Now that the homeschooling year is winding down, are you worried your children didn't finish everything you had mapped out for them?
Maybe a tinge of despair?
Allow me to give you some tips and and a little perspective, because you deserve to feel great for homeschooling your children. It’s a noble task you have taken on, and that’s huge.
A Telling Moment
One of my favorite, unforgettable homeschooling moments was when my daughter's friend asked her what grade she would be entering in the upcoming year.
When my daughter said that she would be moving into the seventh grade, her friend objected because she knew that my daughter hadn't finished a particular area of math (what that area was long escapes my memory).
With a huff, my daughter said, "I know what I know, and you can't put that into any grade. I will be in the seventh grade next year because I just finished the sixth grade!" Her friend had no further objections.
And that sums it up.
My daughter’s attitude is exactly the one you want to adopt because it reflects the beauty of homeschooling.
The stark reality is that a homeschooled child cannot—into a grade level—be squished. The world of knowledge is infinite, and a homeschooled child’s learning reflects this truth. What we expect a child to learn per grade in public school is narrow and confining compared to the experience of homeschooled children's.
The latter have the luxury of diving deeply into vast areas of interest, and they have the time to learn more about any subject of their choosing. T
While homeschooled kids do get the basic 3Rs at home, they might not get them on the same schedule as public-school kids.
What homeschooling parent has not fretted about a child lagging behind grade level in one area only to reflect on the child's advancement in so many others?
And herein lies the problem: don't compare your homeschooled child to his public schooled counterparts! It's like comparing apples to oranges; homeschooled children are on the road less traveled and that makes all the difference.
You have embarked your child on an adventure in pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, while a schooled child is trying to pass tests and keep his grades up. Both paths will eventually lead to a career, but how they get there is so different that it's silly to try to compare them.
And don’t forget that what public school children study for an entire year, homeschool children can learn in weeks. That’s what summer school is all about - learning a subject in six weeks that is taught in 3.5 months during the school year.
If you are worried your child has slipped behind in a subject, you can quickly remedy the situation during the summer.
A word of caution: Don’t let your child know that you think he's behind, for this may cause him to feel anxious.
May is an excellent time to take stock of the progress your children have made. Remember to reflect on all the things your children learned that were not in your plan, because you allowed them the freedom to pursue their interests.
The surest strategy is to have a plan, as one does need a direction and final destination, but be flexible enough to digress when your children's interests travel off your map.
They will arrive, but their journey may be a little more exciting than you had imagined.
Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.
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Elizabeth Y. Hanson is an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and a Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach with 20+ years of experience working in children’s education.
Utilizing her unusual skill set, coupled with her unique combination of mentors, Elizabeth has developed a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child. She devotes her time to helping parents get it right.
☞ Disclaimer: This is not a politically-correct blog.
"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”
—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
