After four years of homeschooling, I've come to some important realizations about my views on homeschooling. Honestly, I've seen this from many Christian homeschoolers. First, we say that each family should use what works for them, but we naturally compare what we feel is the best way to homeschool with what others are doing. Even though test results prove that homeschooling is academically superior to public schooling no matter what curriculum is used, we still will fight to the death for what "we" feel is the correct way or the superior curriculum.
I want to apologize for any of the blog posts that I have posted that were critical of one curriculum or method or another. I personally plan to delete them from my blog. Why? Because I have learned that curriculum or methods vary, and each one... even the traditional, dreaded textbooks(oh, my)... can build a quality education. And, since my main goals may differ for my homeschool than others, I might use different materials to achieve those goals.
What are my goals for my children and my homeschool? Well, first I want to develop in my children a Biblical worldview and encourage a close walk with the Lord. Nothing else matters much in comparison to my daughters walking with Jesus, impacting the world for Jesus, being obedient to Jesus, and spending eternity in heaven with Jesus. Giving my girls the tools they need to live as a Christian in a society that is increasingly hostile toward Christianity is important to me. Do I want academic success? Yes, but studies show that homeschoolers, on average, perform quite well academically. By living to reach the first goals, the goals of being prepared for college, being well-read and well-rounded, and being confident in her own abilities will be met.
This year my curriculum choices are slowly shaping up to a hodge-podge of eclectic materials. I am actually pretty excited about where God is leading me. While I loved the previous curriculum and can find little fault in it, this year just wasn't a year where that curriculum was happening, even if I am using a few of the same materials. So, I have to assume that Christ has other plans than one curriculum or one method to teach my children. On the contrary, I have picked up resources from all sorts of different publishers and methods.
So, after some prayer, I have decided to keep my curriculum choices more private. While I will tell anyone that asks, I have decided to be more subtle on my blog. My reviews will be about specific books, or maybe a choice that has worked well for us in a specific subject or topic. It will be kind of difficult to review a "curriculum-in-a-box" if we aren't using that.
One thing that worries me is consistency. I want to be consistent, at least per subject, so that my children aren't confused all the time. However, there is a lot of play area here too. From what I have seen, the only subjects where consistency is vitally important is math, grammar, and spelling. Other than that, if I throw in a unit study in the middle of a chronological path through history because the era peeked my children's interest, then so be it. If I decide to use a textbook approach to a subject that I'm uncomfortable teaching, then I will do what works for me and my children.
I think there are many benefits to each learning method. I love the Charlotte Mason approach. I love Unit Studies. They both seem pretty natural in how people learn. However, they are both pretty teacher intensive at times, so I have to find a way to have balance and encourage independence in my children's studies. I am a HUGE reader and love the literature approach to studies, but I exhaust myself trying to keep up with all the books assigned by some of these curricula for two or three children. I can't burn myself out, or neglect being a wife or having a home with regular meals, simply because I am overly devoted to one certain way or method. And, if statistics are correct, and it won't necessarily mean a large difference in academic performance, then I am going to choose what works best for us.
We live in a time where, as Christians, we are going to be attacked. As Christian homeschoolers, we are going to be attacked. Coming from those that don't live for Christ, I expect it. But when attacks on materials that Christians are using comes from other Christians, and the materials are God-honoring, then I find is shameful. There are so many opinions that contradict each other.
For instance, there is a lot of research that shows pushing academics too early is actually harmful to children. Raymond and Dorothy Moore and others wrote numerous books with the results of tons of studies that show that children that are forced into strict academics before they are ready can be traumatized. Children that aren't ready to read or do math are labeled as LD, ADD, ADHD, or even dyslexic, when all they might need is more time to mature and lots of reading aloud and hands-on adventures. And yet, that gentle curriculum that has been around for ages is criticized because it is too "easy".
Another area of inconsistency is the area of reading. There is a movement going around that encourages children to read older texts and books. Public domain makes these materials very affordable. The rich vocabulary of the older books is wonderful. The reading skills developed by reading these older books are amazing. Several curriculum publishers use these texts as their main focus, providing a cheaper alternative to homeschooling than the newer, more modern materials. And yet, one provider uses some older texts in their literature studies, and they get accused in reviews of using "outdated" reading choices. Really? Why is it preferred in one area to use older materials, but in another it isn't? Because the reading choices in one are more decidedly Christian? So, we have Christians complaining?
I am prayerfully considering what we use and how we use it. The comparison trap is dangerous territory. The judging of one person's selections as better or worse than what God has led us to use is envy. That doesn't mean that we can't look at what is working for others if what we are using isn't working, but be prayerful. And if something is working for you, share why, but don't down the stuff that didn't. Chances are, someone else has tried what you think is so wonderful and tossed it. Chances are, that curriculum that was horrible for you, worked wonders for a different family.
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