I was reading the latest Veritas Press newsletter (Read it here online.) and it got me to thinking. The premise of the article was that homeschoolers need to stop changing their curriculum so much. He talks about switching between curriculum and putting children in and out of public school.
Here is a small bit from the article.
"Jumping from one curriculum to another tends to leave gaps in our children's education. Generally, a curriculum has an over-arching philosophy. The curriculum takes this particular philosophical approach throughout. The philosophy of the curriculum drives the content from kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is meant to be done from beginning to end, with the hope of achieving a particular goal at the end of the road."I have done some curriculum hopping, perhaps one might think a lot of curriculum hopping. Let's see. I have used Abeka (texts), Sonlight (literature based), Well-Trained Mind (classical), and Tapestry of Grace (classical with my own Charlotte Mason twist). For math we have used Abeka, Saxon, Math-U-See, and Teaching Textbooks. Science has included Abeka, Sonlight, and Apologia. I don't think there is a single area of our homeschooling that we have picked and stuck with one curriculum or homeschooling method.
It would have been much easier to just plod from year to year moving from one level to the next in a particular curriculum. So why didn't I do that?
Perhaps it was because in my heart I knew that if we had picked and stayed with Abeka or Sonlight or even Tapestry of Grace, our homeschooling would not have been as enriched and exciting as it has been. There seems to be no sense in sticking with any materials that are not working for your family. I know I created learning gaps but somewhere along the line I found the key to our successfully navigating those gaps.
I discovered a woman who lived over a century ago who rocked my world. Charlotte Mason really made me stop and think about all the things I was doing and teaching in a new and exciting way. She made it impossible for me to continue taking things at face value or to take the more familiar road. She gave me power and the incentive to do better than stick with a curriculum just because I might cause some "gaps".
Gaps are not to be feared anymore but to be expected.
I am not a maker of gaps or a filler of gaps. Gaps happen all on their own and I think it doesn't matter what curriculum you use because they all have gaps. I trust that God can fill the gaps.
In all fairness, here is another little snippet from his newsletter:
"I am not saying we should NEVER make any changes. But being in the habit of constantly jumping from one to another will certainly create problems, and these gaps in their learning will likely not manifest themselves until later in their education."I say make needed changes when necessary and worry about the gaps when they "manifest" themselves. I am a firm believer in working from where you are and building on your child's strengths. I also think that in the long run, what matters the most, is that you encourage a love of learning and the making of good habits. Charlotte Mason's ideas provide help in both areas.
The books and particular curriculum plans should be tools you use to get where you want to be in your unique family. Living, breathing, meaningful books and materials that speak to your child's heart are the best way to provide the ideas that they need to nourish their education.
Ideas take precedence over curriculum.
I have shared this quote before but it keeps running through my mind as I mull over the Veritas Press Newsletter article.
"There is more than one way to get from point A to point B. Everything I've said should reiterate my point: that varied reading, and lots of it, as well as people's ideas expressed in the various forms of art, are not an optional luxury to be offered to children when we happen to think about it. It is their very bread of life. They need it regularly, and they need a lot of it. This, and more, is what I mean when I say, 'The mind feeds on ideas and therefore, children should have a generous curriculum.'"Gaps are nothing more than opportunities to be filled when and where they are appear.
Barb-Harmony Art Mom
19 comments:
Very good written, Barb. I believe they are speaking about curriculum as THE ABSOLUTE, for us (you, me, inspired by CM), curriculum is our aid to educate, not our skeleton, principles or approach. WE are the Curriculum with capital letter (in my opinion), the different curriculum (books, textbooks, materials, etc), are the fillers that convey our teaching to precisely, FILL THE GAPS, not vice verse. So it is natural than in our particular way of learning, different things come handy for the different needs of our constantly evolving and growing children and families.
Thanks for the thoughts.
That's a great post! I think one of the great advantages of homeschooling over "institutional" schooling is the very ability to shift gears, curriculum, material to meet the individual and changing needs of our families. I'm with you -- I see no virtue in sticking to materials that aren't working, or even worse -- adversely affecting the child's joy in learning -- just for the sake of staying with a particular curriculum from start to finish in fear of "gaps". I'm not sure I've ever met a person, child or adult -- who doesn't have "gaps" in their knowledge base.
"Ideas take precedence over curriculum."
Oh Bless you this answer to my interior wrestling this week.
My dc are always derailing the curriculum with their ideas about this and that and Im so fearful of changing things to much...some good things to mull over in this post.
First, I saw my first full grown daffodill today - outside of a church, 3-4 of them. Each time I walked by - I was so thankful!
I have gone back and forth a bit on - if I were to do it again - would I stick to one curriculum path. But I come to the same conclusion - I love the path we have been on! Each a step towards the next day. I wish we would have stuck with one core Math program this year, but we have been able to review several math companies and have been able to see so many different ways from which one can learn. Learning to Learn is a good step too. ;)
What a wonderful post Barb! I love what you said about creating a love of learning, and instilling good habits. That's high, high up on our list!
We've been homeschooling for 3 years, and have used MFW with(sometimes a lot, sometimes a little) tweaking. I tend to only do what works, and usually, that changes every few months!
Great post!
Kathi
(gaps...shmaps. Let's read a good book together, and draw a picture! we'll cover it again in a few years!!)
I appreciate all the thoughtful comments on this post.
It must have been something brewing because I had something totally different in mind to write about today but this is what was on my heart.
I am so glad that it was on target with some many of you....the private email has made me cry. Wish I could share it.
Thanks for taking the time to respond in reply.
I think that we do our children a disservice when we stick to a curriculum that isn't working. All it does is *cause* frustration in a situation that we're theoretically working really hard to avoid it being frustrating. That's counter-productive, to me.
I also jump all over the map with curriculum, but for the reason that some years my kids need a more intense year in a particular subject, and other years, I can be more cavailer about what we use. And ultimately, I think there needs to be an element of fun/enjoyment to our schooling, or else why bother? If it's a grind, what sets what we do apart from the regular school system?
As for gaps, I'm very thankful at some point that I came to the realization that it didn't matter what curriculum I used, I was still going to leave gaps, and it wasn't my responsibility to fill them. There's no way in the world that we can teach EVERYTHING a child could possibly need to know. There's no way to predict what they'll need in 10 years. It IS my responsibility to make sure that my kids have the skills in place to identify the information they need to know, and know how to present it. My job is to teach them how to love learning, and get out of the way.
Putting away the soapbox now, and a very nice blog post!
Hi Barb,
I like your post. I agree that not sticking with a said curriculum could be risky and create gaps. Then again, who wants to eat the same dinner every night of the week? The world truly is our classroom guided by HIM!
We've been homeschooling from the beginning for 13 years. Eclectic fits us well because I have been so inspired by great teachers and different philosophies. My greatest inspiration has come from my children as to the direction we go in most of the time.
Thanks for these wise words today,
Deb
What an interesting post! In my 10 years teaching in public schools I found gaps from grade to grade. Despite teaching the same subject to the same grades for 10 years, I always found things that needed to change or be replaced! Even when I taught the same lesson to several classes in the same grade, I shifted my emphasis and presented the lessons differently as I discovered the "best way".
How much more should parents find the "best fit" for each child! I have re-used my curriculums for all my children and alter the approach or application for most of their work. I have new insights, I have found different methods and each child's unique learning style demands an unique approach.
Isn't balance the key? Any change does need a period of adjustment and too many changes will become problematic.
Nadene,
You bring up a great point. I think common sense tells us that too much jumping around would probably not be a benefit for our children. I was actually thinking about the very thing that you mentioned about public schools. I KNOW they change textbook companies from year to year. I think the constant can be the parent and the learning environment and not necessarily the particular texts or methods.
I am so grateful that I have been able to homeschool my children and do my best to keep the balance that you mentioned.
I am so loving the comments on this post.:)
Thank you so much! This really helps me see and reminds me why I love CM so much. The child changes each day....not allowing change/flexibility is rigid....like a cement building that is bent on forcing a child into a specific mold, rather than allowing the child to grow, as God intended!!
Thank you for your wise words.
Can I ditto Nadene's words? And add that I think public schools create their problems by overburdening the curriculum, providing poor quality catch-up for pupils who miss material (illness etc), and out of necessity teach to exams (oh yes, I was guilty of that too...). All of these issues are non-issues in a home-education.
And the extra *plus*, the Lord leads us. He knows who our children are, who they will be, what they will need. We can do any necessary gap-filling and then rest easy with those *gaps* that remain.
Bless you.
Wise words, Barb. I consider you one of my homeschooling mentors, as one who has successfully "made it" through highschool. Thank you!
Excellent post, Barb! Though, we were fortunate to discover early what we liked (SOTW and Singapore Math) we do integrate many other resources as we use these for our history & math studies. I'm all for flexibility and change. :)
Well said, Barb!
I think a lot depends on why you are switching. It does seem like there is a pressure to switch to the curriculum that is new and in fashion - the one that there is all sorts of buzz about online and in your homeschool groups.
But it may or may not "fix" the issues with your own homeschooling. I don't think that there is a curriculum that is a panacea, a great choice for everyone or one that will teach the kiddos without work on the part of both parent and child.
Of course there are going to be gaps at the end of our K-12 education with out kids. I'm in my fourth decade, attended a selective college, have a masters and I still have a lot of gaps. I imagine I'll still be discovering more gaps when I'm entering my eighth decade.
You ought switch when you need to or when your child needs to. But don't let the choices of your friends and neighbors be what makes your decision for you.
Very true! I have switched between curriculums in search of what meets my family's needs. It is easy to get worried about gaps, when what we need to do is trust the heavenly father to guide us throughout our homeschool journey!
oh amen amen amen!!!
We have done it all--Christian School, public school, homeschool and yes--it does cause gaps. The answer to that is "so what--look what we GAINED from it." You are right about dear Charlotte--she rocked my world too in the very best way. I think any curriculum can bear tweaking, cutting, adding to suit the user. And, different stages of life and learning may need differences---my kids NEEDED basic Rod & Staff math at the point that we used it. When my son was little Rod & Staff's simple, black and white pages let him focus. Today? Neither needs that--they need, instead--things that draw them into learning. At this point it doesn't matter so much if it's classroom learning, Mom-led or self-led the key where they are at today is getting them "into" it all. Another very good post.
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