Homeschool Week: Education and Curriculum

Homeschool Week
April 23 through April 28

What do you think of when someone says “education”?

You may pause for a moment and think about your ideal philosophy of education, what you really want for your children, and the ideal methods to go about doing that.

Oftentimes we, homeschoolers, are trying to duplicate school life at home.  We are trying to recreate an environment that does not always work well in our homes.  There are some similarities to a typical classroom, but there are also a lot of differences.

In our homes, we must remember who we are.

We are families, training our children.

We are families.  We consist of ages nursery to adult.  We are brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers.  We share the same vision and are headed in the same direction.  Our foundation is built upon our faith and love for one another.

We are training our children.  We are educating, shaping, and molding our children to be well-versed not only in “school subjects” but in godliness, manner, and habit.  The routines of home life help dictate our days.  The ebbs and flows are governed by the needs of our families and the individuals within.

Even though most of us remember the whys of our homeschool, many of us still live feeling immense pressure from our curriculum and the ticking of the clock.  Checklists, page quantities, schedules, and deadlines lord over us while graciousness, progress, and thoroughness start to wane. 

In our quest to have successful homeschools, we must keep our goals and vision at the forefront of our minds.  We must keep curriculum and its siblings in their rightful place. 

Curriculum is not our master.  It is our tool. 
Checklists are not meant to hinder but to help.Schedules are not for suffocation but for support.
Progress is not measured merely by quantity
but also by quality.