My wife and I have talked about homeschooling our daughter. She is finishing kindergarten now. Currently goes to a private Christian school that we do like and is doing extremely well.
At first my wife was against it cause she thought she wouldn’t be able to do it and all of the typical negative thinking for it. Now she is really wanting to do it and is researching all different homeschool curriculums. My question is in regards to curriculums. Is there an actual beat curriculum? Is it a pick and choose from different ones? Is it a “don’t worry too much about curriculum” and more if a self pacing? I’ve just seen so many things about different approaches.
So if any out there that have homeschooled or are currently doing so could just give different pointers or tips for a family that is wanting to do it, I would greatly appreciate it.
Definitely join HSLDA
Look into the Sonlight curriculum. We've graduated 3 on that program. Lots (LOTS!) of books and reading, but they link everything. For example, if your kids are doing Ancient Egypt in history, they'll be reading books about (and fiction set in) Ancient Egypt. Their spelling words will be Ancient Egypt related, and their science unit will be something like "the ecosystem of the Nile river". When everything is interrelated like that, it's very reinforcing and your kids seem to learn faster.
This curriculum does not include math, so you'll need to choose a math to go along with it (we use Teaching Textbooks).
Keep in mind that the public school system is designed to be a baby sitter while the parents are away at work. Do NOT get caught up in spending 6 or 8 hours per day on school work. You can literally get done with the school work in 2-3 hours, and your kids will be learning more than their public school peers.
Homeschooling allows you to customize your curriculum to support your children's' interests. My 15 year old loves art and music, so she has a couple hours each day to compose her own music and draw her own comic strips. My 13 year old is into computers and coding and is learning how to write his own iPhone apps. Allow your children to pursue their interests and watch how excited they'll be to do school each day.
Do not turn your nose up at "unschooling". For some kids, that is the best way for them to learn.
Best of luck to you! You are helping ensure your kids will be productive, critically thinking members of society.