Homeschooling Curriculum not working out? Before you throw it away try this.

It looked so great. So many other homeschoolers gave it raving reviews, so what happened? Why did that awesome homeschooling curriculum not work for you or your child?

I have been there. Actually, I have been there a lot! Having a child that learns differently really causes you to try lots of different homeschooling curricula hoping each one will be the one that finally works.

Many times it’s not that it’s a bad curriculum, it’s just that it doesn’t work for a particular child or for your family as a whole. Maybe your child really doesn’t like it. Maybe the lessons are hard to teach or take too long. There are so many reasons why a good curriculum might not be a good fit for you or your children.

But just because it didn’t work doesn’t mean you have failed or that you did something wrong.  Sometimes something that worked well for other families won’t necessarily be the thing that works well for you or your family.

My Experience Changing Homeschooling Curriculum

After homeschooling 4 children, and also being around lots of other homeschool families through the years, I can tell you that not all children learn the same way. Early on I thought that I would only need to buy curriculum once and just reuse it with every child. I never intended to buy different curriculum for every child or for every year we were homeschooling. Now it wasn’t that extreme, but as the years went on, I did try and investigate lots of different homeschooling curricula.

My second child had dyslexia. You can read about that here or on the podcast here or wherever you listen to podcasts. Because of dyslexia I had to try dozens of different homeschooling curriculum  and programs to try and teach her to read. It was exhausting. As I have said in my podcast and previous blog posts, each and every curriculum we tried worked a little bit, but nothing moved the needle in any meaningful way. It wasn’t until I found The Barton Reading and Spelling program that she really started to make progress. You can find out more about that program here. I will recommend it for as long as I can write and speak.  However, it took years and tons of trial and error before finding that reading program for dyslexia that helped her tremendously.

Getting rid of the curriculum you purchased and replacing it with something else isn’t always the best answer. You may be thinking, “But, Mary, you just said you did it a lot.”

Yes, I did, but I didn’t do it quickly. I worked with each one and tried to make it work before moving on. Sometimes replacing homeschooling curriculum will be the right answer. Sometimes, though, little tweaks can go a long way, and you may end up just sticking with what you already have.

Let’s take a look at how to determine which option is best.

First, Figure Out What Isn’t Working

Before you jump into something else right away, take a step back and try to figure out the reason the homeschool curriculum didn’t work.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Is the curriculum too difficult?
• Are the lessons too long?
• Does my child understand the way the material is being taught?
• Is there too much writing or busy work?
• Does my child need more hands-on instruction?
• Does my child learn in a different way than the curriculum teaches?
• Is the curriculum difficult for me to teach?
• Are we simply trying to do too much each day?

These are important questions to consider. Sometimes the curriculum itself may not actually be the problem. It might just need some simple adjustments. Let me show you what I mean.

Try Adjusting the Homeschooling Curriculum Before Replacing It

First and foremost, I want to remind you that you are in charge of the curriculum and how you use it and how you teach it. That teacher’s guide is just a guide. It’s not your master. Think of it as a suggestion. “Here’s what we suggest you do.” You do not have to do things in the exact order they are presented. You don’t even have to do a whole lesson in one day if you don’t want to.

When I taught Shirley English to my children, I took 2 days to do most lessons. Those lessons were meant to be completed in one day, but they were so long. Or maybe, it just took me a long time to teach them. Either way, I really liked the curriculum, but my children couldn’t take in that much information in one sitting or one lesson. So, I split them up. We took 2 years to do one book, but it worked.

Shurley English is so jammed packed and is a really good curriculum, but my family couldn’t use it as written, so we adjusted it and it ended up working great. If you want to look into Shurley English for yourself, click here.

There are several other ways to adjust lessons depending on what subject you are teaching.

Here are a few examples:

• Do every other math problem instead of every problem.
• Shorten a writing assignment.
• Read a difficult textbook aloud together. I did this many times, even when my daughter was in college.
• Allow oral answers instead of requiring everything in writing. Charlotte Mason taught about narration. It is great for any age. Read about it here.
• Spread one lesson over two days. Like I did with Shurley English.
• Skip repetitive worksheets when the child has already mastered the concept.
• Add manipulatives or hands-on activities. This can help certain children tremendously.
• Use an audiobook alongside a difficult book. We listened to lots of them over the years.

Substitute another book for one your child isn’t enjoying. I’m not too keen on this idea if it is a literature book. Sometimes literature can help stretch a child and usually after the first few chapters, they can start to get pulled into the story. If it is a textbook, then you might need to change it out.

 Give New Homeschooling Curriculum a Little Time

Sometimes children simply need time to adjust to a new routine, new books, or a different teaching method. This will be evident with time. Maybe you will need to stick with it another month or so to see if it really is the curriculum itself and not just that you and your child are adjusting to something different.

The extra time with the curriculum would be needed if you made any of the adjustments mentioned above.

You don’t necessarily need to abandon a curriculum after three difficult lessons.

At the same time, you don’t need to spend three miserable months proving that it isn’t working.

Change it up, teach it differently, try some of the options above, maybe even try a different schedule. If none of that works, it might need to be changed.

Consider Your Child’s Age and Learning Needs

As I mentioned earlier, I thought I would buy homeschooling curriculum once and use it with every child. This did not work out.

A curriculum that worked wonderfully for an older sibling may not work for the next child. I know this to be absolutely true.

If you have a child with a learning challenge, you might need to use different curriculum.

However, you may want to stick with the same homeschooling curriculum and just tweak it. It all depends on the severity of a child’s learning challenge. If my daughter had slight dyslexia or mild dyslexia, I may have just been able to keep using the same curriculum with some tweaks or maybe even shorter lessons. Maybe she could have learned at a slower pace with the same curriculum.

Every child is different, so it this would be on a case-by-case basis. If you want to read about our journey with dyslexia, click here.

When It’s Time to Change Curriculum

Yes, it may be time for a change. If you have tried several things to make the curriculum work, but none of it made a difference, then it might be time for a change. Here is how to know if it’s time for a change.

Some signs might include:

• Your child consistently doesn’t understand the lessons.
• The curriculum requires far more time than is reasonable.
• You’ve tried modifying it and it’s still causing problems.
• There is a significant mismatch between the child’s level and the curriculum.
• The teaching method simply doesn’t work for your child.
• The curriculum doesn’t fit your family’s educational goals.

I want to make sure you know that your child will not necessarily fall behind if you change your curriculum in the middle of the school year. If they are struggling with the current curriculum, a new curriculum that is easier for them should help them move along at a better pace. This will make up for lost time with the old curriculum.

Now let’s get down to some practical things to do.

Don’t Forget to Pray Before Making the Decision

I have said this before, but God is always right on time. He always provides what we need right when we need it and not a minute before. He will put people, curriculum, and anything else He wants right in your path at the right time. Pray for wisdom in choosing the next homeschooling curriculum. He will guide you to the right thing.

You don’t necessarily need to know today what curriculum you’ll use for the next five years. You need wisdom for the child and situation in front of you now.

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God…” — James 1:5 (KJV)

Your Curriculum Is a Tool, Not Your Homeschool

Curriculum is there to help you teach your child.

It isn’t the goal.

You don’t have to finish every page, complete every assignment, follow every suggestion in the teacher’s manual, or continue using something simply because you purchased it.

Your goal isn’t to finish the curriculum. Your goal is to educate your child.

Before you buy anything new, write down the three biggest problems you’re having with your current curriculum. Then decide whether those problems can be fixed by changing how you’re using it, or whether you truly need something different.

I would love to hear from you! Find me on instagram or facebook.
Or email me directly: Mary@whatabouthomeschooling.com

Please ask me all your homeschool questions.

Wishing you all the best in your homeschool journey!

~Mary

“…And the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.” ~Prov. 16:31

As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualified purchases.