When do you like to plan out your upcoming school year? I like to have everything squared away by mid-summer. Typically, that means researching and ordering curricula during late winter and early spring. Few things make me feel more accomplished than putting last year’s books in my storage tote and next year’s books on the shelves knowing I don’t even have to think about school again until August.
Because of the planning routine that I’ve gotten into, I often rely on ordering curricula online. In many instances I’m just ordering the next level of a book we know we like and will use. Sometimes I feel like shaking things up though. I can’t be the only homeschool mom who needs to entertain her own brain with some new material. In this case, online reviews and going to publishers I know and trust are where I turn to help me choose.
I also have a newly minted high-schooler this year. We were excited to embark on deeper studies and discussions on important subjects. Here is where things went off the rails a bit. I decided on biology for her first high-school science credit. Propelled by that decision and my desire to try a new curriculum, we hit a wall. Big time! This book I chose was more like an advanced biology course suited for a junior or senior.
I still love that publisher and will purchase other programs from them in the future. This one was just not a good fit for our family. I scrapped it and borrowed a book from a friend for us to finish out the year. The book we borrowed is from a different publisher we have also used before.
One of the greatest assets at the convention is the vendor hall. I love the opportunity to browse through curricula before committing to buying it. You get a much better feel for how a program will fit into your homeschool by visiting that publisher’s booth, talking to the reps, and looking through the materials than you can get reading about it online.
