Whenever I recommend a curriculum or write a review, I feel it’s important to state my priorities and explain where I’m coming from.
We are all different and have different ideas about learning and different expectations for our children’s education. So, this list is not meant to start an argument or convince anyone that my way is the right way. It’s simply a way to share my perspective and explain what matters to me when choosing a curriculum.
1. A Solid Curriculum
For me, a solid curriculum means clearly explaining concepts, not just teaching algorithms.
It should provide plenty of practice, with a gradual increase in difficulty, as well as cumulative mixed reviews.
Ideally, it should go beyond practicing individual skills and give students opportunities to connect concepts and use them together in multistep assignments.
2. Designed for Students Who Need Explicit Instruction
As a homeschooling mom whose own daughter has learning challenges, and as a tutor working with students who struggle to keep up with the school curriculum, I tend to look at educational materials from this perspective.
The curricula I work with are primarily aimed at students who need help building foundational skills and mastering grade-level material, rather than advanced learners or students looking for acceleration.
3. Easy to Follow for Both Parents and Children
Reading ten pages of instructions for parents just to teach one page to an elementary-age child is not time-efficient. It’s also not how I would like to spend our homeschool days, and I wouldn’t recommend it to other families.
Layout also matters, especially for younger children, to minimize distractions and unnecessary eye work.
4. Affordable
We’ve always been on a limited budget, so affordability matters to me.
There are well-known, effective teaching strategies, and more expensive curricula often include extra perks, such as book sets (which you can borrow from the library) or manipulatives (which you can order separately from Amazon or Temu, or use household objects you already have).
Some curricula even include notebooks of scratch paper with a pretty title and cover for extra money. But a notebook from Dollarama works just fine!
5. Books Over Online Programs, With Minimal Worldview Bias
For core subjects, we prefer books over online programs.
As a Jewish family, we’ve found it challenging to find a curriculum that aligns with our worldview exactly. For this reason, I tend to choose materials that are neutral, strictly academic, or have as little religious or political bias as possible.
I’d rather choose a curriculum that focuses on teaching the subject itself and leave the discussion of broader worldviews to our family.
I’ve already shared a few curriculum reviews on the blog, including cursive writing resources, Complete Canadian Curriculum, and alternatives to Complete Canadian Curriculum for preschool.
I’ll be sharing more curriculum reviews, so subscribe to the blog or follow me on Facebook if you’d like to stay updated!
