Homeschooling: My Why | Part 2
I've started a series of posts on the blog that cover "My Homeschooling Why". You can read Part 1 here. Welcome to Part 2!
Reason #2
FLEXIBILITY & Different Curriculum
for different kids.
One of the most common questions people ask homeschooling moms is, "What curriculum do you use?"
Great question! I'm glad you asked. =)
One of my favorite things about homeschooling is being able to teach four different children in four different ways. I have a Visual Learner, an Audio Learner, a Kinesthetic Learner, and one yet-to-be-determined learner. If we were to put them all in a public or private school, they might do very well. Or they might not. They would really be at the mercy of the class, the teacher, and the teacher's style.
Homeschooling allows me to discover each of my children's individual learning styles and tailor their curriculum to match.
For example, my son can do pretty much any book of numbers I put in front of him. He just rolls right along. But my daughter really struggled with math UNTIL I discovered a math curriculum that was perfect for her language-loving brain. Math Lessons for a Living Education teaches math concepts, but in a language arts style. My daughter is essentially just reading stories and retaining math concepts as she goes along. This curriculum is similar to Life of Fred, but with a strong Biblical core that I'm thrilled with.
Because we home-school, I was able to switch curriculum mid-year with her and get her into a workbook that she loves. She actually looks forward to math now! That's a homeschooling win!
Homeschooling gives me the flexibility to change things that need to be changed, when they need to be changed. I don't have to wait til the end of the year to try something new, I can change things that aren't working immediately. With four children who are constantly growing, and multiple learning styles that often expand, being able to roll with the punches is an incredible blessing that I don't want to take for granted.
Example number two: Spelling.
One of my children can look at a word in our spelling book, say the word, spell it, write it once and be done. Simple as that. Moving on.
Her sibling? Not even close. See it, say it, spell it, write it....what was the word again? But, give him scrabble tiles and have him "build" the word and he's got it in no time. Writing doesn't help. BUILDING does.
One subject, two different children, two different brains, two different approaches. Homeschooling win. I love the flexibly to work differently with different children. I love giving my children the opportunity to thrive in unique ways, and not be forced to sit through a curriculum that just isn't working.
So, my standard answer to the question "What curriculum do you use?" is "A little bit of everything, and that's subject to change." Flexibility is a beautiful thing.