| Once the decision is made to homeschool, the | | | | necessary.When we first decided to educate our |
| next major issue is which curriculum or | | | | children at home, I was faced with researching |
| methodology to use. While there are pros and | | | | and planning what to cover in a school year for |
| cons for every option, this article will focus on | | | | four children - grades 6, 4, 2, and preschool - with |
| homeschooling with a packaged curriculum.A | | | | about a month to have it complete. The |
| packaged curriculum will usually include all the | | | | packaged curriculum I chose from Seton Home |
| books, lesson plans, and scope and sequence | | | | Study School proved to be invaluable. As I was |
| planning needed for an entire school year. Some | | | | brand new at this, I honestly did not know where |
| providers also include additional services for | | | | to start. The more I read about the various |
| enrolled families. These services can include | | | | educational methodologies and the limitless choices |
| counseling, grading, report cards, and even | | | | of textbooks, the more I realized it would make |
| diplomas. While this path is often more expensive, | | | | more sense to enlist the help of a company with |
| there is the advantage of having everything | | | | many years of experience.By using a prepared |
| already planned out in advance. This alone is a | | | | curriculum, I can be assured that each child is |
| great time saver, which becomes more of an | | | | covering all the most important topics and |
| issue when there are several children being | | | | acquiring the necessary skills. The lesson plans do |
| homeschooled in one family.Another point to | | | | just that - plan out each lesson for us, including |
| consider is accreditation. When a program is | | | | many suggestions for additional activities and |
| accredited, it means that it has been reviewed by | | | | enrichment. They also include many |
| an outside agency or committee and has been | | | | recommended resources, especially pertinent |
| determined to meet certain standards. Why would | | | | websites for further study.One of the chief |
| this be important? This will help greatly when time | | | | complaints about packaged curricula is that they |
| comes to apply to college. If the student has a | | | | are not very flexible, and tend to be quite rigid |
| high school diploma from an accredited high | | | | regarding what to do when. Our experience thus |
| school, there should be much less difficulty proving | | | | far has not been so. The program we use |
| to admissions offices that a high school education | | | | emphasizes that parents should adjust the |
| has indeed been completed. Also, credits may be | | | | program to fit the child, not the child to fit the |
| more easily transferred to another school if | | | | program. |