A Return Home

I realize that this may be a hot button topic for some people, but I feel I need to address it. I have been watching with interest this past few weeks a series of e-mails on a home schooling list in which I am a member. The topic has been enough to make my head spin as I wade through the self justification that has been present. Here is the deal….

There are many home school parents that do not like it when little Johnny or Susie is only at a particular level in their studies. Instead of helping them to complete that level and then move on, they instead search for a curriculum that will meet their desires and place their child at the level they would like them to be. For example, instead of 8 year old Johnny or Susie being in 3rd grade math, I will instead search for a curriculum that places them in 7th grade math. “See how smart my child is? They are years ahead in their math. I am so glad that I home school them. They would be stuck in 3rd grade in the public school system.”

What I fail to see is the benefit for the child by doing this. It is in essence a false sense of security for the parent and could be detrimental for the child in the long run. Why not be thankful that you are obviously using a tougher curriculum? Passing a child onto a “higher” grade in a different curriculum is NOT the answer.

When I began using the curriculum that I have chosen for my son, I will admit that I was angry at the level he was placed in. He was placed one year behind his public school peers in math, but at grade level in everything else. He had always been advanced in our public school system, but I felt they weren’t meeting his needs. They weren’t.

I was told to quickly go over the things that he knew, but to fill in the blanks on the things that he might not know as well. This would ensure a good and solid foundation in math for him. They were right. I was shocked to learn all of the things that he didn’t know and had never been introduced to in the public school system. They were in essence passing on the children to prove that they were “doing their job.” I was appalled that my son had never learned division and knew nothing about fractions. He was going into 5th grade! Granted, the curriculum that I chose is one to two years ahead of the public school system in most areas. He will soon be completing 5th grade math next month, and will be tackling pre-algebra in 6th grade. I can feel comfortable knowing that his foundation is strong. He will continue to do well and will be far ahead of his previous school peers.

This is what is wrong with the Education in America, today. We don’t want to admit that we are failing as a society in the education of our children. So we quietly pass them along to say that we are doing our job. This is why I left the public school system and found an alternative. Don’t make the same mistake in your home school. You are not doing anyone a favor, even if you temporarily feel better about your child’s “level” in school. Build the foundation, be thankful for a curriculum that is tough and reap the rewards in the end.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS