Getting started with curriculum
We always recommend homeschooling, but doing so legally. If you have yet to withdraw or need to learn more about Texas state law for homeschool please read our getting started post here.
We love talking curriculum here! Hosting curriculum vendors at our annual conference, discussing individualized curriculum solutions for local families, and discovering new curriculum are all highlights for us. We also have our virtual vendor hall and curriculum partner directory which has a list of EPHA curriculum sponsors.
We also have realized y'all might like a dedicated list of curriculum links that you can use a springboard for your research. These curricula will cover K-12 options, some will be free, some will have a cost or donation attached, and all of them will need you to decide whether or not they will work for your family!
We also recommend looking through all posted articles, because as a homeschooler you may purchase everything at once or you may design your curriculum, but the thought process for both outcomes is very much the same.
Below is a list of all posts we currently have or are writing regarding curriculum. As always, your feedback guides what we write! Let us know what you think.
Start Here:: 5 Step Guide to Understanding Curriculum
Free or Low Cost Curriculum Options
All-In-One Written Curriculum Guide
Designing a Curriculum Mini-Course: Member Exclusive
Stand-Alone Subject Curriculum List
Unit Study Curriculum Suggestions (Member Exclusive, Coming soon:: Design your Own Unit Study using Google Classroom:: Mini-Course)
Electives, Extras, and Fun!
Books we recommend for Curriculum and Homeschool Ideas —
Rethinking School: How to take Charge of Your Child’s Education by Susan Wise Bauer — this book is a great hands on approach to helping your child learn the way they learn best. For the public schooler and home educator it offers facts and how to make the k12 years work for you child.
The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer — while this book is a classical guide, it has an excellent breakdown of time needed per subject, and tons of curriculum recommendations.
The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart — This is a look at homeschooling as a lifestyle, with insight to how lifestyle and curriculum and homeschooling all merge.
The Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
More than Enough by Kara Anderson — If you are concerned you are not enough to homeschool your child, Kara will quickly put those ideas to rest in a gentle and humorous way. She has some fabulous talks as our Conference Keynote in 2020. They are available in our membership.
Minimalist Homeschooling by Zara Fagan, Ph.D. — This book is a fantastic approach to not taking on too much in your homeschool. Zara approaches homeschooling with a lot of grace. She was a Featured Speaker here in El Paso for our 2019 conference.
Teaching from Rest: A Homeschoolers Guide to Unshakeable Peace by Sarah McKenzie—A faith based practical book that explores the questions of worry, anxiety, and stress surrounding homeschooling and how the study of rest can being peace to the process.
So you want to start Homeschooling? by Lisa Welchel —This excellent book highlights the journey of 15 different homeschool families, and explains how they each run their own unique homeschool within their family.
Adventuring Together: How to Create Connections and Make Lasting Memories with Your Kids by Greta Eskridge — This book is the personal story of a second generation homeschooler who reminds us that creating heart connections with our kids is the foundation of our life long relationship with them. It’s about how to use adventures both big and small to build our relationships with our kids which is at the heart of homeschooling.
Visit our Resources page for local facebook groups, co-ops, and local resources. If you find what you are reading here helpful, please consider purchasing a Membership with us — which will allow us to provide more resources to homeschoolers in the Borderland!