I wrote this post in a group of parents that are all worried, and frantically searching what to do for next year. First, let me say that to homeschool you do not need to replicate an actual school at home. There are a hundred ways to do it, and you will find one that works for your family. Choosing a homeschool curriculum can be overwhelming. There is so much out there, and then how do you know what is good or what will work? It can feel like it is frying your brain. I know the feeling.
I hope that this little post will help someone take a deep breath and hit a pause on the search.
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For all of you worrying about a curriculum. Here is a suggestion or two.
Pick a subject. Just one. One subject you want to cover. I usually like to pick math for this. Figure out what you are doing with that. Just math. For example, I like Khan Academy, and a random paper grade appropriate workbook from B&N for practice.
Pick a book you can read together. Older kids are even better with this, it’s like a fun book club.
Pick a documentary. History, science, travel, whatever.
Subscribe to a magazine: Popular Mechanics, Nat. Geo., Times, Weird NJ. Whatever floats your boat.
Think of a new food to cook and try together.
Pick three educational places you’d like to visit with your kid this year. Choose more than three. Pick 10. There are so many!
Go for a bike ride. Or a hike. Or both. With a friend. Or better yet, go to the beach, swim and look for crabs in tide pools. After all, you will need to cover that PE requirement, and you might as well cover that Marine Biology section.
Ask your kid what they want to learn. Do that.
Get a notebook or sketchbook. Write together daily. Journal. Doodle. Put stickers in.
Take a class on a subject your kid is interested in on Outschool, Udemy or Coursera, or take an in person class. High School students can explore college classes.
As you go, more subjects will add themselves in. Before you know it, you have a curriculum. When you put it on paper, and describe what you have been doing, you will be pleasantly surprised just how much learning happened.
