One advantage to homeschooling is time. Finding time in the classroom is not easy feat. A teacher must find the time to educate a classroom full of kids in the span of six hours. I always thought teaching was a profession not for the faint of heart and for those with a calling. I will be the first to admit that I am not sure I could conduct a classroom as well I do my homeschool with only three students. With a smaller number of students, no principal or pressure to have your class pass tests, a homeschooling parent has the advantage of time. Yet, I find its one benefit many homeschooling parents do not leverage.
Homeschooling parents may not have the same demands as a school teacher however pressure still exists. Homeschooling families are often scrutinized by others with respect to the quality of education they provide and the level of their children’s achievement. Due to this pressure from other homeschoolers or those who do not homeschool, children are often rushed through a curriculum just to keep up with the Jones’s. Even if this is not your perspective you may feel that getting through a curriculum in a year’s time is a goal that must be mastered. Submitting to pressure from the outside world or yourself can hinder your child’s true mastery of math, science or whatever subject he is studying.
While, I do believe a child should be constantly challenged and gently pushed to succeed there are times when taking it slow will benefit your child. If your child is having difficulty in math the one year program may turn into a one and half year program or two year program. Unlike in school, having difficulty in one subject will not mean he will have to repeat or slow down in all subjects. If your child is not having difficulty in a subject but enjoys Civil War history, then take it slow. Instead of moving on to finish your history book, take the time to focus on an aspect of history even if it means using the rest of the semester. Take your time and enjoy the learning process or take your time to ensure true mastery of material.
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So much curriculum, so little time