Homeschooling 101: Getting Started (Part 3)
“It cannot be too often said that information is not education.”
—Charlotte Mason
Refine your focus
Despite our desire to equip our children, we cannot be content-driven. A lot of times we’re tempted by worksheets that promise a visible result to all our efforts. We like checklists with that feeling of elation that comes with every crossed-off section.
Known as the world's foremost Christian teacher and the New York Times #1 bestselling author, Bruce Wilkinson sheds light on this concept in “The Seven Laws of the Learner: How to Teach Almost Anything to Practically Anyone.” In his series, Wilkinson explains that we must sift through our materials to find the gold. In essence we must reduce our children’s busywork and search out what is of value.
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Children learn at their own pace & in their own way
Today, with societal pressures swirling around us pushing for earlier and earlier education, we must bear in mind that “Children are born persons” (Charlotte Mason) and each is an individual with unique qualities and fantastic abilities. That being said, we cannot go about with a cookie-cutter mentality using the same curriculum for each, applying the same methods for all, and teaching each child by breaking down subjects in unrelated segments. Some read early while others are physically proficient. Some enjoy music in the background while others find it distracting and difficult to concentrate. We must be conscious of our role to minister to each according to how God fashioned them.
Don’t push
Sometimes when our children are learning something new, they breeze through it with ease. Other times, they experience a mental block. When speaking with Sonya Shafer of Simply Charlotte Mason (SCM), she compared this obstacle to that of a locked door. At some point, you might push on the door to learning and find resistance while at another time you might push on that same door only to find that it swings open. In the first case, it's important to give it some time and revisit it later. When introducing SCM's Delightful Reading to my daughter, I introduced it before she was ready. We set it aside and the following year, she was responsive and eager to receive my instruction. If I had pushed, we both would've been miserable.
Take it one year at a time
If you’re just starting out or have been homeschooling for awhile, it might help to concentrate on the current year. I’m often guilty of getting ahead of myself. I feel it’s important to know where we’re heading. As a result, I’ve researched high school transcripts before my kids even started reading. At times, I can feel overwhelmed and then I remember this advice from a friend; “Take it one year at a time.” This has provided me tremendous freedom. And, while I’ll continue to appraise colleges in my spare time, I’ll breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I don’t have to have everything figured out right now.
