This Child Learns Differently

Learning takes time... but I don't think that means till bedtime!

This school year has not gone smoothly.  It's been a bumpy, time-consuming start.  It seems that school drags on endlessly.  My seven year old struggles the most with getting her work accomplished, but the older two at the high school level aren't off the hook either.  They are taking until nearly evening to finish their assignments. 

Megan begins notebooking

There is a worse problem than school taking too long. I'm watching the light go out of my seven year old's eyes.  I'm watching her tell me that she "hates" school.  How did this happen?  She LOVES to read.  She doesn't like math, but that's just one subject, right?  She is taking hours to do the simplest things.  She'll finish all her reading, but if she must do workbook pages, she simply loses all focus and motivation.  These workbook pages are the same things that she used last year and enjoyed.  So, what changed in one summer?  And worse... what do I do now?  If I don't use them, what will I use?  What do I do with the two years of curriculum stored in my cabinet?

I'm at a loss... truly I am.  I know she is a bit ADD, but I have worked with her siblings for years, and they all struggle with this issue to some degree.  It has been seven days of school that just doesn't seem to flow smoothly or get done in a timely fashion.  Instead of progress, I'm seeing the light go out in my little girl's eyes. 

I decided to try our hand at notebooking and copywork, some Charlotte Mason methods that worked for Laura in years past.  Megan is liking it a little... but not a lot.  I think she will enjoy it more if I eliminate some of the busy work.  Busy work, the thing she liked last year because completing those workbook pages gave her a feeling of accomplishment, is the one thing that she detests this year.  I'm not sure what happened over the summer, but while her reading level advanced, her learning style altered. 

So... I'm kinda floundering.  Megan is smart and creative and... very different from my other girls. They were smart and creative too, but I only homeschooled Laura at a young age. Laura was more able to focus.  The older girls were all in public school at this age.  While they had struggles, only Jasmine had such severe struggles.  Those struggles didn't all land on my shoulders, however, as she had teachers and a tutor. 

The Heart of Dakota work seems to be going well.  It's the math and extra things that I wanted her to do that aren't working well.  So, I am going to take a couple of days to pray and research.  It may be that Megan needs more Charlotte Mason-inspired work... short lessons, lots of hands-on activities, and lots of activity time outside (until the weather turns yucky).  What worked for one child may not work for her. 

Why is it that I know this in my heart, but it is always a surprise in my head?

God created each of my children differently.  They are each unique and special and precious.  The beauty of homeschooling is being able to give each child the individual education that will bring out the best in them.