| Homeschooling involves making some decisions. At | | | | recommendation from that person and then research |
| first, many of those decisions involve purchasing | | | | it fully to make sure it fits in with your personality and |
| curriculum or books. Here are some common mistakes | | | | the learning styles of your children. |
| people make and the solutions to help you avoid them: | | | | 3. Buy more than you need - Realize that not every |
| 1. In a hurry to buy curriculum - When you decide to | | | | subject needs a curriculum and that you don't have to |
| home school you may be excited to go out and buy | | | | purchase every part of a curriculum. Science and |
| everything you see. The most important thing you can | | | | History can easily be taught from good books and life |
| do to avoid this mistake is to get to know your child | | | | experiences. Math can be taught using workbooks, but |
| children. Watch them for a while when they play and | | | | can be enhanced with money, M&Ms and other |
| interact with others. Do they like to be alone or with | | | | hands on resources. If you have taken some time to |
| others? Do they enjoy reading? Do they enjoy filling in | | | | write down your goals and what you think you need |
| notebooks or workbooks? Do they hate reading? | | | | for each child, you can avoid buying too much and |
| These are all questions that will help you determine | | | | getting frustrated. Remember that less is better. You |
| how your child learns best. You can also look into | | | | can always buy more later or add to what you have. |
| having them take a learning style assessment to see | | | | If you have too much to work with you will get |
| how they learn best. While you are observing your | | | | frustrated and might frustrate your children by piling on |
| child, start exploring the different home school | | | | too much work and causing them to lose their desire |
| approaches and how they might fit in with your | | | | to learn. |
| personality and that of your child/children. | | | | Everyone is going to buy at least ONE thing that they |
| 2. Buy a curriculum because someone else likes it - | | | | didn't need. You can't avoid all purchasing mistakes, but |
| Have you ever gone to a restaurant that someone | | | | with a plan and some guidance you can purchase |
| else just raved about and you didn't think it was all that | | | | more of what you need and less of what you don't |
| special or you hated their food? Making curriculum | | | | need. Sit back and determine your goals for your |
| choices are certainly more important than choosing a | | | | children and what you want to accomplish taking into |
| restaurant, but the point is that just because someone | | | | account their learning style, and you will avoid many |
| else likes a curriculum, it doesn't mean that it is right for | | | | mistakes when it comes to purchasing home school |
| you and your family or that you will like it. Accept the | | | | curriculum. |