It was my job to order, copy and organize all the activities for the preschool curriculum for the Sunday School in our church. There was a rotating schedule of five couples who taught. They were all parents of children in the class who wanted to help because they were thankful there was care provided for their children during the service. For them, sacrificing one week a month to make this happen was worth it. The only challenge was they had no teaching experience so they were intimidated at times. I did my best to present the material in a simple, fun and engaging way. I provided them with all the materials and lesson outline to help them get started.
It was at this point that I realized that not everyone was like me when it comes to teaching little ones. Not everyone feels comfortable working outside the lines of the presented curriculum. One time, the lesson mentioned bringing in a tent for the kids to use during the lesson. I spoke with the parent a week in advance and said I would bring in a blanket to drape over some chairs. She stared at me and said, “it says a tent. I want to use a tent.”
After homeschooling for a few years I realized that some of us are wired that way. I might be ok with switching a blanket out for a tent so I would like to think that I allow some flexibility in my teaching style but I still have a ways to go. For example, written tests. For the longest time I would hear about parents not administering tests, Charlotte Mason style teachers mostly. This threw me. How can you not give your child a test? Tests were probably one of the most memorable experiences of my school days. Tests are an integral part of the schooling experience, aren’t they? Parents would tell me, “well, you are with your child all day and can see where they are so you don’t really need to test them to see where they are.” I still couldn’t get over this. Yet slowly and surely I started to agree with them. It is starting to become more important to me to see my children master certain material once I realize they are struggling with it rather than striving to hang up a test on the fridge with a gold star. My oldest son likes a challenge so he still likes the concept of “trying to ace a test,” so I still do test him in math and history. But everything else is pretty much hands-on learning where I work side-by-side with him making sure he understands the material. Additionally, there are other ways to break out of the confines of your curriculum.
First, ask yourself if there are aspects of your curriculum that are simply busywork that could be cut. Sometimes curriculum is sold to homeschoolers and can work for them but it was actually written for a classroom setting. If this is the case, there could be extra activities, worksheets or material that simply can be cut out. Sometimes we are afraid to do this out of fear that our children will be missing out on something but the question we need to ask ourselves is, “is our child getting this?” If they are, simply move on. There is no need to belabor the point if they understand the concept.
Second, see if there is something you could add to the lessons to make it more user friendly. You might have an awesome curriculum that you are using but is it the best fit for the child you are using with? Could you amp it up a bit to give your child the best experience possible? You know your child better than the curriculum writers do. The curriculum was written for the masses. You know your individual child so why not create a program designed exclusively for them? I don’t mean you need to rewrite an entire curriculum for them but if the lesson talks about Tubal-Cain in a Bible lesson why not expand it a bit. Take your child to a blacksmithing demonstration or have them do a unit study on ancient tool making. If you are learning about tadpoles in science class go online and order tadpoles and watch them turn into frogs in your own home!
Thirdly, talk with other like-minded parents. Get on an online forum with parents using the same curriculum as you. Set up a playdate with friends in your area that use the same type of curriculum that you do and swap out ideas. Learn from their mistakes and glean from their years of experience. Find out what works, try it and make it your own.
Whatever you do, do not be afraid to step out of the box, or in this case, boxed curriculum!
