Having successfully completed the journey of home-schooling five children, I learn more from my experience as the years go by. A few things continue to stand out…
Everybody’s brain is wired in a unique way. As teachers, we present material in the manner we learn, yet this does not always correspond with the student’s style of learning. When it does, everything goes well and a marvelous time is had by all. When it doesn’t, it is a head-banging-against-the-wall experience from which there is seemingly no end. The clues as to how your child learns may seem non-existent; however, they are merely concealed. Recall the “teaching moments” when everything went well, and consider what the common theme is.
My son learns easily if it is visually presented to him, which meant the difficult and sometimes complicated math lessons could be understood if he was able to see the problem worked out step-by-step on a white board. Understanding his need successfully unlocked numerous doors.
My daughter, who is extremely right-brained, presented an enormous challenge for me. Her learning style was not based on structure and order, but rather feelings and emotions. She is what you would call a “free spirit.” It was important for me to think “outside the box” whenever possible. She loved studying anatomy as she colored her way through the pages of a giant anatomy coloring book… She learned history by reading excellent novels that covered specific periods of history… She developed her language skills by reading well-written classic novels as part of her weekly reading time…
Math, although necessary, created acute pain for all concerned. Analytical structure in her life, in the form of Taekwon-Do, helped develop her math, spelling, and writing. Studying music has a similar benefit. Even though spelling and writing did not come easily, it eventually began to improve as she grew older. As she acquired an enormous reservoir of vocabulary and marvelous grammar gleaned from great literature, her writing steadily began to develop. She is now twenty-three years old, married, her writing and spelling continues to improve, and we practice math concepts by calculating sale prices… “Look honey, I saved you money!” is a celebratory moment that brings much delight to those around her.
Last, and most important: I had to wrestle with the thought my children would perform better in a “regular” school. I came to realize the “bad” habits that created so much frustration would not go away just because my children went to a different school… However, what would be different is the love and commitment to help them grow and succeed. No one is as devoted to my child as I. With that revelation, we soldiered on, and were ultimately successful!
