As the end of the homeschooling year gets closer, you may find yourself in a panic about certain subjects you intended to cover but haven’t gotten to yet.
It’s always a good idea to do a debriefing at the end of each year to determine how you can better reach your goals for the following year. I don’t have to tell you that planning is essential if you want to give your children an elite education at home, and there is no reason to give them less.
Never-the-less, the end of the year is here, and you’ve got to do some catch-up work with your children. The following is meant to appease any stress you may be feeling and get straight to the task of helping your kids fill any knowledge gaps.
First, it’s vital to remember that there will always be knowledge gaps in our children’s education whether they are homeschooled or schooled (especially if they are “schooled”). We can look at learning gaps from two perspectives:
They are inevitable because no one person can ever know everything under the sun
Our children will need to acquire general knowledge of basic subjects–without significant gaps–to prepare them for higher education.
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
Regarding option 2, part of your job as a homeschooling parent is to make sure your children do not have glaring gaps in their general knowledge.
As there are certain subject and skill requirements for high school graduation and subsequent entry into college, you must plan for these so your kids are not behind.
And yes, they can get behind. Don’t listen to anyone who says there is “no such thing as behind.” There most certainly is such a thing!
But don’t despair. In the event of learning gaps, here are 4 options you can choose from to easily correct them.
Option One
Let’s say you don't enjoy teaching math, and, consequently, your children have fallen behind in their math studies; however, you love teaching language arts. The solution is simple; find a parent who has the opposite situation and swap subjects with her. You teach her child language arts, and she’ll teach your kids math.
The bartering system works well except for one disadvantage; scheduling can be an issue for some people.
You will need to coordinate schedules and not all homeschooling parents have this flexibility. If scheduling is a concern, a bartering system might not work.
Option Two
If you are weak in particular subject, you can plan to study ahead of time. When it’s time for your child’s lesson, you’ve learned the material first.
You do not need to know everything to homeschool! We all learn with our children whether it’s basic skills we never learned in school or subjects such as Latin, which most schools fail to teach anymore.
Option Three
A third option is to hire a tutor.
Sometimes you can find an older homeschooled child who's more advanced in a subject and will tutor younger children. When my daughter was in high school, she taught grammar, history, and geography to a few homeschooled families in our town. She did an amazing job, and the children loved studying with her.
You may even find a neighbor who's a retired teacher or expert in a subject, and they're willing to teach your kids.
Option Four
The fourth option applies to older children. Depending upon your state, you teenagers can dual enroll in their local community college. Dual enrollment can be an excellent choice because the classes will go towards both high school credits and college credits.
WARNING: There are pros and cons to dual enrollment, so you want to be sure you know what these are before choosing this option.
For example, one of the concerns is that the college grades will go on their permanent records, so you want to make sure they are ready for college-level work, including the pressure that comes with testing.
As you can see, there are multiple ways to fill any gaps your children might develop in their studies.
To repeat: no one will ever know everything there is to know! Worrying about gaps is not worth it and will cause you unnecessary stress. If you find they develop, the solutions to fix them are straightforward and simple.
“I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn’t know.”
While the idea of knowledge gaps can make a new homeschooler nervous, the reality is that your children will learn more things that children in school ever get the chance to learn.
Keep yourself focused on your goal, and don't worry too much if your children miss learning something here or there; we all do.
Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.
When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework, so you can raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of good character.
As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated; as she guides you to train your children’s minds and nurture their characters.
Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.
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Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.
As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.
Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.
Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.
"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”
—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
