Sharing from a homeschool group: Dear Friends, may I make a suggestion? I see so many posts and comments regarding curriculum. Trying this or that, switching to this or that, feeling “behind” or “off track”. As a former public school teacher (don’t even get me started on that mess) and now homeschooling mother, I just want to assure you that there is no “magical box of knowledge” your child must know. There seems to be an idea that there is a “thing” that must be “taught” so the child can be “educated”. I don’t think there is. Or rather, I don’t think that an “education” can be forced into a one-size-fits-all box. My suggestion for this summer: redefine what “educated” means to you. I have one son, age 9, who is an accomplished potter. He also paints and draws. Can he name all the state capitals? Not a chance. What he can do, where he lights up, is in the pottery studio. Every time I think, “Shouldn’t we be making a lapbook on South Dakota?” I think of Picasso. Does anyone know if he memorized capitals? Does anyone care? No, because he’s Picasso. He is revered for his exquisite talents. My second son, age 7, is a dancer. He loves to be on stage. He is the only boy who dances at this studio (there are probably over 100 girls registered). His imagination is profound as he can spend hours in his own world, entertaining himself. Every time I am tempted to get his head out of the clouds I think of Jim Henson. He began making puppets in high school. He broke into television during college. I have no idea if he ever made an honor roll, because it doesn’t matter. He created a magical world out of thin air. Wow. I’m not saying that arithmetic and phonics aren’t important. Nor am I saying that the next Picasso and Jim Henson are upstairs getting into bed right now. But. But what if this summer, you watched how they learn, what they gravitate to, when their eyes light up. What would happen if you let them keep pursuing those interests through September. Maybe January. How about all year round? How would your definition of an “educated” child change? It’s your homeschool, you can do it whichever way you like. I just wanted to suggest a different way in case you hadn’t considered it. A way in which you never feel “behind” or “off-track”. You can redefine education. Really. This summer, why not give it a shot?
Posted on: Tue, 27 May 2014 21:45:44 +0000
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