I wish I had known about homeschooling earlier in life. My older son had special needs that stymied the school’s ability to reach him on any
level. It wasn’t his medical concerns, hearing loss, or learning disabilities that generated this roadblock to academic success…it was his high level of creativity!
There is no place in school for those square pegs that won’t squeeze into round holes.
How can I teach my child?
From the moment your child arrives in your life, you’re homeschooling! You are your child’s first and most important teacher in their life. Since my older son’s school days, I have adopted four little ones from foster care. We are just beginning ‘kindergarten’, though our schooling began the moment they arrived home.
No one knows your child as well as you do. His interests and weaknesses are engrained in your mind, giving you a tremendous advantage over the ‘teachers’ that roam the halls of your local school.
So how can a school system, challenged with the task of educating thousands of students, utilizing a predetermined curriculum, know what’s best for my child? What about their individual interests, talents and desires? What happens to these children when their natural curiosities and teachable moments don’t fit in with the classroom’s rigid daily schedule?
Their interest levels decrease, as they attempt to go through the motions of ‘school’.
However, as a homeschooling parent, you could target your child’s interests and incorporate the subjects you wish teach. For example, my older son loved to read about the Old-west. He read biographies, studied maps, and could tell you anything you wanted to know about cowboy poker games out on the range.
How could a school teacher have incorporated this interest into their predetermined curriculum?
They couldn’t. A strict schedule of subject matter had to be taught in a certain time frame, to the entire class, at the same time. My goal is to create a learning environment receptive to my children’s interests and abilities, not stifle their natural curiosity by conforming to an inflexible, one-size-fits-all plan.
What about Socialization????
Homeschooling allows children more time to enjoy extracurricular activities without having to worry about a ‘school’ schedule.
Even running daily errands with a parent, gives homeschoolers a multitude of opportunities to witness how their communities operate and the people within communicate.
School children are confined to the same set of children, segregated by age, day in-day out. Their daily surroundings often remain unchanged during school hours. I don’t want this for my kids. I want them to learn about their world first-hand, while still holding mine.
Does everyone agree with my plan to homeschool? No, I’ve met some who think it’s absurd, out-dated, or even reckless. My own mother is still skeptical. However, I’m not going to let a few deter me from what I know is right for my family. I simple explain my reasons and leave them to their own conclusions.