Curriculum, Co-ops, and Courses… Oh my!
- Melissa Sweeney
- Jul 27
- 3 min read
Early on in my teaching career I learned that curriculum is anything that happens in the classroom environment. The curricula you will purchase for your students is only one tool to help you achieve your goals. It’s important to keep this straight in your mind. The curriculum is a tool that serves you. If at any point it is not assisting you in meeting your goals, you need to reassess and be okay with changing course. Here are some common questions parent-educators have asked me about curriculum, co-ops and courses.
“My student hates …(insert any core subject), but he is already good at it. Do I need to teach it?”
Yes! Absolutely. Educating your child with excellence means educating the whole child - mind, body, soul and spirit. This means you teach all the academic subjects and anything else that is important to your family (aligned with your vision). For me that includes discipleship, character development, and encouraging my students to grow in their gifts and talents. It’s important that we not only expect our students and help them to do the things they don’t like, but we also model this, maybe by grading their math or helping them with a science project (now you know my least favorites). Think both/and, instead of either/or. You may be feeling slightly overwhelmed at this point, and thinking, “This is a lot. How do I do it all well?” You make a plan and prioritize what’s important.
There's so many options. How do I know what to choose?
If you have explored curriculum at all, you know how endless the options are. You can save a lot of time and money by choosing curricula that best fits your student from the vast sea of options. If you’re already familiar with the many curriculum options and where to purchase them, download my curriculum plan tool,
which will help you translate your student goals into a list of curriculum you will purchase for your student. If you’d like to browse our excellent curriculum recommendations, they are linked for you here. If you need help customizing your student’s curriculum to fit his specific needs or goals, book an affordable See It Excellent Curriculum Plan, and we will do this step with you.
What about co-ops and courses?
Co-ops and courses can add a social aspect to your home school that you cannot get elsewhere, and may seem like a necessity. Group classes and co-op meetings also fill up your weekly schedule, leaving less room in your week for the things you listed on your students education plan. This is why you have a plan. If there’s a virtual course or co-op class that fulfills your plan for one of your student goals and fits into your schedule, then great, add it to the list and sign up! Many excellent resources will not work for your student or family, and that’s okay. It’s important to know your vision, goals and budget before exploring options, and don’t give in to anything that doesn’t serve these well.
My student excels in …(insert any core subject), and I don’t like it or feel prepared to teach it. What should I do?
Outsource to another teacher or program or dig in and learn to love it! It’s amazing how much homeschooling grows and stretches us to learn to love subjects we never liked or understood, until we taught them, maybe for years. If this is not an option for you, I encourage you to look at the plethora of amazing online academies. Below are the ones I can recommend because I have used them with my own students.
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