This will be a question that many homeschool parents face if you homeschool long enough, “What do you do when your homeschool curriculum isn’t working anymore?” It can be an overwhelming feeling of frustration & failure, as well as many tears for everyone involved. It’s just as frustrating for your child, believe it or not, and it’s a question that has to be addressed.
When I first started homeschooling, the feeling of thinking that everyone magically knew what homeschool curriculum to use was often overwhelming. Especially in moments where I felt inadequate. How could I ever pick the right one? What I didn’t know then was that I didn’t have to know which one was the right one. What I didn’t know was that “the right one” would likely change from time to time, depending on where my child was in their comprehension, mental ability, and how they felt about school at any given time. I felt so much pressure to get it right that I got it wrong sometimes.
How do I know if my homeschool curriculum isn’t working?
What you will realize as you go through your homeschool journey, is that you will begin to recognize fairly quickly when something isn’t working. Either because it is the wrong homeschool curriculum or because everyone is just tired. Sometimes, being tired, not feeling like doing school, and needing a break can lead to feeling like you are using the wrong curriculum.
Often, the math curriculum is where you see it first, and this can be troubling since math is a core subject. If you can take time to answer a few questions prior to choosing any curriculum, it can save you headaches once you start it. Ask yourself:
What is my child’s learning style? How do they learn best?
In-home education, there are many homeschool resources that can help you find out your child’s learning style if you don’t already know. Maybe they learn best through unit studies, videos, interactive programs that involve manipulatives, or maybe through workbooks or printables.
Why isn’t the current homeschool program working?
Sometimes when something isn’t working, it’s just that everyone needs a break. It may be a fine fit for learning styles, but if you (or your children) are tired and need a break, it might appear as though the curriculum is wrong. Look at your schedule and see if it’s time for a short break, or maybe even a break from the curriculum. You can often find substitute lesson plans where you can still be learning, math for example, without using the homeschool curriculum you have chosen. These can often be a short-term solution that helps you feel like you’ve had a break. Using games for learning is a great example of this.
What are my non-negotiables when it comes to choosing a curriculum?
Do some soul searching for yourself. If something isn’t working, it may very well need to be changed. However, you should have a set of non-negotiables that you want/need a curriculum to meet. Maybe it’s a Christian worldview, or a particular format that you know your child will respond to. Or, maybe it has to be low prep for you. There are a number of things that could be your non-negotiables.
All of these questions can help you determine if your chosen curriculum isn’t working or if you need a change of scenery for a bit.
What do I do if my chosen curriculum isn’t working?
This is a good question because often you’ll feel stuck. Stuck either because of the lack of finances to change the homeschool curriculum completely or stuck because you feel like you don’t have the time to make the switch – like it would make you get behind. Don’t worry, there are a few practical solutions to help you, whether you feel stuck or you’re ready to dive into a new curriculum.
Finding a new homeschool curriculum
First, if you don’t feel stuck and you’re ready for a new curriculum, take those questions from above and start searching the internet or homeschool conventions (if it’s that time of year!). Side note: at homeschool conventions, you’ll find many choices from a variety of distributors at one time. There are many options for every grade level and you can put your hands on the books and decide, in bulk, what might work for your homeschooling family.
You might not even have to spend a lot to get a new-to-you homeschool curriculum. There are lots of places online where you can find used curriculum, not to mention borrowing a curriculum from a friend that they’re not currently using, checking the library or a local co-op to see if they have a curriculum you can borrow.
Once you decide to switch, keep in mind that you can often get some money back for the curriculum that didn’t work for you. Selling a used curriculum is a great way to recoup some of your month on something that didn’t work for you.
Also keep in mind that keeping it could be an option that will save you money down the road, too. Chances are that your children’s learning styles will be different. If a Charlotte Mason book or Alpha Omega publication didn’t work for one child, it might work for another.
Change your scenery
As mentioned above, sometimes it’s as easy as changing scenery for your homeschool. Your child’s education can be done in a variety of ways.
Maybe it’s language arts you’re struggling with. Change it up by getting away from the workbooks or reading literature and getting outside on a nice day. Soak up the sun in a different location and just write a descriptive poem or writing.
Sometimes, a change of scenery can be as easy as doing the same curriculum in a different place. When my kids were younger, my daughter loved to take her work out and lay in the sun on the deck while she worked. The options are limitless. Math, language arts, or social studies can be done away from the kitchen table.
Changing your homeschool approach
Changing your approach without changing the curriculum can work, too. If you’ve been using textbooks, change it up and watch some videos or do some hands-on interactive work.
Take science for example. If you have been using a textbook for a high school class, maybe you take a break from that text and do some lab work. You can find different experiments here that will go along with many different homeschool curricula.
Or, using number games is a great way to change up your approach for math.
Each school year will come with its own set of challenges. No one homeschool looks like another, and all kids learn differently. Take a deep breath and be encouraged. From PreK to 12th grade, and everything in between, you’ll learn more about your children and will become better able to handle the challenges as they come. You can do this, mama. Breathe deep and hang in there.