Soooo Much to Chose From.....

When we first started to homeschool, I got so overwhelmed with all the curriculum out there.  It was hard for me to chose what to use the first few years.  We knew we wanted it to be Bible based, so that did narrow it down a little.  The first year, we decided to go with Christian Liberty Press.  We used their whole curriculum set for Robert.  The books were wonderful, but we found it to be a little overwhelming for a Kindergartner.  Six large workbooks for a 5 year old was a little much.  As the years went by we found that hands on teaching along with a few workbooks during the first couple years of school worked much better for our kids.   They love learning through games and even craft projects much more than sitting with a bunch of books each day.  Our 5 year just officially started school and he is already reading at a 2nd grade level.  We never sat down to "teach" him how to read, he just caught on by us reading to him and playing phonics games with him. Each child has a way he or she learns best.  It is important to find that out early.  I remember spending tons of money on so many different books and never using them because they just didn't fit the child's learning style.   So now, when it is time to pick curriculum each year, we do it by what is best for the child.  I recommend reading the book "The Way They Learn" by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias.   It is a great tool for finding out your child's learning style.  Even if you do not homeschool, I believe it is important to know this in order to help your child through school.

We have learned over the years not to sweat the small stuff.  I use to worry if they were not right on  schedule with every subject, but soon learned that they will catch on when they are ready.   Each year when I have my children tested, they all score way above average on all their test scores, so I have learned that getting frustrated with the little things just isn't worth it.  They will learn what they need to learn, but sometimes it just takes a little time.