Evaluating and Adjusting: Navigating Curriculum Adjustments Mid-Year
Now that the school year is in full swing, many homeschooling parents find themselves at a crossroads. After a few months of learning, it’s common (and healthy) to look back and evaluate how things are going. If you’re feeling like your curriculum choices aren’t quite hitting the mark, or your daily schedule isn’t working for you, you’re not alone. This is a pivotal moment—a time to evaluate, adjust, and seek support.
A Moment to Evaluate
Take a deep breath and ask yourself a few key questions about your current curriculum:
What’s Working?
Identify the parts of your curriculum that resonate with your child. Are there subjects or activities they are particularly excited about? Recognizing successes can provide motivation and insight into what to build upon.
What’s Not Working?
Be honest about the aspects that are falling flat. Is your child disengaged or frustrated with certain materials? Pinpointing these challenges can help you determine if it’s a matter of content, teaching style, or pacing.
How Is Your Child Learning?
Consider your child’s learning style. Are they more visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners? Sometimes, a simple adjustment in the method of delivery can make a significant difference in engagement and understanding.
Are Your Expectations Realistic?
When choosing a curriculum, it's important to have realistic expectations. No curriculum will be perfect for every child, and that's okay. Understanding that every program has its strengths and weaknesses can help you approach adjustments with an open mind.
Making Adjustments
Once you’ve taken time to reflect, it’s time to make some adjustments. Here are some strategies to help you pivot your curriculum effectively:
Be Flexible: Homeschooling allows you the freedom to adapt your lessons based on your child’s needs. Don’t be afraid to try new resources or teaching methods, even if it means stepping away from your initial plan. However, don’t be too quick to scrap your curriculum and start over, either! I’m convinced that you can make your initial investment work for you (check out my video about why I’ve never changed the curriculum since we started homeschooling).
Incorporate Supplemental Resources: If certain subjects are proving challenging, consider supplementing your curriculum with additional resources. There are plenty of online videos, activity sheets, and hands-on activities that can enhance learning and make subjects more enjoyable.
Maximize Your Curriculum: Ask yourself if you’re making the most out of your current curriculum. Are you fully utilizing its resources, or are there aspects you haven’t explored yet? On the flip side, are you trying to do too much, instead of taking only what you need and leaving the rest? Make the curriculum work for you—not the other way around. Sometimes, simply approaching a subject differently can reinvigorate your child’s interest. (Check out my Curriculum Buffet video for some perspective here).
Create a Learning Plan: If you’re making significant changes, outline a plan to guide your adjustments. This will help keep you on track and provide a clear pathway for both you and your child to follow. To help with this, I have created Wiser Lesson Plans, an Excel workbook tool that generates the entire year's plans at once or allows you to plan as you go, printing week by week, month by month, or in any combination you desire. Check it out to see if it could enhance your homeschool organization!
Asking for Help
It’s important to remember that you don’t have to navigate these changes alone. Here are some ways to seek support:
Connect with Other Homeschoolers: Reach out to local homeschooling groups or online communities. Other parents often have valuable insights, resources, and encouragement to share. (Just remember not to get bogged down in conflicting opinions when other parents’ ideas don’t align with your perspective).
Consult Educational Experts: If you’re feeling particularly stuck, consider reaching out to an educational consultant or curriculum specialist who can offer personalized advice based on your child’s needs.
Join Homeschool Crash Course. When making this course, I tried to think of anything and everything a new-to-homeschooling parent might need to know. From building confidence to answering basic how-to questions, I packed it all into this self-paced, online course. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your experience and make this year the best it can be! Let’s do this together!
Embrace the Journey
Ultimately, this moment of evaluation and adjustment is an essential part of your homeschooling journey. Embrace it! Each challenge you encounter is an opportunity for growth—not just for your child, but for you as well. Homeschooling is about discovering what works best for your family, and sometimes that means adjusting along the way.
Remember, it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed at times, but you don’t have to face these challenges alone. With the right reflection and support, you can navigate these changes with newfound confidence.
Because our kids deserve better,
Amy
