by Tess Boardman

Created on: August 16, 2011   Last Updated: August 19, 2011

You have made the decision to homeschool your child and taken important considerations into account when making that decision. Now, you need to make the decision on how to organize the curriculum for your child or children in a manner that showcases your ability to be an effective learning coach.

First, deciding which curriculum you are going to use will guide how you in how you organize it. Some parents will choose to purchase a pre-packaged set, others will opt to pick how, what and when themselves. Another option is to go with a public virtual school that will provide curriculum materials, lesson plans and the support of school staff and teachers. However, all these choices still leave the parent with making many key decisions in the delivery of education, including organizing the day to day curriculum and plans.

If you have more than one child, group subjects together. Younger children can learn from older children, and older children can benefit by helping younger siblings. Active learners may demand more of your time than a child who works well independently.

Use the one class at a time approach - This is a great way for children who can become overwhelmed by too many subjects at one time and allows for greater focus and more in depth learning.

Remember to incorporate what was learned into other subjects to prevent learning loss and build on previously taught skills. Group multiple subjects matter into one lesson - You can sneak in grammar, spelling, and vocabulary into other areas, much the same way parents will sneak vegetables into foods.

As student progresses, language arts can be incorporated into essay assignments for other subjects or vice versa. Math and science lessons can go hand in hand. Allow for advancement at own pace.

Use a competency approach rather than a time-based approach - Time based approach has been traditionally used and is based more on the amount of time the student has spent on a subject, than on whether or not they have mastered the material. Competency based education allows a child to prove that he or she has learned the material and is ready to move on.

Address special needs.   For children that have difficulty focusing, organize your day to incorporate active lessons or use formats that build from formats that your child can focus on.

Remember to allow for breaks during the day, but do not extend the schedule so far as to cause burnout for you or your child.

Gear curriculum to your state’s requirements and

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>