As a homeschool mom, I’ve heard so many others talk about their fears of their children falling behind in school. I have had this fear myself before. It’s something that we will always deal with because society tells us where our child/ren “should be”. These “standards” are nothing more than what some committee somewhere who doesn’t know my child put together. The committee doesn’t take into consideration any kind of disabilities or illnesses the child/ren may have.
Falling behind academically can mean different things for different families. For instance, comparing one child to another in their ability to learn to read by a certain age. I have three sons. Each one has learned to read at a different age. One son was almost 9 by the time he grasped reading. His issue? He needed glasses. Once he got glasses, it clicked. My middle son was 7 when reading clicked for him. My youngest, well, let’s just say he will be reading by the time he’s 18. He’s only 6 now but he is having a very hard time.
This could absolutely make me feel like one of my children is behind. It could make my child feel that way if I let it as well. But, I don’t compare them to each other. They each have unique skills they are better at than the other. They think differently and learn differently. That is the beauty of home educating. An individualized education specifically made for that student.
We do use the same curriculum for each of my children but they are all on different levels and I expect different things from each one. For example, I use the same book to teach all three of my boys science (they are currently 1st, 4th, and 5th grades). I don’t expect my 1st grader to write anything or do worksheets at his age. He listens and answers questions orally. My older two boys are expected to write the answers for the worksheets.
When someone asks about their child/ren falling behind in school, I ask them who they are racing against. Learning is not a race that you can lose. It isn’t a race at all. I have taught my children to love learning. If they love learning, they will never be “behind” in any subject. They will always be moving forward; even if at a slower pace than their peers.
With so much pressure from the public school system to keep up, home education can bring relief and less stress to a student. They can go at their own pace and learn about things that actually interest them instead of what some committee has deemed important to learn about. So many students are beyond their stress levels trying to stay afloat in the public school system that we have seen a mental breakdown in a lot of them. It’s truly a sad epidemic in the USA. Although we have so many standards to keep up with, we, as a nation, have fallen behind many other countries in academics.
If you are feeling like you aren’t doing enough with your homeschool students, I urge you to really take a look at what the public school system requires. They mainly learn to test. They memorize a few facts and then move on to the next thing never truly taking the time to actually learn about things. Think about the things you may have learned if you went to a public school. I can barely remember what I learned. But, my children who are homeschooled can tell you every president, every state, every capital, every book in the Bible. I never learned those things (I know them now because of teaching them to my own children). I am not saying this to brag. I am saying to because they actually enjoy learning these things.
Falling behind is a newer concept for our nation. We were built by men and women who were homeschooled. Many of our founding fathers and presidents were homeschooled. Just Google historical people who were homeschooled. You will be amazed. Don’t compare your homeschool to anyone else’s. Don’t let a standardized test determine what your child may or may not know. Some people do not do well on tests even if they know all the information.
You are the parent and you know your child. You know if they are learning or not. Ask for help and advice from other seasoned homeschool moms. They are eager to help. If you need suggestions about certain things, ask in a Facebook group. Most of the groups I am in have such amazing people who love to chat about all things homeschooling. They will encourage you and lift you up and even pray for you. Don’t feel like a failure if your friend’s kid is reading at age 4. That isn’t realistic for most kids. Help your child where they are and realize that you are giving them an individualized education that is absolutely priceless.
