What to Do When Your Curriculum Feels Forced

Have you ever tried to fit a square peg into a round hole? That's often how it feels when we try to force a one-size-fits-all curriculum onto our unique children. Today, let's talk about the art of customizing your homeschool curriculum.

Remember, the beauty of homeschooling lies in its flexibility. Here are some ways you can tailor your approach:

1. Identify Learning Styles: Is your child visual, auditory, or kinesthetic? Adapt your teaching methods accordingly. For example, if your child finds a workbook page daunting, perhaps work through it together audibly (let them tell you the answers instead of filling in the blanks). They may relax and feel more confident talking through it with you than being left on their own to complete the page.

2. Follow Interests: Use your child's passions as gateways to learning. Love dinosaurs? That's biology, history, and more, all rolled into one! 

3. Adjust the Pace: Move quickly through mastered concepts and slow down for challenging ones. There's no need to stick to arbitrary timelines. Sometimes, this may mean moving very quickly through some content. Don't be afraid to let your child show you where they excel!

4. Mix and Match: Consider using different approaches for different subjects. Pick what works best for each area. A child may be very adept at completing a math worksheet but struggle to have the same proactiveness with an English one. It's okay to use different methods of teaching and learning for different subjects (and even different concepts within each subject). Remember, you're not re-creating school. You're facilitating learning! If learning is happening, then you are winning!

5. Incorporate Real-Life Learning: Use everyday experiences as teaching moments. Cooking is chemistry, shopping is math, gardening is science, and so on. Don't shy away from putting all the books away some days and doing some side-by-side, real-life tasks together. 

6. Reevaluate Regularly: What works today might not work next month. Stay flexible and be ready and willing to adjust. Learn to embrace and enjoy the changes you can make as you go! Chances are, you and your kids both will find the change of pace refreshing, and it will keep your homeschool from feeling like a drudgery. 

7. Remember the Curriculum Buffet: As I always say, your curriculum is there to work for you, not the other way around. Consider it an all-you-can-eat buffet. If you try to eat everything, you'll max out fast, and you'll be miserable! Take what you need, and don't feel guilty for leaving the rest on the table. Just because your curriculum provides 50 reinforcement problems and 3 extra activities for that math concept doesn't mean you have to use all of it! Do enough to assure mastery of the concept, and push the plate away until the next meal. 

Customizing your curriculum might seem daunting, but it's one of the most rewarding aspects of homeschooling, and the more you do it, the easier it will become for you! Besides, it allows your child's education to be as unique as they are!

Need more guidance on creating a customized learning experience? My Homeschool Crash Course dedicates an entire module to curriculum customization. You'll learn strategies for understanding what works for you and your child, how to accelerate when appropriate, and how to avoid getting bogged down along the way.

Plus, in our group coaching calls, we can dive deep into your specific customization questions. It's like having a personal homeschool consultant!

Remember, you know your child best. Trust your instincts and create a learning environment where they can truly thrive.

Because our kids deserve better,

Amy