Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum

As I said yesterday, I pretty much had an emotional breakdown soon after I decided to homeschool.  I was overloaded and overwhelmed, and despite the piles of information available to me, I still had no idea where to begin.  Every time I started a Google search, the panic button inside me started buzzing in my ears.  When I was at the point that I truly started to question my decision, and my sanity, I decided perhaps the worlwide web was not the best place to start. 

I set up a coffee date with my homeschooling friend.  As we bonded over morning beverages, she asked me, "So which approach will you use?"  With a blank expression, I responded, "I have no idea what that means." 

Until then, I had no idea there were different approaches to homeschooling.  There's Charlotte Mason, classical, unschooling, unit studies, eclectic, and cyber - just to name a few.  My friend uses the Charlotte Mason approach.  But now that I knew there were other methods, I thought I should check them out. 

Still avoiding my computer, I took the old-fashioned route in my quest for more information.  I drove to the public library.  I checked out every book they had on homeschooling.  Of course, living in a very small town, (a population of just over 1,500), there were only two homeschool books on the shelf.  Still, I got them both.  When I didn't find those super helpful, I decided it was time to try a bigger library. 

I girded up my confidence and logged into my Amazon.com account.  Surely Amazon would not be as intimidating as Google.  While my "homeschool" search yielded over 5,000 results, I was brave enough to keep digging.  That is how I came across Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.  This book was a blessing to me in my moment of desperation.  It set me on the right track. 

The author, Cathy Duffy, offers various questionnaires and surveys to help you determine your child's learning style, as well as your teaching style.  The results then help you to determine which approach to homeschooling might work best for you.  And that's not all!  Duffy goes on to tell you which curriculums coincide with the various approaches to homeschooling.  But wait!  There's more!  She also provides a review of each of those curriculums. 

Learn more about Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum at http://cathyduffyreviews.com/general-book-reviews/100-top-picks.htm

It has been determined that I prefer the eclectic approach.  This means I do not subscribe to any one curriculum in particular.  I use a wide variety of different resources to guide my childrens' education.  I'll tell you more about that in the days and weeks to come.

Happy Homeschooling!