Although I've set this up as a series, I thought I'd point out that I can only think of one myth to debunk at the moment, so it may be a very short series. But as a homeschooler and a homeschool advocate, I thought I should discuss a little about the realities of homeschooling.
One of the most pervasive arguments out there is that it takes less time to homeschool.
Joel Turtel says so. HERO of Oklahoma agrees. I think I even vaguely remember making similar claims once upon a time, but can't find it now. Probably just as well, because I'd hate to have to contradict myself, although I'm certain it wouldn't be the first time.
But we started at nine this morning and didn't finish until 5:30. That is one long day. Just a hair longer than your average public school day.
Of course, not all of that was spent in academic pursuits. A lot of it was spent looking for pencils. More was spent upside down on the couch with a book over her face. And a fair amount was spent brushing out the mane of the toy horses grandpa bought her at a garage sale.
The thing is, she never complained. Mom wants to concentrate, focus and get done. She wants topiddle around take her time and digest the knowledge. And I'm not so sure that the time she spends in play isn't as important to her truly absorbing the material as the time she spends with her recently found pencil in hand. It is a battle to remember to let her work at her pace and we have been there before. Funny how my thoughts then at the beginning of this independent learning journey were almost identical to my thoughts now.
So what have I learned this year? Not much, apparently. You can't rush a child into learning, and sometimes the days can seem to stretch out before you with no end in sight. Those days, I have to remind myself why it bothers me. My conclusion? At the core of the problem is the fact that I do not value play and see it as a waste of time.
Other than right there, you will likely never hear me say anything like that. It grates on me to even have to admit it. But the discomfort I feel watching her in her minor diversions points clearly to that simple truth.
Now if we could only solve the pencil issue, we'd be making some real progress.
One of the most pervasive arguments out there is that it takes less time to homeschool.
Joel Turtel says so. HERO of Oklahoma agrees. I think I even vaguely remember making similar claims once upon a time, but can't find it now. Probably just as well, because I'd hate to have to contradict myself, although I'm certain it wouldn't be the first time.
But we started at nine this morning and didn't finish until 5:30. That is one long day. Just a hair longer than your average public school day.Of course, not all of that was spent in academic pursuits. A lot of it was spent looking for pencils. More was spent upside down on the couch with a book over her face. And a fair amount was spent brushing out the mane of the toy horses grandpa bought her at a garage sale.
So does this mean you are done with your spelling?I would ask, really wanting to know. Apparently not, however, as the horses would invariably be set aside and her spelling book picked up again.
The thing is, she never complained. Mom wants to concentrate, focus and get done. She wants to
So what have I learned this year? Not much, apparently. You can't rush a child into learning, and sometimes the days can seem to stretch out before you with no end in sight. Those days, I have to remind myself why it bothers me. My conclusion? At the core of the problem is the fact that I do not value play and see it as a waste of time.
Other than right there, you will likely never hear me say anything like that. It grates on me to even have to admit it. But the discomfort I feel watching her in her minor diversions points clearly to that simple truth.
Now if we could only solve the pencil issue, we'd be making some real progress.
