Searching for that perfect curriculum? Getting ready to dive right into that method that is going to really rock your homeschool this fall? Feeling angst because you know you can’t really afford that publisher’s full line? Guess what? We really don’t have to stick to one method!
You have probably heard it too —
“If you don’t include that you’re not really following Charlotte Mason’s ways.”
“Yes, you can do it that way, but that isn’t really a classical education.”
“Just using our books in that way does not mean you are following the [insert publisher’s name] method.”
Let’s think about it. What are we trying to do?
- Follow a method?
- Rely on an “expert”?
- Look like some other family who obviously has their act together?
These types of questions are usually answered by the why. Why do we want to follow a particular method?
And the answer usually points to security. We think we can guarantee that our children will “turn out OK” if we just follow that plan — as though there were a lifetime warranty attached.
“I know the marketing competition out there sets many people on a search for the best curriculum or the right method. People seem to want to follow a guru, living or dead. They want to fit themselves into a slot with a label….
So lower your expectation of what curriculums will do for you. Don’t be a slave to any, even if you primarily follow one. You can use parts, and skip parts. You can switch. You can combine and mix in any order or any proportion.”
Ruth Beechick, Dr. Beechick’s Homeschool Answer Book
During our homeschool adventure, we didn’t stick to one method of doing things. I borrowed from others those ideas and elements that would fit our family. Yes, I did have a general framework in which I worked. But I felt free to tweak, modify, and toss anything that didn’t work for us.
And as I grew older — I learned to do it pretty quickly!
You will, too.
Relax. You don’t have to follow one method.
Additional Resources
Step 6: Managing Materials
Other tips when purchasing curriculum.
Managing Materials
Other helpful articles.
Forsaking Our Idols
Keeping the focus on our children and their needs.
Keep Reading
Summer School for Mom: Tour the Homeschool Methods
A quick tour of the more recognized homeschooling methods, and ideas that can be pulled from each to form your own educational approach.
8 Things to Make Time for … No Matter Your Method
Provide an education that is individual, interesting, in-depth, and full of life.
Teaching to Change Lives ~ Review
Seven laws for effective teaching and learning for those who want to make a difference in the lives of students.