When my husband and I talked about having kids, I fully expected to enroll them in traditional school once they got to kindergarten.
But now, with an actual 5-year old, I'm realizing we will need to deviate from the plan and… *gulp* homeschool.
Welcome to Parenting, where theory works very differently in practice. 😊
I realize homeschooling is not for everyone! Yet these are four "pros" to ponder.
Homeschooling gives us the flexibility to cater learning to how she processes best.
As a high school math teacher, I made it a point to get to know my students and their learning style. I remember one particular student to struggled to show her work because she found the correct answer through mental trial & error. I understood this was the uniqueness of her brain and made it a point to honor and celebrate her thinking style.
Now with a creative child of my own, I see the benefit homeschooling has in giving that space to process her unique way with appropriate guidelines.
We get to choose her adventures.
It's no secret, we have a little artist. It's a natural part of how she expresses herself! With homeschooling we can take that keen interest and use it to shape our activities.
Art projects, field trips, tinkering - - whatever fits with our current area of study sets the course. The world is ours! This all takes planning and preparation, of course, but it's nice to know that there's an open pallette from which to start.
Differentiated learning customized to her levels.
When I was 4 years old, I cut up so much in preschool. (Literally and figuratively, smh) The teachers thought I was just being disruptive but my Mum knew otherwise. They had me tested, determined I need to move up a grade and that changed everything. For the better!
There are social advantages to staying with your age group but also possible scholastic frustration. Knowing that we can adjust and shift grade levels by subject areas to match our kids is a plus. And socialization is however we choose!
Learning becomes a family affair.
We make it a point for our kids to see us learning how we learn best and applying it. We firmly believe true learning happens beyond the schoolhouse setting. It happens throughout the day, every day - even during the summer months.
Growing lifelong learners means finding a way to make learning fun, enjoyable, and with purpose.
This will be our first formal year of homeschooling and believe me, it feels exciting and terrifying all jumbled together. But I also know the path of intention means getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. And the end goal of growing quality humans is worth it.
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