Weaver Curriculum – Is it For You?
The Weaver Curriculum is a popular Christian homeschool program that is unique in its approach to education. Each day of teaching is centered on a particular Bible theme, with individual lesson plans created for each child. This means that the program is appropriate for teaching many children of different ages at the same time; the same story is taught to them all, but tailored to meet their personal needs.
The material provided for parents makes it clear what children of certain ages and abilities should be taught in relation to the specific Bible story. Parents of a large family are able to recreate the classroom environment in their own home. This allows the children to discuss with each other what is being learned, encouraging communication and information sharing.
The Weaver Homeschool Curriculum is different from many other homeschool programs in that most users consider it to be a lot of fun. Activity is definitely a priority, with numerous experiments, field trips and craft projects packed into the curriculum. It is also extremely flexible. Parents may decide what topics they are going to teach, and what activities they want to include. This means the program can be adapted to suit the preferences and strengths of the child. While other homeschool curriculums set a more rigid program, effectively dictating a set of “rules” that should be followed in order to achieve the desired learning goals, the Weaver Curriculum offers a more relaxed, creative way of teaching.
The program covers a wide range of subjects including History, Geography, Language Arts, and Science and of course Bible Studies. While many Bible based homeschool programs simply insert Christian principles into the regular secular curriculum, Weaver takes the Bible as a starting point for everything they teach. The curriculum is divided into volumes (and supplemental volumes), with several subjects incorporated in each volume. There is support for parents if they do not feel confident creating their own lessons, including a Day by Day planner and a list of recommended supplemental books and materials. At the same time, parents can use their own ideas and imagination if they want more control over how their children are taught.
Possible downsides of this program include the level of planning that is required. Some parents may prefer to follow a strict guide and not be so heavily involved in the planning stages, favoring a teaching method that sets everything out for them. On the other hand, many parents see this aspect as an advantage, as they like having so much involvement. Perhaps the Weaver Homeschool Curriculum is best suited to parents who do not have many other commitments (such as a demanding job) to fit around their homeschooling.
Some parents feel that another disadvantage of the Weaver program is that for younger children, the Bible lessons may be too difficult for them to understand, with the particular Bible verses chosen far too long for young children to memorize. This requires even more work for the parent, as they have to search for other, more suitable Bible verses and stories. A number of these parents have questioned why they are in fact following the program, when it entails such a huge amount of additional work on their part. More work is involved in gathering the supplemental material that is required; while an extensive list is provided by Weaver, it requires the parents to obtain books of their own accord. This is easier for those who have easy access to a large library; others who may not have these resources at their fingertips may find it a lengthy, frustrating process.
Another negative of this program is the fact that the time allocated to some topics seems disproportionate when compared with others. For example, some of the topics that are crammed into a day or two are those that most parents would like to spend more time on, such as introduction to the Civil War, while several days are allocated to personal projects such as creating a family memory album.
Generally, the Weaver Curriculum comes highly recommended by seasoned homeschoolers, probably because they are experienced in teaching their children at home and have learnt over time how to best use the program to their advantage. Children love the fun activities and enjoy learning in a relaxed environment. For newcomers to homeschooling, it may be a better idea to use a program that is more organized that provides more resources and detailed guidance. Ultimately, what works for one family may not work for another. A crucial step in homeschooling comes even before the lessons start; the key to making it a success is to do plenty of research into all the available options, and make a decision after giving plenty of consideration to the needs of each child and the skills and experience of the parent.