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Foundations of Effective Curriculum
In nontraditional education programs, recognition of the importance of curriculum selection for each individual family must be stressed. It is also important to choose curriculum that can be effectively used without negative effects on the parent/child relationships.
Effective curriculum must be usable in an isolated, multilevel family setting. Recognize that what may be effective and efficient for one family may not be for the next — and these differences are acceptable.
When living overseas, criteria for curriculum effectiveness should include the following:
- Multicultural sensitivity
- Multilevel provision
- Sensitivity to individuals in the family
- Sensitivity to the environment in which the education takes place
Multicultural sensitivity implies that the curriculum is relevant to the cultures in which students interact, the home culture of the family and the home cultures of other families. This sensitivity should facilitate both social and educational interaction with students of other nationalities.
A multilevel provision is sought to allow some degree of inter-relatedness in the studies going on within the family. Rather than doing three different literature units, science units, and social science units at the same time, three children in a family can be working on related units. This encourages educational interaction within the family, as well as with students in other families, even though they may not be at the same grade levels.
It is important to choose curriculum that fits the style of each individual child, not just the parents' preferred teaching or learning style. Either the curriculum itself must provide strategies and teaching methods that fit the particular child, or it must allow enough flexibility in presentation and requirement to be adapted to the needs of different children.
Since the presentation will be in a family setting, whether in a city or an isolated village, the curriculum should ideally encourage the following:
- Natural family relationships through activities
- Use of the environment and lifestyle as a contribution to the education rather than a constraint
- Student involvement in the family ministry
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