Textbooks and Workbooks
Textbooks and workbooks provide both a framework and a point of reference to guide you as you teach your child. They are typically heavily researched, tested, and revised over many years. Curriculum publishers have staff working on constant research, updates, artwork, design, and printing. The publishers produce clear, concise, organized information in their educational materials that meets requirements needed to comply with the strictest homeschool state laws.
Personalize It
Parents should adapt curriculum to best fit the learning needs of their child. Select and utilize parts of each lesson that will best help your children. Printed tests can be given as pretests to help you assess what your child may know before going through each chapter. Lessons can be combined or skipped according to their knowledge base. Decide how much of the work you want your child to complete to maximize your child’s understanding. Using textbooks for some subjects may free you up to be more creative with other subjects. Workbooks can also be a useful tool to supplement curriculum and focus on specific challenges a child may be experiencing with a concept or subject.
Teach it for You
Are you concerned you might not know the subject matter well enough to teach it? Don’t worry. Online and DVD courses are available from many publishers. Your child will play a DVD or stream a prerecorded teacher instruction. Select which suggested assignments you want your child to complete, then choose additional content to reinforce the lessons. Some teach in a classroom setting while others talk more directly to the student. For younger students, they often incorporate field trips, experiments, puppets, cartoons, and skits. As a child matures and studies more advanced concepts, they will likely utilize more distance-learning-type courses. This option will also prepare them for online college courses and the development of self guided learning.
Make it Work for You Some parents find it easily manageable and freeing to come up with their own ways to teach a child in the early years utilizing workbooks, only referring to teacher’s manuals occasionally. Others prefer to use a teacher’s manual to follow specific instructions and find ideas about how to teach a concept. Still others prefer to watch prerecorded videos with their children and walk alongside their child when they learn. Using textbooks can save you prep time, and there are a wide variety of way in which these textbooks can be utilized. Get More Info There are several major curriculum publishers that cater to traditional homeschooling families, offering a wide range of educational materials and resources across various subjects and grade levels. Here are some of the prominent curriculum publishers in the homeschooling community:
Abeka: Abeka provides Christian-based curriculum materials for preschool through grade 12, covering subjects such as language arts, math, science, history, and Bible studies. Their materials are known for their structured approach and comprehensive content.
BJU Press: BJU Press offers a variety of curriculum options for homeschooling families, including textbooks, workbooks, and teacher resources. Their curriculum covers core subjects like language arts, math, science, and history, with an emphasis on academic rigor and biblical worldview integration.
Sonlight: Sonlight offers literature-based curriculum packages that focus on literature, history, and geography. Their curriculum is designed to inspire a love for reading and learning through engaging literature selections and hands-on activities.
Saxon Publishers: Saxon Publishers is well-known for its math curriculum, which is widely used by homeschooling families for its incremental approach and mastery-based learning. They offer math programs for elementary through high school levels.
Calvert Education: Calvert Education provides comprehensive homeschool curriculum packages for grades K-12, covering all core subjects as well as electives. Their curriculum is structured and includes lesson plans, textbooks, and online resources.
Alpha Omega Publications (AOP): AOP offers a variety of homeschool curriculum options, including the popular Switched-On Schoolhouse (computer-based), Monarch (online), and LIFEPAC (print-based) programs. Their curriculum covers all core subjects and is customizable to fit individual learning styles and preferences.
Oak Meadow: Oak Meadow offers a holistic, Waldorf-inspired curriculum for homeschooling families. Their materials emphasize creativity, imagination, and experiential learning across all subjects, including language arts, math, science, and social studies.
The Good and the Beautiful: The Good and the Beautiful offers a literature-rich, faith-neutral curriculum that emphasizes character development, literacy, and academic excellence. Their curriculum covers a wide range of subjects and grade levels, with a focus on hands-on learning and wholesome literature selections.
These are just a few examples of curriculum publishers commonly used by traditional homeschooling families. Each publisher offers its own unique approach and philosophy, allowing families to choose the curriculum that best fits their educational goals, preferences, and values. Our Homeschool Coaches are here to help you and can assist with Curriculum Planning. We exist to serve you!