That’s a great question, are we behind?
Is there any such thing as being behind with homeschooling?
I don’t think so.
One of the 6, 536 reasons homeschooling is working for our family is the flexibility. The flexibility to go with what works for our children – as a family and individually. I know my children are learning and growing, that’s most important for me right now.
Sometimes my 6th grader will wonder what math he would be doing if he was in school. I honestly reply “I don’t know, I’ve never checked the scope and sequence for 6th graders in Michigan”.
My response to him is then, “the most important thing you can do in math is to have a solid understanding of what you are doing, to have a solid understanding of math facts, and to keep moving forward. How can you be behind?”
We are fortunate that we don’t have to do any standardized testing in Michigan, so we haven’t done it in a long time. I don’t plan on doing it again until we have to for some reason.
I went to public school and and I can’t remember ever getting though an entire text book, from beginning to end, before the end of the school year. Not in math, not in history, and not in science.
Now, I’m not advocating being a slacker! Some people really do have that perception of homeschoolers, that as homeschooling moms we are too lazy to get up and get our kids out the door for “real” school. Really? Yea, I don’t quite understand that one myself.
What I’m saying is that if your family is sidetracked for a season with a rabbit trail of some delight directed learning, an extended illness, or extended travel – don’t feel behind. You are the boss of your homeschool and it’s okay to decide not to finish a science or history curriculum. Perhaps you can pick it up again in the new school year, or perhaps not.
The choice is yours. We aren’t behind and neither are you!
Perhaps you’re just getting started in your homeschooling career, this week’s bundle of e-books is all about preschool:
That is exactly how I feel! I know that many of Grace’s peers in 7th grade are in pre-algebra. I could move her into it but instead I choose to take the remainder of this year for review of every concept before making the leap to abstract math. But in her review she had to come up with a formula for the perimeter of an isosceles triangle where one side was unknown…….prealgebra!
We have to remind ourselves why we choose to homeschool and it was not to keep up with what is happening in a classroom. Thank you for the reminder!
I have many home school friends that complain about being behind and worry that they will have to school through the summer. I have never shared their fears. I feel like you do. We move along pretty steadily at my children’s individual paces and don’t worry about exactly how much will be accomplished over the year or when they will finish their current workbook.
I feel the flexibility is greatly increased and the stress is greatly reduced for us because we have not chosen to follow a full curriculum that comes with lesson plans and a timetable laid out by someone else. A more flexible approach, using materials we have specifically chosen for our home school, works so much better for us. I have just learned that home schooling is NOT the same as school at home- so, as you say, how can we be behind?
This is a great post about one of the many benefits of home schooling that is often overlooked!
Thanks, a great reminder!
Well said. That is the comment I hear most often at homeschool functions. I like to subscribe to the “you are not behind- you are where you are suppose to be” theory, but I forget sometimes as well. Thanks for the reminder.
Great post! I agree completely! My beloved uncle was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive leukemia last summer and very little school got done last summer and fall. I barely got through a day without falling apart. My uncle passed away a few days after Thanksgiving and I am just now getting back into the groove.