I truly believe that every child is special and unique.
Each one is an extraordinary gift from God who has been blessed with amazing talents and abilities. When properly cultivated, those talents can flourish into something which can really bless others.
I think that a child’s education should be catered to that incredible uniqueness which makes him special. A tailor-made education enables a child grow in ways that aren’t possible in an environment where everyone learns everything at the same time.
Speaking of which, if there is one thing that teaching in the public schools for 20 years has shown me, it’s that you can’t expect every child to learn everything at the same rate. It’s just not possible. Every child’s brain is wired differently and each comes with a different set of experiences. Expecting them all to learn everything at the same rate is like planting seeds in a garden and expecting that every vegetable will be ready for harvest on exactly the same day.
Homeschooling, on the other hand, allows children to grow and develop at their own rate as they should. I made that discovery when I first started homeschooling many years ago. It was a very liberating experience to see my children fly through certain subjects instead of being held back with the crowd. They enjoyed it too.
I have come to believe that homeschooling has the potential to create the optimal learning environment for children. It has certain advantages over the current educational model in our schools today, plus a homeschooler has certain freedoms and privileges that a regular classroom teacher does not.
A homeschooler can let each child accelerate in his areas of proficiency while taking a little extra time in areas of need. He can progress according to ability rather than being forced to move on before he is ready.
She can teach each child according to his own learning styles. Whether he is right-brained or left-brained; visual, auditory or kinesthetic; she can help him to understand difficult concepts using his strengths.
She can put together a curriculum which fits the beliefs, values and goals that she knows are best for her family. She can create a “tailor-made” education suited to each child instead of a “factory mold” education as the Common Core standards seek to do. Like a master chef in a kitchen, she can throw in a pinch of this, add a dash of that, and make a delicious curricular entree that serves up to her family’s needs…with a side of soup.
A homeschooler can make the curriculum fit the child rather than making the child fit the curriculum. Once she has her curriculum assembled, she can make modifications as necessary to make it work for each child by including activities that work and excluding those that don’t.
A homeschooler can spend her days teaching her children quality content rather than teaching them how to take a standardized test. She doesn’t have to waste precious time and resources training them to pass a test that has no relevance in real life. (The exceptions to this being a Driver’s Ed. test or college entrance exam or other tests that are used to achieve a useful goal.)
She can give her children opportunities to foster their specific talents. She can allot a certain part of the day for them to practice and explore their gifts. Or she can involve them in extracurricular activities which help them to grow in these areas.
She can allow them time for free exploration. This time encourages curiosity and inventiveness. It can instill a desire to learn.
A homeschooler can inspire her children to follow their passions and bless the world with their gifts. She can raise her children to master their talents and use them to provide a living for themselves in the form of their own business or a specific career.
Those are some of the reasons why I feel that homeschooling has the potential to create an optimal learning environment for children.
My belief is that every child is special and unique so every child should be educated according to that uniqueness. Homeschooling can do that. 🙂
What do you think?
Caroline says
We’re early in our homeschooling career, and we already love it. I love what you said here: “A homeschooler can make the curriculum fit the child rather than making the child fit the curriculum.” We’re absolutely seeing that, and our kids need it!
Mei says
I have to be honest – growing up I had the impression that homeschooled kids were weird and anti-social. Then I did some summer programs in which I met some for the first time and I realized that this was not true at all! Kids can get social skills through other means if you make time to introduce them to other kids outside of academic hours. And of course, when it comes to taking the family on the road or on vacation, nothing beats homeschooling! I’m considering doing this with my kids when they’re old enough. For Christmas I’m getting them some nice gifts from http://giftidea.info/!