The Living and Learning Chronicles

Too many homeschool moms start homeschooling their elementary aged children with confidence.  This confidence wanes as children enter the middle school years, and by senior high, many parents doubt their ability to continue.  There seems to be an unwritten rule in many circles that ordinary moms can only homeschool UNTIL high school.  Then, they are incapable of teaching such complex subjects as algebra, chemistry, advances language, government and law, etc.  If you find yourself in one of these circles, I say the circle must be broken! Step purposefully outside the circle of uncertainty!  You CAN homeschool your child- at any age!

The real ability lies within your child, not you!  He or she is the one required to learn the information or lessons, not the parents.  There are several ways to make this process easier for your child.  And this will make your homeschooling the upper grades much more pleasant for you as well!  Hopefully this will be a time to enjoy your older student and to develop strong bonds with your child as he or she nears adulthood.

First of all, make sure your child is prepared to handle the material of the lesson.  If there are prerequisites, finish those first.  Don’t jump into trigonometry if your child isn’t familiar with the terms in algebra.  Sometimes lessons need to be done in a proper order.  It is more important that your child understands what he or she is expected to learn than to force them to hurry through lessons to advance to the next level.  Also, don’t expect too much out of your child.  If your son or daughter struggles in reading or math, allow the time to work through these lessons without the additional pressure of a time constraint.  Know your student.  Know your child’s limits, his/her weaknesses.  Don’t assign lessons that don’t take these factors into account.  We would all fail German 2 without taking German 1.  Remember this and prepare your child for the lessons you have planned.

Develop a love of learning in your child while he/she is young!  The younger the better, in fact!  If your child learns to love knowledge, nothing will stand in the way of his/her education.  Gaining knowledge becomes the goal instead of just finishing a subject.  Desire drives us as human beings.  If your child is driven by a passion for learning, he or she can learn anything!  Even without instruction, a person who can read and who loves learning can learn almost anything, even advanced math and chemistry.  Instilling this lifelong romance in your child will give him or her the edge that will make learning not only easy but a joy!

So you have an aversion to math?  Shakespeare not your cup of tea?  Well, guess what?  God made each of us different.  So don’t be afraid to admit you don’t want to face chemistry again.  But also, don’t pass that fear onto your child.  If your child needs more help than you feel able to give, reach out to other moms and dads in your local homeschool group.  Find a mom that is passionate about chemistry, calculus, or Plutarch and have them share that subject with your child.  When a person is excited about something, it is contagious.  So expose your child to other parents or people within your community who love what you don’t.  You could also check into tutoring programs such as Sylvan or a public  school or private tutor to help assist a struggling student.   Some schools even allow homeschooled students to participate in their classes.  Even technical colleges will often allow students over sixteen to take a class.  And don’t forget the internet!  Find online or satellite classes or ebooks to help your child learn.  There are so many options available to homeschoolers today.  We just need to do a little research and take advantage of them!

My favorite resource for students is real books.  Give a child the opportunity to sit under some of the most brillant minds in history by giving him/her a chance to read their writing.  Give your child a real book- not a textbook, not a lesson plan or a regurgitated version of someone else’s opinion.  Give them direct access to scientists, doctors, inventors, mathematicians, poets, presidents.  You will never get better teachers than allowing your child to develop a relationship with the author and his material.  I have never regretted a single book I’ve ever read.  (Oh, okay.  Maybe Junie B. Jones to my daughter when she was six!  That is why C.S. Lewis said books that weren’t worth the time to be read by adults weren’t worth the time to be read by children.)  Engage your child’s mind with quality books!

Lastly let your older child take part in the planning of his/her education.  If he/she has a college or vocational goal, show him or her the classes needed to reach that goal.  A student who wants to be a nurse sees science classes as a means to an end and can use that forward thinking to endure tough lessons.  He/She practices perserverance in achieving their goal.  As parents, we also need to practice the art of listening.  Maybe your child wants to be a florist or a chef.  Then, maybe he/she doesn’t need to be on the science or math fast track.  He/she would do better studying the economics of small business or the French language  Education can be tailored to your child’s interest and goals.  Since no child is the same, no course of study needs to be the same either.

In closing, I want to gently remind you to take all your thoughts, plans, worries, fears to the Lord in prayer.  And be ready to obey when He answers!  Homeschooling through high school may not be for everyone but if God puts it on your heart, He will be faithful to provide you with all you need to homeschool successfully.  Be confident in His provision and seek His will for the education of your child.  And I’ll see you outside that circle of doubt!