Homeschool: The Pros and Cons of Curriculum Free Homeschooling
Homeschooling curriculum often does not look like public school. There is a lot more freedom to choose a curriculum that fits a child’s interests and learning style. In fact, some homeschoolers choose to not purchase and use any structured or textbook-based curriculum. This is called curriculum free homeschooling or homeschooling without a curriculum.
Curriculum Free Homeschool
Any homeschooling parent can choose not to use any curriculum to educate their child. However, unschoolers, eclectic homeschoolers, world schoolers, and hands-on or project-based homeschoolers are more likely to choose to homeschool without a curriculum. Traditional, classical, Waldorf, Montessori, and Charlotte Mason homeschooling styles are far more likely to use some form of curriculum in homeschooling.
Curriculum is not an all-or-none kind of situation for homeschoolers. Sometimes homeschoolers create their own homeschool curriculum using free resources while others may use a purchased curriculum for one or two subjects but go curriculum free for the rest.
Curriculum free homeschooling parents use books, field trips, hands-on projects, videos, volunteering, toys, games, and more to create a learning rich environment for children. It is often focused on creating context for the content or information, and encouraging firsthand experiences.
Pros to Curriculum Free Homeschool
Saves Money
Full homeschooling curriculums that include all materials and textbooks, or online courses, is usually very expensive. Some curriculums can be thousands of dollars. Choosing to go curriculum free has the potential to save homeschoolers a lot of money. With that being said, curriculum free homeschoolers can still spend a lot of money on field trips and hands-on materials. Therefore, creating a homeschool budget and sticking to it is important regardless of whether you are curriculum free or not.
Adaptable and Child-Led
Without being tied to covering certain materials and topics, curriculum free provides parents with the freedom to follow the child’s interests, strengths and weakness, and learning style. This is a primary reason homeschoolers choose curriculum free. It makes it far easier to adapt homeschool to the child’s needs.
Hands-on and Experienced-Based
Many curriculums use textbooks and online learning as the primary form of educational materials. But with curriculum free homeschooling, homeschoolers are free to learn using hands-on projects/activities and field trips. The child learns while gaining firsthand experiences, which ensures the information is being learned within a context-rich environment. This is especially helpful for children who are kinesthetic learners and children with ADHD, hyperactivity, and/or dyslexia.
Flexible Schedule
Curriculum free homeschooling has no set schedule to follow. The homeschooling parent has complete control of how and when to do homeschool. This gives maximum freedom to create a schedule and routine that truly works for you and your family.
Cons to Curriculum Free Homeschool
Lacks Structure
Sometimes not having any structure with a curriculum can lead to too much free time and chaos. Most children thrive on some structure and routine. So although curriculum free homeschooling offers a flexible schedule, if a homeschooling parent struggles with independently organizing a schedule and routine, it may not be a great fit. Lack of structure and routine can lead to inefficient homeschooling and learning, poor childhood development, and even behavior issues.
More Time Consuming
With no curriculum to follow, it can create extra work for the homeschooling parent. This includes research on topics, finding or making materials, and spending extra time organizing the homeschool schedule. This is not always the case because it depends on your homeschool style and family needs. Some homeschool families simply require little structure, plans, and preparations, and it works for them. Other homeschool families want to go curriculum free but still want to have structure, like the week and month planned and organized to make sure each subject is covered.
Harder to Meet Homeschool State Regulations
If you live in a state with stricter homeschool state regulations (add link), a curriculum free homeschooling experience may make it more difficult to document and meet those regulations. This doesn’t mean it is impossible, but homeschooling parents in these states may have to do some extra research and preparation to ensure the regulations are being met.
Harder Adjustment if Child Goes Back to School
For children who might return to public or private school later on, a curriculum free homeschool method may make that transition harder for the child. It takes time and energy for a child to learn a new routine and adapt to a new educational format. In these situations, a traditional or online homeschool format may be more appropriate.
Conclusion
Homeschooling without a curriculum is helpful for parents who want to adapt their homeschool to their child’s needs, interests, and learning style. It provides a lot of freedom and can even make homeschooling far more affordable. If your homeschool style is unschool, eclectic, or hands-on, going curriculum free can often be an excellent fit.
Curriculum Free Homeschool Resources
Homeschool Your Way: A Step-by-Step Guide eCourse
If you are new to homeschooling or are considering homeschool, this online self-paced homeschool course helps guide you through your homeschool journey. The course includes videos, printable handouts, and lots of resources. You can also subscribe and become a member to get the homeschool course free.
Get one-on-one support for you and your homeschool journey with virtual coaching sessions with Hannah. Schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session today.
Books
Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp
Author Rebecca Rupp offers a comprehensive program for creating an individualized curriculum for homeschooled children from preschool to high school. She includes topic suggestions for each grade level, resources, books lists, and much more.
Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment
Ainsley Arment is the founder of Wild + Free (add link) and the mother to five children. In this book, Arment offers advice and support for new homeschool parents. She shares a philosophy rooted in building off children’s natural curiosity and making the whole world their classroom.
Teach Your Own by John Holt and Pat Farenga
John Holt is the father of unschooling. In this book, he and Pat Farenga share their beliefs and experiences with children, and their natural ability to learn and grow without the traditional school setting. The authors also provide advice and support for parents as they homeschool and raise their children.
Unschooling Rules by Clark Aldrich
Clark Aldrich is a leader in global education, has earned many awards for his work, and is the author of four books. In this book, Aldrich goes into detail about 55 different ways to rethink childhood education and learning. The book supports a hands-on, experienced-based education. He emphasizes that education in a single classroom with textbooks and tests is not the optimal way children learn.