Jen Merckling

life.unimaginable

Choosing Homeschool Curriculum: Where Do I Start?

(This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.)
 
Homeschooling has been such a huge blessing in my life and family–I’d do it again in a heartbeat!  I started researching homeschooling when my oldest son was about 3 years old–I really wrestled with the decision! (Here’s my post about why I homeschool and still love it). And after that initial decision to homeschool, I faced new questions: Where do I start? Where do I buy homeschool curriculum? And perhaps more importantly, how do I choose homeschool curriculum? 
 
There are A LOT of amazing homeschool curriculum choices– it can actually be a little overwhelming!  Here are some of my favorite resources to get you started…

4 Must-Read Books:

First, here are 4 books that I’ve found so helpful and transformative…They’ll help you define a vision for your homeschool, and therefore–a vision for the curriculum you need! (I actually have a blog post about 3 of them)
  •  The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer (I usually read through this book once a year!) This is one of the very best books about a style of education often referred to as Classical Education.  After reading The Well-Trained Mind, you will understand classical education–and you’ll feel confident that you can implement it simply in your homeschool!  It’s actually an amazing resource book–filled with recommendations and titles for covering all subjects from preschool through high school. 
  •  The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart…Just flat out, such an inspirational book about parenting and education…It came out this year, and I wish it had been around when I first started out!!
  • Teaching From Rest by Sarah Mackenzie…So much grace and encouragement about homeschooling and parenting and priorities!
  • The Read-Aloud Family also by Sarah Mackenzie…Made me really prioritize reading aloud–amazing!!

    

    

Homeschool Books: The Brave Learner, The Read-Aloud Family, and Teaching From Rest sitting on table with coffee cup
7 Places to Discover, Explore, or Buy Curriculum:

  1.  I LOVE Cathy Duffy’s website for researching specific curriculum (she is sort of the guru of homeschool curriculum reviews)…I go there to browse curriculum and also to read her in-depth reviews!
  2.  Rainbow Resource Center is a fantastic place to buy and research homeschool curriculum!!  Often their prices are better than Amazon.  Be sure to get on the mailing list for their HUGE catalog!
  3. Sonlight has some excellent curriculum–and if nothing else, look at their book lists for each grade level! I would get on their mailing list too–they have an excellent catalog!
  4. Here’s my post about 12 of my Favorite Curriculums…I need to add Sonlight to that list!!
  5. Homeschool Conventions!  These happen across the country–most often in the spring or summer.  A little Google search should bring up homeschool conventions in your area (which are often sponsored by your local Homeschool Organization).  Great Homeschool Conventions puts on huge conventions regionally–attending one is on my bucket list! 
  6. Facebook Groups–most communities have local Facebook Groups for homeschoolers in their area. I love connecting with local homeschoolers–it’s a great place to ask questions, find recommendations, and even buy used curriculum (or find play groups and co-ops)!  Search Facebook for homeschooling groups in your area–most of these groups will require you  ask permission to join.  
  7. The Homeschool Buyers Co-Op: Membership is FREE…They use their purchasing power to offer homeschool curriculum at incredibly low prices.  Some offers are only available for short windows of time–keep checking their emails regularly to see what’s on sale!

Homeschool books on table

4 More Homeschool Resources:

  1. Ambleside Online has tons of information about the Charlotte Mason style of homeschooling!
  2. Living Montessori Now is my favorite website about the Montessori approach to education.
  3. Home High School Help: If you are beginning (or considering) homeschooling high school, this is absolutely the place I would go to find answers to any questions! Lee Binz is amazing, and I’ve learned so much from her experience and wisdom!  She totally put my mind at ease about homeschooling high school!  Here’s a link to a variety of her posts (I especially love her thoughts about Delight Directed Learning!)
  4. Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA): Even if you’re not a member of HSLDA, their website is a huge resource  for homeschool families! Learn about your state homeschool laws, how to get started homeschooling, tips, and resources–there is A LOT here!

Lean In

You can do this!  I know how overwhelming it can feel at the beginning! Homeschooling IS a huge task–truly bigger than one momma can handle in her own strength…Which is why it’s so important to trust God and lean in on Him…One of my favorite quotes from Teaching From Rest is:

We can’t really rest in God’s care until we trust that He will indeed care for us.  And that means I can’t teach from rest unless I trust Him with my kids’ education too.  I am not meant to take on this task of teaching and raising my children in my own strength, and neither are you.  We are, however, meant to recognize every facet of our day is coming from the hand of God.  It all passes through His fingers first, and He uses it to make sure that we lean hard on Him.

And below is one of my favorite verses from the Bible.  It’s been my “homeschooling life verse” of sorts…

Taken from 2 Corinthians 12:9…

“My grace is sufficient for you,  for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Here’s the thing, Sweet Friend…There is no perfect curriculum. And there is no one “right way,” to homeschool.  In fact, you may struggle with patience, self-discipline, or organization…But I’ve found that God has helped me and changed me in the areas of my weaknesses–it’s been the perfect opportunity to trust Him and lean in on His strength.

Please let me know if I can help in any way–it’s such a joy and blessing to come along beside you!  I hope this list of resources is a jumping point for you to explore and choose homeschool curriculum! (Be sure to save it for later on Pinterest or bookmark this page!)

With Love,

Jen xo

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