Choosing Teaching Materials (Part 2) from "The Parent's Guide to Successful Homeschooling"   Rule #6: You need to be aware that there are various schools of thought when it comes to the teaching of any subject. Some examples: In math there are programs that are primarily problem solving with manipulatives and there are programs that are primarily problem solving on paper. In reading there are programs that focus on learning phonics before learning to read, programs that focus on learning the rules of grammar and punctuation while you are learning to read, and there are programs that focus on just learning to read and letting the rules come later. Each school of thought has produced excellent mathematicians, readers, or spellers. What this means is that you can teach to your best ability and not feel pressured to follow someone else’s train of thought on the matter. Rule #7: you need to realize that people’s needs change. What worked one year may not necessarily work the next. Your family's needs and interests will always change and you need to learn to go with the flow. Buy materials that meet your present needs and mold the curriculum to the child’s abilities, not the child to the curriculum.  Also, you need to be aware that not all books in a series are equally as good. For example, the fourth grade level of a particular program may be excellent, but this does not mean the other levels will work just as good. Be prepared to change your series of texts accordingly. Rule #8: The universe gave you your children because there is something in YOU that it wants imparted to them. Teaching materials are only meant to be used as tools to help you impart yourself to your children. You can trust the universe to lead you to those materials that will help you best teach each child if you let it.  Your instincts count when it comes to homeschooling. Rule #9: You will want to remember that teaching materials are often the least important elements of your home school situation. Books are easy to get rid of if they don't work for you, but attitudes and destructive family dynamics are not. The five major reasons families fail at home education are: · they lack the conviction to continue on through the difficult times; · It is a single parent household or both parents are not in agreement · the children are undisciplined and resist parental instruction; · the parents are undisciplined and cannot handle the added responsibilities · The family has unrealistic expectations or goals that are too high. As you can see, choosing your learning materials do require thought on your part, but it doesn’t have to be harder than it needs to. If you come to realize that your own instincts and abilities are your best assets, you will then know that you need no more than where they lead you.