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Home > Support > Homeschooling > My greatest difficulty is worrying about giving my children the best education possible...
 
 
Question:

This is my first year homeschooling. I haven't given out report cards at all, because I realized that certain subjects were hard to grade. I worry that this was wrong. Grading overall has many confusions. Do I grade daily work? For neatness? How long do I stick with something, like vocab? Do I come back to it later to see if it has been retained?

I also worry that I'm not providing enough of an education. I don't have a degree; do I have the knowledge required to teach them well?

Another nagging question is whether our homeschool is organized properly. I know each family is different, but I've heard it said, "Homeschool. Don't bring school home." I'm not sure what that means. I'm also not sure what it means to say, "Homeschooling teaches kids how to learn; not just shoving content into them."

I guess my greatest difficulty is worrying about giving my children the best education possible. Maybe it's Spring Fever, maybe seeing the end of the year approaching has brought tension, maybe it's being early in a pregnancy, but I'm feeling teary.

Answer:

Dear Mom,

Intense emotions are part of being a mother, but perhaps we can ease the tension by answering your questions. Let's look first at your concern regarding giving your children the best education possible.

By choosing to home school, you are providing your children the best education possible. No child is going to receive a perfect education because we are all imperfect creatures, but home schooling provides the opportunity to meet your children's individual spiritual, emotional, physical, and intellectual needs.

Everything depends upon the unique needs of your children. That is why you have heard the catchphrase "Don't bring school home." Typical schools depend upon rules based upon what is most effective for an average group of children. You aren't interested in what is best for an average child or for a group of children. You want what is best for your children. A child in a classroom who finally understands fractions cannot celebrate with a whoop and a victory dance because you cannot have 25 children whooping in a classroom even if this is natural behavior. But a home schooler can celebrate with a whoop.

Typical classrooms have content schedules to follow. Teachers discuss covering content not mastering content. Learning goals are numbered and categorized, and children are supposed to meet each goal on a timetable as if they were freight trains covering a specific distance each day. They have few choices about what they learn or how they are to learn it. In fact, they quickly develop the idea that learning is something that is done to them rather than something they must reach for. They wait to be taught on schedule instead of exploring and discovering the world around them. So they do not learn how to learn. They learn how to be taught.

Teachers push content at the children as if they were loading fuel onto a freight train so the train can cover the distance required. But this is not how learning occurs because we aren't freight trains. If a child learns the letter Z before learning the letter A, that's okay in a home school. Children in a home school can get off the train tracks and explore beyond the set schedule. You indicate that you are using the Catholic Heritage Curricula lesson plans, so you may rest assured that your children will have the opportunity to master content, and they will learn how to learn in addition to learning the content.

As for organizing your day, again everything depends upon your family's needs. Some families may begin with morning Mass; others may begin with the children's favorite subject as motivation to get going each day; and some may save a subject for the evening when Dad can participate. Having a schedule ensures that you are not letting each day slip away.

Neither a degree nor a teacher certification guarantees success as a teacher. Being willing to learn is a much better indicator. I frequently hear from a friend about the poor quality of the textbooks he is provided. These textbooks are so inaccurate that he cannot in good conscience use them with his students, and the textbooks are written by educators with advanced degrees. As long as you are willing to put in the effort and to continue to learn yourself, you and your children will do well. If you run into an area that is simply beyond your ability, seek the help of other home schoolers who may be proficient in that area. They will be happy to help.

You are right that some subjects are hard to grade. Based upon the young ages of your children, ask yourself if they need a grade. If they have mastered the content at 70 to 80%, then praise and the chance to celebrate might make more sense at this stage. If they did not master the content, what is the purpose of giving them a low grade? Re-teaching the content makes more sense. If you feel more comfortable giving a grade or if your state requires grades, then give letter grades based upon their effort and mastery of the subject either daily or weekly.

Regarding neatness, remember that children in the lower elementary grades are still working on their fine motor skills. Encourage them to present neat, unwrinkled, well-organized assignments, but also show them how to organize their written work. Be specific about what you expect. For example, they should write their name in the top left corner and the date below with a title on the first line and a blank space between each numbered answer.

As to how long to stay with a subject, stay with it as long as they need. However, do not expect 100% perfection. Eighty or even seventy percent is okay, especially if you will continue to review. Review is necessary for retention. You may wish to review key points at the end of each day and at the end of each week. Using what you have learned is a great way to review continuously. For example, since you mention vocabulary words, continue to use the vocabulary words. Carry a list with you and make up sentences while driving in the car or waiting in a doctor's office.

While home schooling is a challenge, you can meet this challenge, and your children will benefit tremendously. It takes courage to home school because your home schooling will be different from everyone else's. You are blazing a trail. Let your children's needs be your guide.

God bless you,

Sandra Garant

   
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