How to Homeschool Without a Set Curriculum

People tend to freak out when they hear that you're teaching your kids at home without a curriculum. I think a lot of folks believe that you should replicate the course study and curriculum of the local public schools exactly. Some people do that, coming up with a daily schedule that gets followed to the letter, and having plenty of structured time for workbooks, textbooks, and things done in just the right order. At the other end of the spectrum you have unschooling, or child-led learning, in which the children are supplied with lots of books and resource materials on a variety of subjects, have access to tons of art and music supplies, and are free to study whatever they want, whenever they choose. Depending on the family, either of these extremes may work. For many homeschoolers though, eclectic homeschooling is the way to go. Just as the name suggests, eclectic homeschooling blends many different ways and styles of homeschooling. The homeschool laws vary widely from state, and in some states, you basically have to follow the state-mandated curriculum and show the powers that be tons of paperwork proving that you're doing it the way the law states. Here in NC, luckily, the laws are more child-friendly, allowing children to be taught at home in the way that works best for them and their families.

When I started homeschooling my kids a year and a half ago, I knew the school-at-home thing wouldn't work for us. For one thing, I'm about as organized as a chicken on acid. For another, I hate the idea of traditional schooling. The thought of kids being stuck at desks all day long, learning about things that bore them to tears (and that they'll likely forget anyway, since they don't care about it to begin with) and being judged by random test scores just makes me queasy. I like the theory behind unschooling, but the big nerd in me insists that there are just some things they need to know, sooner rather than later.