Do I need a curriculum to homeschool?

Claire

3 min read · The grovio Guide

Short answer: no.

When I started, I bought a full boxed curriculum, the kind that promised to walk me through everything so I wouldn't mess anything up.

We lasted about six weeks.

My kids didn't like it. I didn't like it. It felt like we had recreated school at home, and that wasn't what we were trying to build.

A curriculum is just a tool. Some families love having that structure. It gives them a clear path. But plenty of families don't use a full curriculum at all. They piece things together from books, projects, conversations, and real-life experiences.

That counts. Fully.

What actually matters is that your child is engaging with the subjects your state requires. How that happens can look very different from one family to another.

Before you buy anything, just watch your child for a couple of weeks. When are they most focused? What are they curious about? How do they like to learn?

That information will guide you better than any curriculum catalog ever could.

For now, it's okay not to decide yet. The first steps of homeschooling don't require one.

Claire writes the grovio Guide. She owned and ran a Montessori preschool program and did graduate-level study in developmental psychology back when her own son was little — these days she's homeschooling that same son, raising another little one, and staying in the thick of it through her local co-op. Read more about Claire →

Do I need a curriculum to homeschool?

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