It isn’t necessary to purchase a readymade homeschool curriculum. Most homeschool teachers prefer to come up with their own curriculums once they have had a couple of years of experience. Does that mean you can teach your homeschool students whatever you want and let it roll? Not quite. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you design your own homeschool curriculum.
Keep Track of Legal Requirements
Different states have different legal requirements for what the homeschool students need to study in each grade. There are some states that have mandatory testing, while others are alright with the homeschool teacher maintaining grade transcripts. As you set out to design your homeschool student’s curriculum, do keep these legalities in mind. You can get help from your local homeschooling support community to better understand what you need to do.
Understand Grade Level Depth of Topic
The same topic can be taught at different levels of depth. Take for instance the process of photosynthesis. For younger children in elementary school it’s enough to let them know that it’s a process by which plants use natural resources availble to them to make food. At a higher grade level in middle school your homeschool student may be given a more detailed process where plants with the green pigment called chlorophyll use raw materials such as sunlight, water, carbon dioxide to create oxygen and energy in the form of sugar. At high school level they could be taught the equation which represents the process of photosynthesis 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2
Factor in Interests of the Individual Students
No two individuals are alike. Similarly despite being siblings, no two homeschool students are alike. This means that one size does not fit all, especially when it comes to repeating the same homeschool curriculum you used last year for the elder sibling, for the younger one. The good news is that homeschooling allows you a fair amount of flexibility in teaching topics and the methodology that you can use. Encorporating methods that work for your individual students is a good way to ensure that the learning process stays fun.
