One
Size Doesn’t Fit All
– So What Next?
by Crystal Rapinchuk
The amazing thing about homeschooling
is that YOU get to choose what you
teach your child and YOU get to choose
what type of curriculum(s) you use – or
none at all! It’s individualized education
at its best! With that being said, I see so
many parents stressing out and worrying
that they aren’t picking the “right”
curriculum for their child.
They are looking for that perfect
curriculum. But the problem is that one
size doesn’t fit all. There is NO perfect
curriculum for every child and there is a
LOT of good material out there.
If you have more than one child you
will probably readily agree that each of
your children are VERY different! Just
because your oldest went through a
certain book doesn’t mean it’s the right
book for your next child. And in fact,
just because you choose a book to start
out your new homeschool year doesn’t
mean that you can’t change your choice
if it’s not working for
that child! That’s the
beauty of homeschool.
One size doesn’t fit all. Homeschooling
is a process of learning – for both the
parents and the children. It’s OK to
change your curriculum mid-year if it isn’t
fitting your student. Don’t feel like you
have to keep the same curriculum all year
if your child isn’t excelling just because
you’re “already into the curriculum”. In fact
if you feel like your child isn’t excelling in
a particular subject area changing your
curriculum might just be the best thing you
could do for your student!
So how do you determine what to teach
your child? If you’re homeschooling your
own children you should know them well
enough to determine whether they learn
better by straight memorizing, by visual
learning, by a more hands-on approach, by
a strict routine, etc. Take those key qualities
that your individual children learn by and
enjoy and find a curriculum and routine that
suites those needs. If you’re homeschooling
someone else’s child you can either ask the
parents or give the child several scenarios
and ask what he/she would prefer.
Most of you have already started your
school year. If you’re having second