Disadvantages of Traditional Curriculum Packages

For all of the advantages of traditional pre-packaged there are a few areas where they can be less than ideal. The first of these is that complete curriculum packages can be relatively costly. Part of this cost is illusionary and simply due to the fact you are buying all of the material at one time rather then spreading the purchases over the year. The other reason is that you pay for the convenience that traditional pre-packaged curricula offer. Buying a single package eliminates the need for tracking down and purchasing each item individually.

A second concern is that children may resist the structure or style of the program. With a traditional curriculum package the entire school year is mapped out. There will be problems if the style of the curriculum does not mesh well with your children's preferences. Therefore, before purchasing a traditional curriculum package special thought must be given to this issue.

The last major disadvantage is tied into misunderstanding the primary advantage of traditional curriculum packages. All homeschooling requires substantial time and effort be spent outside of the classroom. Although traditional curriculum packages help minimize this, they do not eliminate the outside work completely. Failing to have realistic expectations in this regard can lead to homeschool burnout.

<< Advantages      Is This Right for Us? >>