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.
Congratulations! You are making a fantastic decision that will revolutionize your family!
I highly recommend educating classically, and if neither of you were educated in that manner, then you're in for an amazing ride as you discover how God designed our brains to work. We have graduated two this way and have four more to go.
We use Classical Conversations. They offer parent trainings (even if you don't use their curriculum), and my kiddos love meeting up with their peers one day a week. Families are supportive of each other, and everyone agrees on the same statement of faith.
There are other options for classical education, too, and I've known people who curate a curriculum on their own. Whatever you decide to do, I recommend you read Dorothy Sayer's 1948ish essay, The Lost Tools of Learning (Dorothy was one of the Inklings and wrote some fun mysteries, as well). You can download it for free just by searching.
Find out what your state requirements are. I second joining HSLDA--it's money well spent. We also are members of our local honeschool organization, which keeps us update on local offerings and resources.