7 Things no one says when buying homeschool curriculum

Did you know that most people change curriculum at least once on their homeschool journey, and some change it multiple times a year? But do you want to make fewer curriculum mistakes, waste less money, and choose the right curriculum from the start?

Well, in this post, I will share 7 invaluable insights that will prevent you from wasting money and switching from a curriculum that doesn't work for your family.

I've received many emails from people thanking me for telling them these things on my channel (especially the big point I'm going to talk about at the end of the post) because they're not things they hear in many other places.

Hey there, my name is Rebecca Devitt. I'm a curriculum expert and homeschool mom.

I've spent literally thousands of hours researching online curricula from just about every educational provider, and in this video, I'll share some valuable observations I've made along the way.

Affiliate links are used in this post. Buying through these helps support me and my homeschool channel. Thanks in advance.

Free Curriculum Isn't Free

Let's start by talking about free curriculum.

Have you ever thought about getting a free program?

I've spoken to many homeschool parents who want to use Ambleside Online, a 'free' Charlotte Mason curriculum.

They start using the program and think it will be an incredibly low-cost option.

But one thing no one usually tells you when you use a free curriculum is that you may have to buy the books.

Many books are available for free and past copyright protection, sure.

But, if you're going to use more modern texts or want your kids to not be glued to a screen reading innumerable books, you have to buy the books.

And often, that costs as much as buying the curriculum itself.

So be careful when choosing your "free homeschool curriculum," and make sure it's actually free.

Easy Peasy (pictured below) is a good option if you want that.

Each method, except the traditional one, presents a unique learning curve for parents

Next, what homeschool method will you use?

Many mothers fall in love with the Charlotte Mason method.

They do a quiz and find out they'd like to make their homeschool into a Charlotte Mason homeschool.

You know, spend more time outdoors.

Spend hours carefully training their child's habits.

Encourage clever needlework and beautiful handwriting, which are rarely seen these days.

However, they don't count the time and cost involved in this venture.

They start and realize that to have a Charlotte Mason homeschool, they have to educate themselves for many hours and days.

It's important to note that each homeschool method, except the traditional one, comes with its own unique learning curve for parents. Understanding this can help you better prepare for the rigors of your homeschool journey.

And this is on top of the steep learning curve they're navigating when they start homeschooling.

So, it's crucial to carefully consider the time and cost before choosing your homeschool method, ensuring you're fully informed and prepared.

Patience takes time.

My next point is something I've realized over many years.

Have you ever heard the statement, 'I could never homeschool. I don't have the patience.'?

This statement comes from a misperception.

That is, homeschooling parents usually don't start with oodles of patience.

They develop it.

When many people start homeschooling, their first year is usually really tough. They sit down and try to walk their kids through reading, and it's an infuriating experience!

The first year of homeschooling is not only challenging because so many things are new to them.

It's also hard because patience, gentleness, and love take a long time to build up.

I get down on my knees an hour before everyone in the house gets up and (sometimes somewhat desperately) pray for patience, love, and gentleness.

And I see God responding to this plea generously!

One of my favorite things is seeing mature Christian homeschool moms who've spent years homeschooling their children gently answering their many questions and not getting frustrated when their children get frustrated over their homework.

It's a beautiful reflection of how God gently deals with his children.

These moms have got something special that a lot of people envy.

Don't Get Teachers Manuals

Moving on to something else you won't often hear when looking at homeschool curriculum.

And that has to do with what to pick when faced with options.

For example, I use the BJU Press curriculum.

When you buy a homeschool curriculum, you're faced with three choices (pictured below).

Firstly, you can get pre-recorded teacher-led lessons called 'Online.'

Secondly, you can get DVDs, which is like the Online version, except you have them on loan for a year and a half.

Third, you can get the Textbook version that comes with teachers' manuals.

The first two options are great, and they require little work for parents. Kids can often complete the curriculum themselves - especially when they're older.

But the third option with teachers' manuals is a lot of work for parents!!!

So only get the teacher's manuals if you want to do ALL the teaching yourself!

…and that would be almost nobody.

Some Are More Rigorous Than Others

Now, let's talk about programs that are rigorous compared to those that are easier.

Growing up, we used a homeschool curriculum called ACE Paces. My parents loved these because we could homeschool ourselves, and they didn't have to help us at all.

It was completely independent learning.

Great! Right?

Well, no.

The reason they didn't have to help us is that it was so easy.

It was so easy that we weren't getting a great education.

Soon, we actually switched to...Abeka.

Abeka, like BJU Press, is known for having high-quality material. This isn't a course children can run independently themselves when they're young without the videos.

But it's a high-quality program, and it's said that Abeka and BJU are sometimes a full year ahead of the public school curriculum.

SO GENERALLY SPEAKING - programs with teachers videos (whether LIVE or pre-recorded) tend to be more rigorous than programs where students can lead courses themselves.

For example, Masterbooks is a lot easier than BJU Press and Abeka.

This isn't a bad thing.

In fact, some families want a less rigorous course.

In that case, something like Masterbooks would be perfect.

Accreditation Doesn't Matter (Unless You're Sending Kids Back to School)

The next thing we're going to address is something that confuses many new homeschool parents: they are worried they need to choose a certain curriculum to fulfill state requirements.

The truth is that in every state, whether in America or Australia, you don't need accreditation.

You may want it, though.

If you're planning on doing short-term homeschooling for a bit and you're going to send your kids back to school.

Use an accredited curriculum.

It will make your life a lot easier.

That's because it will be much more closely aligned with what your kids will study in school.

By contrast, if you do short-term homeschooling using a Charlotte Mason curriculum, you'll be rudely shocked as you spend six months of hard labor re-educating yourself and your kids before sending them back to school, where they'll be shocked again and have to revert to a traditional way of teaching.  

So choose what you like if you're in it for the long haul.

Short haulers make your life easy, and go with accreditation if you can afford it.

'Christian' Isn't Christian

However, whether or not one has accreditation is a fairly lightweight issue compared to having a solid gospel-centered Christian homeschool curriculum.

Look, I've really wrestled with telling you about this issue.

But what you'll almost no one on YouTube will tell you is that you shouldn't trust every curriculum provider who says they are Christian.

One of the most well-known curriculum programs today, The Good and the Beautiful curriculum, is commonly used among Christian homeschoolers.

But I urge Christian homeschoolers to be careful of this one.

This is a really huge issue that needs a lot of explaining, which I'm going to do in this video below, Why I Won't Use The Good and the Beautiful in My Homeschool.