A curriculum is what you use to teach with. There are many factors that go into picking a specific curriculum. There are religious and secular curricula. There are online and print based curricula. There are literally HUNDREDS of them to choose from. A quick search on Google will make even the calmest of us get freaked out with all the choices.

Here is what I suggest. First, figure out what you want to teach. For a lot of people, that is 'grade level curriculum'. Figure out how best your child learns. Using a learning styles inventory can be very helpful. Both my children are visual learners and do well with online curricula. I like that these programs handle the planning and grading for me. My favorite online curriculum is called Time4Learning. However, my oldest son wants more math then what is offered there so we also use Math-U-See which is DVD/workbook based. He really likes it. My younger son was less thrilled. We, also, do a lot of real life activities. We go on tons of field trips and read lots of books. Getting to know your local library system is essential. We do a lot of science experiments (mentos and diet coke, anyone?)

Reading other peoples experience with curriculum will save you a lot of time and money. I recommend that you join this Yahoo Group: A Homeschool Review to get more advice. It is an active group with lots of discussion. Don't try to take it all in at once. In fact, what I do is wait until something interests us then I go there to search for discussions on it. You should also search your local library catalog as many have homeschool resources available for checkout. The Rosetta Stone series for foreign languages is an example of a fairly expensive program that most libraries loan.

Here are some of the big names in homeschool curriculum right now in no particular order to get you started on your search:

* Time4Learning - online program that my kids use. I highly recommend this.

* Math-U-See- DVD/Workbook/Manipulative based. I think it is great program.

* K12 - online curriculum. Very comprehensive. A lot of the virtual academies use this so you may be able to get it free if your state offers it.

* Singapore Math- I *believe* this is a more advanced math curriculum but I don't have experience with it. It has a good reputation among homeschoolers.

* Sonlight Curriculum - Christian based complete curriculum.

* ABeka-Christian based complete curriculum.

* Alpha Omega-Christian based complete curriculum.

As you can see, the choices out there are limited only by the time you have to research them. Good luck and happy homeschooling!

Stone Homeschool

Rosetta Stone Homeschool features a foreign language curriculum specifically designed to provide homeschool students with a rich, fully interactive and engaging language-learning experience, while giving parents the tools and resources needed to manage student progress without extensive planning or supervision. Rosetta Stone Homeschool is self-paced and designed to make it easy for parents to offer language learning even if they don't speak the language their students are studying. Students are instantly captivated by Rosetta Stone so they stay engaged. Plus, with positive reinforcement and quick results, their language-learning confidence soars!

Rosetta Stone Homeschool features a foreign language curriculum specifically designed to provide homeschool students with a rich, fully interactive and engaging language-learning experience, while giving parents the tools and resources needed to manage student progress without extensive planning or supervision. Rosetta Stone Homeschool is self-paced and designed to make it easy for parents to offer language learning even if they don't speak the language their students are studying. Students are instantly captivated by Rosetta Stone so they stay engaged. Plus, with positive reinforcement and quick results, their language-learning confidence soars!

The comprehensive language-learning solution that fits their life.

Learn Naturally
Your student will learn their next language the same way they learned their first language. Dynamic Immersion empowers them to see, hear and comprehend without translating or memorizing. They already have this ability; Rosetta Stone Homeschool simply unlocks it.

Engage Interactively
Get feedback and move forward. We learn best by doing and your student will apply what they have learned to get to the next step. Rosetta Stone adapts to their individual needs and skills because the program is driven by their progress.

Speak Confidently
Your student will start speaking from the very first lesson. They'll begin with essential basics, which form the building blocks of the language. Soon they'll create new sentences on their own, using words they've learned.

Have Fun
Best of all, Rosetta Stone is addictive. With every entertaining activity your student will feel success. They will want to use Rosetta Stone to have that next moment, that next breakthrough. So they'll continue using it and they'll continue to learn!

That's language-learning success.
That's Rosetta Stone Homeschool.

No translation or memorization required.

Rosetta Stone uses rich visual imagery to help students learn and think in a new language. This association of language with images is an integral part of the Dynamic Immersion method. Students learn in context and make a direct connection between words and their meanings.

Building on the knowledge your student gains and their intuitive grasp of the meaning of each picture, they make a choice. There's absolutely no translation or memorization to hold them back, so they start making progress immediately.

The moment you complete a task, your learner receives instant feedback. They will speak a word and our unique speech recognition technology automatically rates their pronunciation. They connect an image with a phrase and immediately learn if their choice was correct. They complete a set of exercises and instantly know how well they did. With Rosetta Stone Homeschool, your student always knows where they stand and you can easily track their level of success through the Parent Administrative Tools' Progress Reports.

Enter Dynamic Immersion.
Dynamic Immersion is a continuous process. The Rosetta Stone curriculum is carefully sequenced, gradually incorporating new words, phrases and more complex grammar as it reinforces learned language. Language comprehension grows naturally.

Innovative technology.
Rosetta Stone places this Dynamic Immersion method at the core of our curriculum to develop skills. The simple, intuitive interface helps to keep your students engaged in the solution, while advanced speech recognition technology makes certain that they're speaking correctly and accurately.

Discover the building blocks of a new language: Level 1.
A beginning language-learning curriculum that assumes no prior knowledge, Level 1 builds a foundation of fundamental vocabulary and essential language structures to help students gain the confidence they need to master basic conversational skills. In addition, Parent Administrative Tools help parents plan lessons as well as monitor and report on student progress.

Sample topics include: greetings and introductions, colors, adjectives, numbers, family relations, time of day, singular and plural nouns, and much more!

Audio Companion
Audio Companion CDs reinforce language learning anytime, anyplace. Students will acquire new skills on the computer and then reinforce them with Audio Companion. Simply play the CDs on a CD player or download to an MP3 player.

Inside the box, you'll find:

• Version 3 Homeschool Edition CD-ROM software for Level 1 (Windows/Mac)
• Headset with microphone
• User's guide
• Parents guide
• Supplemental Education Material CD
• Audio Companion, a multiple-CD set to play or download to an MP3 player