Should We Switch Curriculum Now?
Are you thinking about switching curriculum, but you know that it sounds crazy at this point in the school year? There are many reasons we may choose to switch curriculum. Perhaps our child isn’t understanding it, we don’t like implementing it, or it just isn’t what we hoped it would be. My friend, Margaret, recently made the decision to completely drop the acclaimed curriculum/program that they were using, and in which they were invested, to begin a different program mid-year. Her story is inspiring, because her decision to change at this point in the school year was a complicated but rewarding journey in which she had to rely on and trust the Lord in so many ways.
Consider:
Here are a few questions to ask yourself if you are wrestling with whether or not switching curriculum is the way you want to move forward…
- Is God placing this change on my heart? If so, continue seeking Him as you make the new plan.
- Is my spouse supportive of this change? Share your concerns and your ideas and then also be willing to listen and respond with love and respect and appreciation.
- Can our finances handle purchasing new curriculum? Our children’s education is an investment, so sometimes it’s worth the “splurge” to get just the right program for your child/family. As you look into purchasing, be sure to consider ways to save… purchase used through the many social media sale groups and websites, catch the company’s sale, check the company’s clearanced items, consider if all of the teacher components are necessary, share materials with more than one student as is possible.
- Is the new curriculum one that YOU will love to teach? We can talk all day about the importance of understanding your child’s learning style and what works best for them, but at the end of the day, if YOU, the teacher, don’t love using the curriculum, then the odds just sky-rocketed that the curriculum will be a flop. However, if you love it, that excitement will likely rub off on your children and your will power to get through the tough days will be stronger.
- Is the new curriculum going to provide a better balance of academic excellence and joyful learning? If your kids can learn and enjoy the process, then they win! If you can make it through the school day with sanity and a smile, then everyone wins!
Double Check:
Before you make the dive, also ask yourself these three questions to determine if the problem is actually the current curriculum or if it could be something else:
- Am I the problem? Sometimes, the reason my child isn’t “getting it,” is because I’m not teaching it correctly or because I have run out of patience and just need to stick with it.
- Is my child just not ready? Maybe developmentally, my child just isn’t ready for this material. Maybe they need to be eased into it more gently or maybe they need to back up and cover this material later, when they are ready to grasp it more easily.
- Is this a necessary challenge? Sometimes learning is just hard. I can’t tell you how many homeschool families I’ve talked to who felt stuck and frustrated with teaching/learning multiplication, for example. Each of these families used different curriculum from one another and they all thought that the problem was the curriculum. In most cases, though, it was just one of those times when the student has to learn to press on and try harder. Pushing through and rising to the challenge is a good lesson to learn, too!
Whether you decide to power through your current curriculum or start fresh with another one, you aren’t alone in your struggle. When we are seeking the best for our kids, we are bound to ask ourselves lots of questions and research lots of ideas which will inevitably lead us to another way to do things. Juggling decisions and materials and expectations is just part of the weight we all carry as the one responsible for our children’s education. Hang in there, and ask the Lord for wisdom. He is always willing and ready to give wisdom when we ask, and He cares even more about our homes than we do! We can fully trust Him and His direction!
