How to: Conquer Curriculum Addiction

The siren song of curriculum is strong. As a twenty year veteran of homeschooling I’ve gone through a lot of curriculum over the years. I LOVE new curriculum. I love finding new products, getting books in the mail, the whole bit. BUT, curriculum can quickly pile up, overwhelm, sit unused and become guilt inducing clutter. How do you control the siren song of curriculum?

1.Develop your educational pedagogy. Pedagogy is a really cool word that every educator needs to know. It means, “The art and science of education.” I have a clear educational pedagogy. I am not formally trained as an educator but I am auto-didactically trained as one. (meaning self educated). You should be too. Having a clear pedagogy will guide your curriculum choices. Becasue of my pedagogy there are certain educational methods and materials that I stay away from. There’s nothing wrong with them, per se, but they would be a distraction, rather than an enhancement of my pedagogy.

2.Get thee a course of study. What does your child need to know when? Use this as a guide instead of a legalistic rod to beat yourself and your kids to death with. I always joke that my kids are idiot savants; brilliant in certain areas and not so bright in others. Few kids follow the course of study perfectly. They’ll be advanced in some areas and slower in others; just use it as a guide. By 8 years old I want my kids to be reading with ease. If they aren’t, I’m not going to panic. But if they are not making any effort to sound out words on their own, I’m going to do some things differently, make some changes.

3.Create your plan. As I’ve said before, I have a sheet with this at the top:
Goals/ Subject/Curriculum
I set goals first in 4 areas: physical, mental, social, spiritual.
I see how they fit by subject area. Then I begin researching curriculum. This keeps curriculum where it belongs: as a tool in your toolbox rather than an unyielding master to be served.

4.Research curriculum based on your pedagogy and plan. I stick with about 7 tried and true curriculum sellers based on my pedagogy and plan. I love new curriculum but I don’t have the time or the money to be jerked around by curriculum lust. There is so much great stuff out there. Good curriculum is worth every penny. But, nothing is perfect and unless something is just utterly horrible and or not working, there is a lot to be said for staying the course to provide continuity for your kids. I focus on History, Math, English,Faith. These are my non negotialbles. Everything else is a bonus imho, but again, that’s my pedagogy speaking. What are your non negotiable?

5.Set your budget. Keep it reality based rather than lust driven. Make 2 lists. Your “must have’s” and your “wants.”

6.Search and purchase. Buy, barter, borrow, check the library.

7.Rest. Fourteen months ago we were burned out of our house. 80 – 90% percent of our possessions were destroyed including our huge library and the majority of our homeschooling supplies. We continued to homeschooling with very little.

I say this to encourage those of you who can’t afford the curriculum you believe you need, who feel that they are short changing their kids because the Cadillac of curriculum eludes you for whatever reason.

Phillipians 4: 19 states “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” As much as you love your children, He loves them more. He will supply the resources needed to train them up in the way they should go. We can rest in His provision.

Saturday Special is written by homeschool writer, Lisa
*photocredit everystockphoto