Often I feel myself doubting whether what I am doing with school is enough. I even went and checked out a charter school last week with the idea of putting the girls in it. But as I sat there trying to visualize my children there, I just didn’t feel good about it.
Several things I like about homeschooling that a school setting cannot offer:
1. Time to play. I feel like children learn best when they are having a good time. My girls usually get through all their daily schoolwork by noon, which means they have three hours still to play. Last week Esther found an owl pellet outside and dissected it with some sticks and put together and organized the bones of a vole. She was so interested. Do you think she’ll remember that more than if I’d sat her down with a book? You bet! I can’t count the number of times the children have directed the biology aspect by bugs, plants and animals they see while they are playing outside! The school I checked out has 2 fifteen minute recesses. That’s not enough time to absorb learning by play.
2. Religious instruction. Amy and I had a wonderful conversation last week about learning to follow the Spirit and how God can help protect us. Children’s questions don’t just crop up between 3-7:30. I am grateful that I can be the one who answers my children’s soul searching questions. We have a morning devotional after breakfast. This week we are memorizing 1Tim. 4:12.
3. I like watching my children learn. I love being there for those “a ha” moments. I like being able to cater the learning to their own pace, slowing where necessary and speeding up when necessary.
4. I like having a broader curriculum. Our animals, farm experience, travel the world dinners, documentaries, etc are teaching more broadly than what I saw offered at school.
