Putting homeschool curriculum in its place, pt. 2
It’s easy to assume that following curriculum to a T will result in meeting all your homeschool goals. But last week, we talked about how you are smarter than that. You know your family and their needs best. If you didn’t catch it before, you can read about that here. Then come back for even more tips on putting curriculum in its place.
Here are a few more ideas:
Before you follow a teacher’s manual, learn, on your own, what’s age appropriate.
Before diving in, learn a few basics about child development. For example, you can research how much learning is ideal for your child in one sitting and per day, based on their age. (Hint: Charlotte Mason recommended no more than 10-20 minute chunks at a time for children under eight). Then, regardless of what your teacher’s manual suggests, you can tailor it to fit what you’ve discovered is appropriate for your child.
Once you’ve researched, you might be surprised how little formal learning is recommended for children in each sitting, and you’ll probably have more time to fill than you imagined!
For more ideas on how to make the most of all that time, Until the Streetlights Come On, by Ginny Yurich would be a good read.
Remember: calendar first, curriculum second.
You are in charge of your daily schedule—not your curriculum—so before slotting it in, make sure that the basics like a morning and evening routine, chores, playtime, meals, family time, and breaks are getting covered.
It can be tempting to try to squeeze in more than is even possible. Or, at times, you might find yourself with a fairly blank calendar staring back at you. If you haven’t found a sweet spot, writing things out on a handy-dandy weekly planner like this one can help you start to assess if you need to rein in your plans or find ways to steward your extra time.
Use your curriculum as a launch pad.
Just think, if every family followed their curriculum perfectly, we would tend to end up with cookie-cutter kids. But if you consider your curriculum mainly as a place to cover the basics, from there you can prayerfully let your own creativity begin to fly.
For example, if an assignment calls for copying out a Bible verse, and you have a child who’s into graphic design, let them work it into an art piece. If a certain topic seems extra-interesting, look for books at the library that can take you more in depth. Or, make up your own project to be completed instead of slugging away at something in the curriculum that might not fit as well.
Be on the lookout for real life experiences and opportunities.
Finally, take advantage of the flexibility of homeschooling and schedule field trips that align with what you’re studying, or volunteer as a family.
As your kids get older, center in on their interests. My daughter, who loved to draw, spent years creating coloring pages for the Sunday School class that we taught together at our church.
For my mechanically inclined son, homeschooling allowed him to start his own mobile mechanic business, seek out a part-time job in a shop, take dual-credit auto technology classes at community college, and eventually land an avionics job in the Air Force—just what he’d always dreamed of since middle school.
I hope these thoughts are helpful, and I hope you’ll continue to follow along with me here on the blog as I share ideas to encourage you to make the most of your homeschooling journey and give your children the best childhood and launch into adulthood possible. Cheers!
