• Is the curriculum independent or teacher lead? Make sure you have a blend of styles so that you are not overwhelmed with highly intensive teaching types of curriculum. Having a nice mix of these allows you to direct one student to do something more independent while working one-on-one with another student at the same time. It also teaches your child to learn to work independently as well.

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• What is your budget? If cost is a factor for your family, as it is in most, make sure that the curriculum you choose is in line with your budget. Don’t get swept into thinking that expensive = better. There are numerous budgetary options when homeschooling, and there are even websites dedicated to homeschooling for free.

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• What teaching methods are you interested in? As I mentioned previously, there are several different teaching styles as well, and I’m a firm believer that your teaching style is just as important as your student’s learning style.

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• How does your student learn? While each person is unique in their preferred learning style, I prefer to pick a curriculum that will appeal to all of these styles together to create a more well-rounded learning environment.

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• Choose a curriculum you’ll actually use! Remember, a curriculum might look great, but if it takes up too much time and energy on your part, you’ll soon find yourself procrastinating by putting off the lessons. There will always be new curriculum to try, and a thousand different philosophies on teaching. Choose what feels comfortable to you and fits your needs.