Choosing Curricula
& Materials

Reviewing and critiquing curriculum materials before purchasing is an essential step for homeschooling parents. It’s important to ensure that the materials you use align with your family’s educational goals, learning needs, and teaching style. Not all resources are the same - and in many cases, materials may not be well written, researched, edited or tested, so taking the time to review materials with a critical eye is vital.

 

The following is a list of things that you may want to consider when vetting curriculum and resources.
 

Identify Your Needs and Your Educational Philosophy
 

• Clarify your family's short and long-term educational goals. What subjects will you teach, and what content do you want your children to learn?  Beyond subject-specific knowledge, what broader skills, attitudes and values do you want them to develop? What subjects will you teach? Knowing this ahead of time will allow you to pinpoint better materials that are better suited to your needs. 
   

• Recognize that you don't have to teach every subject yourself, especially those you may not feel comfortable with. Outsourcing certain topics to online courses, local tutors, or educational co-ops can provide your child with expert instruction and enhance their learning experience. This approach allows you to focus on areas where you are more confident while ensuring your child receives a comprehensive education. Remember, leveraging external resources can greatly benefit both you and your child, making the homeschooling journey more manageable and effective.
   

• Determine whether you prefer a structured or more flexible approach to learning. Do you want to use a teacher-centred or student-centred approach? Would you prefer an all-in-one open-and-go curriculum or materials from specialized content providers? Do you want to be able to scaffold and customize materials for students with learning challenges or high achievers?
   

• Consider Learning Needs and Ability

  • Consider your child's abilities and learning preferences. Assess whether the curriculum allows customization to meet your child's learning level and pace if required. 

  • Discuss the various options with your child. Involve your child in the decision-making process to see how they feel about each curriculum, and, depending on the age of your child, consider letting them take ownership of their learning by helping to choose their learning materials. 

  • Evaluate whether the material can be taught to multiple children simultaneously if need be (see comments at the bottom of page regarding multi-subject curricula). 

  • Review the assessment methods (quizzes, tests, projects) to ensure they align with your approach to evaluating progress.

  • Consider whether the curriculum can be used for multiple years or if it's a one-time use resource.
     

Research and Gather Information

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• Research the Author/Brand/Publisher. Look into the reputation and background of the curriculum author(s), publisher or provider. What are the author's credentials? Is the author suitably qualified to write and develop curriculum materials? Read the fine print - who sponsors the website? The best curricula is written by subject-matter experts (people who are highly qualified and knowledgeable in their field). We have linked some tools here to help you select books that are high-quality, whether using for enjoyment, or as part of your homeschool program. 

 

• Scrutinize all-in-one and multi-subject resources very carefully. Each subject area should have a team of qualified writers specializing in their various content areas - not one person writing all subject materials.  
   

• Read the promotional materials about each product on their company website. How do they describe their resources? Who is the target audience? Contact the company’s Customer Support team with questions or concerns that you may have, or to discuss student placement levels.
   

• Ask for recommendations from friends with similar learning goals and objectives. Read reviews and testimonials from other homeschooling parents, and check educational websites, blogs, forums, and social media groups for curriculum reviews (post questions in Facebook forums and get feedback from other families who have tried the resources). Utilize platforms like Goodreads or dedicated curriculum review websites to check user ratings and reviews. NOTE: Keep in mind that even homeschooling friends with similar learning goals and objectives, and with children similar ages to your child(ren), may have very different learning needs and styles from yours so make sure you do your own research through your lens of requirements for your family. 
   

• Vist homeschool bookstores and homeschool conferences, if possible. Try to get "eyes" on the material whenever possible. Large conferences will often have a Vendor Hall, where you can discuss curricular options, content, and learning outcomes with authors and/or publishing reps. If you can’t attend in person, try a virtual conference, such as The Canadian Online Homeschool Conference.  Remember, though, that salespeople at conferences are biased and will likely be trying to upsell you with on-site discounts. Do your research FIRST before attending, and then use your time at the conference to preview materials and look inside books that you'd normally have to order sight-unseen. 

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Assess Sample Learning Materials
 

• Review free sample lessons, downloads and/or excerpts. Sign up for a free trial, whenever possible. Look at the content of textbooks, workbooks, online resources, videos, and other materials provided to determine if they are engaging, age-appropriate, and aligned with your needs, desired outcomes, student ability, grade level and teaching approach.
   

• Does the curriculum subscribe to a particular worldview? Is the material biased? Was the author sponsored or funded by a group with a specific agenda? For information on the importance of identifying bias, especially in science curriculum materials, click here.
   

• Check for alignment with Provincial or State standards. If required in your area, ensure that the curriculum aligns with relevant educational standards or outcomes. Even if you're not required to align with standards, knowing that a program has been vetted by qualified content specialists and field experts is generally good practice. 
   

• If it's FREE, there's usually a price! Be extremely wary free programs, especially ones touting one-stop-shop or all-in-one programs. In most cases, you get what you pay for, as free curricula often lack one or more of the following: authorship skills, editing, content accuracy, subject-matter expertise, academic challenge, current text/resource selection, variation of curricular design, appropriate scope and sequence of learning, intentional assignments and tasks, valid assessment techniques, and/or developmental appropriateness of activities. That being said, there are many good free resources that we've vetted and suggested in our Resource Library that we like (and we've made an effort to explain why we think they're worth a look). 
   

• Look beyond the attractive presentation and trendy social media reviews in order to evaluate the depth and substance of the content. Multi-level curricula may be pretty, but can fall short in properly engaging or challenging older children, leading to a compromise in their learning. Be aware that certain multi-level curricula appeals to families because it promises a streamlined "family values" approach to teaching multiple children at different levels simultaneously. This appeal can be very strong, as it suggests an easier and more cohesive shared educational experience for the whole family, often with less planning. However, it is essential for parents to critically assess the author credentials and whether such programs genuinely provide the necessary depth and challenge for older or more advanced learners, rather than simply offering surface-level content that may risk their childrens' educational growth.  

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Selecting the right curriculum for homeschooling involves careful consideration and research to align with your family's educational philosophy, and goals. It's essential to identify your specific needs and preferences, whether you lean towards structured or flexible learning approaches, and whether you require materials tailored to individual learning styles or challenges.

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Researching authors, publishers, and reviews from other homeschooling families provides valuable insights into the credibility and effectiveness of curriculum materials. Evaluating materials firsthand ensures that the content meets your expectations for engagement, age-appropriateness, and alignment with educational standards, and considering biases or limitations ensures that the chosen curriculum supports your values and educational standards. As well, involving your child in the decision-making process can foster ownership and motivation in their learning journey.

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By prioritizing these steps, homeschooling parents can confidently select curriculum materials that best support their children's educational growth and development.​