Homeschooling’s number one aim for many families is character building. I know when I started out, I wanted curriculum that built character! How about you? Are you looking for homeschool curriculum that builds character? I’ve been homeschooling since 1993, and I’ve got some favorites to share with you!
My Favorite Homeschool Curriculum for Character Building
When we start thinking about what it means to build our children’s character what do you think about? I think about all the things that go into a child’s heart and mind. What are they watching, listening to, and reading? This never changes as they grow.
I once heard a story of a type of worm that cattle get when they graze that invades the nasal cavity and eventually attacks the brain. This always stuck with me as an example of our children in the world. They graze through so many things. What will invade their hearts and minds? I wanted to make sure that the ratio of things was always in my favor for as long as I had the influence to make that happen.
When my kiddos were very small we used a lot of song and books on tape. Steve Green and Your Story Hour were favorites. My own children even loved Shari Lewis’s One-Minute Bible Stories. Another favorite was the Arch books.
Children get older
As my children grew, it would take more than knowing the stories and hiding God’s word in their hearts, they would need to wrestle with concepts and a little theology to deepen their character. We grew to love family study time and found The Greenleaf Guide to Old Testament History a good choice for deep thinking that still taught the who, what, when, and where. We began to study the cause and effect of men and their actions in God’s Word and develop an understanding of God’s Providence.
Children as young adults
When my children all became of an age (we had enough overlap) and their homeschool studies took them to more and more independent learning I knew I had to find things that really challenged them! I turned to an in depth study (don’t let the name scare you off!) of Universal History by Ms. Katherine Dang.
History is a great tool to teach character because it allows your children to sit as a witness to those men and women who’ve gone before them and reaped and sowed. It shows them the role of conscience in the life of a believer and why to “go against conscience is neither right nor safe” for it is the “most sacred of all property” and the role of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit in forming it to build good character!
For additional character building resources, I recommend:
Raising Children with Good Character by LaToya Edwards (Mommy Jammies Night)
