How does a parent go from hands-on, exploratory, interest-driven learning in the early grades to the super-structured, credit-driven, academic standards content of high school? The middle grades (about 5-8) are a time to prepare students for the expectation of high school. It might not be around the corner, but it is down the street!
As homeschooling has exploded, the available educational resources have grown as well. The options are overwhelming, but the real question is which option is better? Do I use the tried and true, that beloved program successfully used for a generation, or will the newer curricula options provide my child with a better education?
Gaps, holes, chasms — call them what you will, but they are a real fear for some parents and something they will avoid if possible. Gaps typically happen when you make a big change. It can be from one math program to another, or it could be from attending school to homeschooling. How do you fill these gaps in understanding?
If you are following a traditional school year or have a schedule unique to your family, the half-way mark is a fair time to look at your curriculum choices. What do we like? What is not working for us? If you feel that you are missing something, supplemental materials might be helpful to plug those gaps!
Are you noticing the mountain top areas where your homeschooler is excelling in certain topics and contrasting those with valley areas of struggle? Now is a great time to observe and address these little struggle moments that could grow into bigger tensions in your academic year. What do you do when you start pinpointing these areas of pain within your student’s day-to-day work?
If you’re familiar with our “FAMILY Factors” for choosing curriculum and have thought through your family’s goals and unique characteristics, then the Flex Factors chart will help you put curriculum options in perspective. Think specifically about your available time to homeschool.
