Create Your Own Homeschool Curriculum in 5 Steps! {Here’s how I did it}

This post may contain affiliate links.

Hi ALL!

Last week we learned our homeschooling style. I say we because I’m doing this right along with you!

This week, now that you know your family’s approach we will put that knowledge to work.

We are an Eclectic Home Schooling family with a strong emphasis toward the Charlotte Mason Method. I’ve been digging through Curriculum Reviews, (which is oddly fulfilling) but, even with ALL the options out there, I haven’t found the one Curriculum that feels right for our family.

I’m a planner. I function best knowing where I’m headed. Having a framework in place keeps me sane, organized and prepared. With that said, I also enjoy being need to be in control. I don’t like someone or any particular curriculum telling me what I must accomplish during any one day, week, month or year.

So, I’m creating our very own curriculum! Please know, that when I say “curriculum” I simply mean, what and how we will be learning during our school year.

This is how I’m creating our own!

---

5 Steps to Creating Your Very Own Homeschool Curriculum

1. Know your style.

Ask yourself. What’s my ideal homeschool day?  What are we doing, how are we doing it?

Why? This step trims the fat and helps to narrow your search.

While I’m not interested in a complete ready-made curriculum. There are many individual materials that can be used and combined.

So, know you style. If you need help figuring out your style click here and read the post.

2. Begin with the end in mind.

Ask yourself. What skills would I like my child to have gained by the end of our “school year”.

Why? Because if you know where you’re going, you have a much better chance of getting there.

Soooooo, think of  S.M.A.R.T goals for your little ones.

3. How do you plan to reach your goals?

Ask yourself. What methods, resources, and/or materials best fit our style and will best help us reach our goals? Then find them!

Why? You will be able to sift through curriculum quickly, because you know what to look for and how you will execute your curriculum. For this step I read more reviews than I’d like to remember, and everything takes longer with little ones, doesn’t it?. Amazon reviews and Cathy’s reviews are both life savers.

4. Make measurable goals.

Ask yourself. How will I know we are reaching our goals.

Why? Because, you want to know if y’all are kicking booty right?! Also you will know if you need to try a different method!

The 5 steps In Action

This is how I worked through the 5 steps.

My Vision

• Lots of time away from home (There’s got to be a better name than “HOME” school) outdoors & building relationships with others.
• Very little screen time. But, screens totally have a place in our home.
• Few workbooks or work sheets
• Living books en-lieu of textbooks
• Real life experiences being our greatest teacher. Learning through living.

During Our School Year We Will Focus On

• Language Arts (Reading)
• Foreign language (Spanish)
• Everything Else (Math, Science, History, Art, Geography, Social Studies and the list goes on)

We will use the following methods and materials

•  Reading Lesson: Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons
• Learn Spanish Will be a family affair.
• Using Spanglish as much as possible ( this really hurts my brain — whats left of it, because you know — mommy brain and residue pregnancy brain).
•  See it and Say it Flip Flop Spanish: Whole Family Spanish (English and Spanish Edition)
• YouTube videos
• Weekly Spanish class with a local homeschooling  group.

I have a “workbook” of sorts listed above. I don’t like workbooks but I’m able to learn from them and take the lessons, and suggestions along with us as we go about our day and away from the traditional desk set-up.

How We Will Conquer Everything Else

• Using PINTEREST
• The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas, to expand upon Ari’s interests and curiosity.
• By unschooling the child-led way. Ari will get a taste of Everything Else through living, lots of exploration, simply exposing him to things & open-ended questions.

 

Recently, mushrooms were growing in our yard. I was able to pull Science and Math out of that simple encounter. There’s no doubt I could have gone further. Did you know that “Mushrooms are a fungus, and unlike plants, mushrooms do not require sunlight to make energy for themselves.”! -sciencekids.co.nz

How I’ll know we are kicking booty 

• Ari will know all letter sounds and be able to sound words out and put words together.
• His Spanish vocabulary and comprehension will increase. (I need to make this much more specific)
• For Everything Else, I’m going to try a loose form of notebooking and narration.

---

There you have it, my idea of a curriculum!

What’s next? You could organize it on a calendar, you can also have intervals at which you will assess your progress.

I am SURE I will tweak things. I’d like a more detailed plan for “Everything Else”.  Again, I’m thankful we are doing our test run now, when Ari is so young.

Remember, with homeschooling comes trail and error. What worked for one child may not work for the next. What worked last week may need tweaking the next. There is no right or wrong way to do this homeschooling thing. You chose to homeschool, that in itself proves that you are thinking of your child(ren) annnnd maybe yourself a little? Because you might be a sentimental mama bear like me?

Back to the kids.

You are thinking of them and have their best interest in mind and at heart. You are your child’s best teacher.  

I hope this was helpful! Happy Curriculum hunting and or creating!

Xoxo

Raivon