Do you have a tendency to think of yourself or your child as being “behind” because you’ve been teaching for three weeks but your still on week one according to your teacher’s manual? Do you worry about not finishing the textbook? I have a little secret for you. . .even teachers don’t finish the textbook!
What Is Behind Anyways?
For some, especially those of us who homeschool under strict regulations, there is a certain amount of added stress by not moving forward in the curriculum. Many parents feel like if they don’t finish the textbook or all of the lessons in the manual, they haven’t really finished the year.
But today I say that if this describes you–you can stop worrying! It’s okay if you don’t finish all of the lessons in one year. In fact, it might even be better for your situation if you don’t finish all of the lessons in one year. After all, remember that big picture we’ve been talking about. Is it really horrible if it takes a year and a half to finish a textbook–if your child really has mastered the material at the end? I suspect not.
Individually Tailored Education
One of the reasons that I give to those who are curious as to why we homeschool, is because I can tailor each child’s education to meet their needs. My daughter whose reading well above her grade level isn’t hindered by her brother who reads right at his grade level. My son can move through math as quickly as he’d like and my four year old can go as slowly as she would like.
So if you’re stressing over not finishing your textbook this year–don’t. You don’t have to cover it all in one year–in fact most teachers don’t. If you are meeting your child’s needs with the material you are covering then you are doing a good job teaching–regardless of your pace!
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