Knowing what home school curriculum books or resources to purchase can be an overwhelming task. There are so many things to choose. How do you know which one to choose and whether it will be right for your family? Here are some questions you can ask yourself when looking at different home school resources:

1. What is my child's learning style? Does this book or curriculum fit in with how my child learns?

2. Is this resource a formal textbook, workbook or unit-study support material?

3. Do I know anyone else that is using this book or curriculum? What do they have to say about it? What positive and negative comments do they have about this book or curriculum?

4. Does this resource look like it's easy to use? Can I just pick it up and teach from it or do I have to spend some time reading through the manual to prepare?

5. Can I view this curriculum at a bookstore or homeschool conference?

6. What does my child say about it after they have looked over it? You don't have to put as much stock in this answer as the others, but sometimes your child has some insight into whether you should use this or not. Children tend to want to have the easiest work possible, so you will need to use your judgement about whether your child should ultimately use this curriculum or not.

7. Is this book or resource secular or Christian? Is this fact important to you or not?

8. If you get confused or frustrated with this resource, is there parent support available?

Once you answer all these questions, you will have a better idea of whether this book or resource will fit in with your educational and family goals or not. You will invariably purchase some things that you don't need. Every veteran home schooler has purchased books or resources that they didn't like or need at some point over the years, no matter how closely they looked at what they were buying. You just move on and learn from those purchases. But, for the most part, these questions should help you make an informed decision of what you should purchase for homeschooling this year.