful?

This is just a summary, and I do encourage you to check out our video for more detail if this is new to you. Back to our old vs new curriculum discussion. As you evaluate curriculum, I encourage you to not throw out certain programs because they may look dated. Alternatively, disregarding a newer program because you think it may be watered down or less challenging can also be counter-productive for your kiddos.

For example, Saxon Math has been used by homeschool families for decades. There are no colorful graphics, and no exciting activities. But as far as math programs go, this solid, traditional program well prepares students for college-level math courses. Alternatively, newer programs like Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Mathematics integrates newer math philosophies with ample review, hands-on activities and mastery projects, and will also prepare students for upper-level math courses. In these examples, both programs offer excellent math instruction and will meet the needs of different learners and teachers.

As parent-teachers (or grand-parent teachers), it is important to evaluate individual programs and how they best meet their student and family needs. For this soon-to-be homeschooling grandma, I am excited to try out some of the newer curriculum available, while also staying with some older ones that worked well for my learners. Rather than be overwhelmed, I am thankful for all the options as it enables me to find the best fit for my child, family and finances!

If the options you end up considering are still too overwhelming, please reach out. Our consultants are here to help you find the best curriculum materials for your homeschool situation. ~ Deanne