Flexibility: One of Joys of Homeschooling!

Posted by Jamie | 0 comments

Every time I have to give a reason for why I choose to homeschool, flexibility comes to mind as
one of my biggest reasons. There are plenty of other, more noble reasons, but flexibility ranks
high on the list for me as one of the reasons I so love home education!
Right now our family is in a season of having one child (my almost-17-year-old daughter) in
public school and one child (11-year-old daughter) homeschooling. This is the first year Ive ever
been a public school parent. Ive explained the whys in greater depth on my blog, but the very
condensed version is that we felt this was the right choice for our family at this time. However,
as Im living this out, Im seeing and experiencing the inflexibility of traditional school even more!
Truly, Im appreciating home education more and more every day!
Flexibility in home-education plays out numerous ways:
1) Flexibility allows you to change teaching styles or curriculum. If something isnt working,
we can change it! Math became a stumbling block for us recently, so we stepped back to assess
what was and wasnt working. As a result, we decided to go with a new style of curriculum that
is working beautifully so far. We changed it becausewe could, and we can do this any
time throughout the year; there is no reason we must wait until the next school year.
2) Flexibility allows you to tweak existing curriculum. Perhaps a curriculum is
working mostly well, but needs a few little changes to be just right. We did this recently with our
vocabulary curriculum when I decided that one particular exercise each week was causing more

trouble than it was worth, and really wasnt essential to my daughters learning. So we stopped
doing that exercise. Im the mom and the teacher, so I can make those changes as needed.
Tweaking is allowed.
3) Flexibility allows life to take precedence over school. In our lives recently, weve faced
some health issues and hospitalization for my dad, the birth of my daughters little brother (her
dad and step-moms new addition to the family), and several other big events that cant be
scheduled precisely ahead of time. Rather than having to make up schoolwork or miss out on
exciting events, we can choose to let life take precedence over school. We learn through these
big events, and well have plenty of time to catch back up on things like math and history. Those
things can wait; life does not wait.
4) Flexibility allows time for spontaneity in our day. Sometimes, when were having a really
good homeschool day (or maybe when were having a really rotten homeschool day!) we can
take a break. My daughter and I might decide to head to the local frozen yogurt place up the
road to sit and chat and taste each others yogurt concoctions. We might go to the library and
find a few new books that look interesting. Or we might just go on a walk around the block if its
a beautiful day. Our day-to-day schedule is flexible, so we have time to be a little bit
spontaneous.

5) Flexibility allows for field trips and days off. We try to do field trips about once a month.
Sometimes these trips are planned well in advance, and sometimes not. Either way, it doesnt
throw our schedule out of whack because I allow wiggle-room when I make my school year
plans. I do have weekly schedules, but we can add in a field trip here and there without getting

off track. Occasionally, my husband takes a day off work, and we go have fun day just because
we can.
6) Flexibility allows for a yearly schedule that suits each unique family. This is one way
where our family is a bit limited right now, with one child in public school, but I love hearing
about families who school all year round, or the mom in my homeschool group who starts her
school year at the beginning of the calendar year. Some families choose to do school six days a
week, but take more frequent weeks off, while some families do school only four days each
week. There are limitless possibilities, all based on each familys particular dynamics, dads
work schedule, and so on.
How does flexibility play out in the most beneficial (or fun) way in YOUR family? Im sure there
are ways I havent thought of, so share with us in the comments!

http://heartofthematteronline.com/flexibility-one-of-joys-of-homeschooling/

Why Homeschool Your Children? Tips

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Family Fun Enhances The Homeroom Classroom

Learning Environment
The homeschool classroom filled with conversation between student and teacher
promotes a stronger, more cohesive relationship between the parent and child. This
relationship strengthens through the learning and modeling of lessons, both
celebrating success as each goal is met. As the bond grows, the foundation for open
communication, discussion and guidance is also enhanced between parent and
child. While many students initially have a difficult time adjusting to their parents
switching roles from parent to teacher, soon this transition is easily made; often
times a parent will facilitate this adjustment by allowing the child to function within
the role of the teacher and the parent adopt the role of student. Such manipulation
within the privacy, safety and security of a homeschool classroom allows silly play
between parent and child in a manner that might be socially discouraged in a public
or private classroom. The comfort level of the homeschool classroom is going to be
the direct creation of the parent and child. If your child learns best in a relaxed and
laid back environment, enhance those qualities of your educational program, if your
child is one that prefers strict schedules, guidelines and environments, center your
homeschool program on this format. The key element is that you want to build an
environment that is comfortable for the student first, then you as the teacher
second. The idea of homeschooling is to protect, guide and nurture as well as
educate your child. This too is the benefit of homeschooling, you are the director of
how your homeschool operates, make sure it is successful for you and your student.
Therefore, it is important to provide an environment designed to enhance learning.
As you create your homeschool environment, make sure that it promotes the

learning style of your children and conveys the message that this is their classroom
and their education. Remember, you are in the role of teacher, facilitator and
mentor.

Homeschooling May Be The Start Of A New

Revolution
Homeschooling has been called many different things since it experienced its rebirth
in the 1970's. Originally homeschool was done by the pioneers and settlers as they
relocated into isolated areas of the new world. In 2004 it was estimated,
conservatively, that there were over 2 million children being educated in a
homeschool environment. For anyone who thinks about, attempts or succeeds at
homeschooling their children, the first and foremost reason that they do so is to
provide the best possible education for their children. While it is true that there is
no one stereotypical homeschool family; there are those that are more committed
to the cause than others. Statistics currently identify Christians as the largest
classification of homeschooling families but the numbers do not stop there nor
should they; families seeking a better future, no matter what their religious,
cultural or social affiliation are the future of homeschooling and by working toward
a common goal the negative connotations about homeschooling will give way to
recognition for the academic success that comes from parents and child working
together in a positive learning environment. In a society that continues to draw
battle lines, promote violence and racism and work against one another, the
homeschool movement seems like a peace rally. Families gather together to
welcome one another, sharing ideas, exploring new curriculum and working in
peaceful cooperation to reach a common goal. For the children, raised watching
their parents model this peaceful and kind behavior, the future holds hope of peace
and kindness reaching from one side of the globe to the other. For children raised in
a homeschool environment, the benefits of homeschooling often include learning to
value volunteerism, generosity, kindness of character, the power of prayer and
thoughtfulness; homeschooled children learn to identify a person by their character
and keep agreements sealed with a handshake. Here, your word is all you need.

As Public Schools Lower Their Standards,

Homeschool Programs Keep Raising Theirs
The beauty of a homeschool classroom is that children are raised in an environment
that celebrates their own religious beliefs, moral structure, personal values and
lifestyle. The children benefit from a homeschool lifestyle in that they do not have
to defend their beliefs or customs, they can grow and strengthen themselves in
their own environment. If you are looking for a quality Christian homeschool
program, Sonlight Curriculum provides invaluable religious and academic
curriculum for all age levels.
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Homeschool Flexibility Promotes Academic

Growth & Accomplishment
Flexibility is a curious word when discussing family dynamics, social and educational
goals for our children. It is in discussing the issue of schedule flexibility that one
can clearly see the benefits of homeschool. For the public school child, there is little
flexibility; rather life is more often a rigid schedule that must be adhered to at all
costs. The day begins with a rush to dress, eat and prepare for school, and then it
is off to catch the bus, followed by the classroom daily schedule, which leads to the
end of the school day. As the school day winds down, it is then time for the extracurricular events such as athletics, music lessons, dance lessons, Boy Scouts, 4-H
and other social groups or programs designed to enrich the child's life. That is if
they have enough time to enjoy them. In the homeschool classroom, there is
flexibility in scheduling and in learning. The parent has the ability to shape the
learning opportunities to fit the students learning style, enhancing how the
homeschool information is presented, studied and evaluated. This allows for the
student to become totally submerged into the subject matter for however long it
takes for comprehension to occur. When the basic curriculum is personalized to the
interests and academic strengths and weaknesses of the learner, it will enhance the
overall impression that child feels when involved in academics. When the parent is
given the opportunity to teach to the child rather than a test, test anxiety is never
an issue for the child. With a personalized curriculum, the parent can research and
provide supplemental educational resources that enhance the overall success of the
entire educational process.

Using the Sonlight Curriculum To Build Family

Unity In One Another & God
As you contemplate the benefits of homeschooling your child with the Sonlight
Curriculum, a little research is all you will need to discover why this curriculum is
the most popular Christian homeschool curriculum on the market. As you preview
their Website, it is easy to understand why so many families use this literacy rich
program to education their children both religiously and academically. Parents

appreciate the enhanced family unity that naturally occurs as the doors of
communication open up between parent and child through the literary discussions
that take place between teacher and student. Children that are treated with love
and respect feel comfortable sharing their ideas, concerns and dreams openly with
those that they trust. The structure of the one-on-one homescooling environment
and the quality literary readers used in the Christian homeschooling curriculum
enhance the quality of conversation. As both student and teacher progress within
the curriculum, the conversation becomes natural and comfortable for everyone
involved. The Sonlight Curriculum is highly respected for bringing families
together and creating an academic environment that is rich in conversation. More
benefits of the Sonlight Curriculum are many valuable tools designed to increase
family unity, faith in the family unit and lessons for each member of the family unit
to rely upon another and work together to build a strong foundation in their faith in
God. The strong, easily comprehended religious curriculum strengthens the faith of
the family. Sonlight Curriculum doesn't just want to educate children, they want
to inspire children to change the world in a positive way, leaving the earth a better
place for future generations.

Children In Public Schools Experience Religious

Confusion
Religious freedom and personal morals and values are often an important part of
many homeschool classrooms. Public schools today do not allow for children to
discuss personal religious beliefs and practices. In the homeschool classroom, many
Christian homeschool curriculums, such as Sonlight Curriculum are designed with
the individual's religious beliefs in mind. Today, it is estimated that over thirty
percent of homeschool families have chosen the homeschool lifestyle because they
want their children to be raised in a religious environment, following the beliefs and
practices of their family religion. Allowing for different faiths and encouraging
children to learn from one another is a way to share in humanity. Homeschool
curriculums such as Sonlight Curriculum,offer a beneficial homeschool program
built around the Christian faith. This program provides materials that help children
to learn, understand and memorize key Bible phrases and to comprehend what the

Bible is all about. Their goal is to provide religious guidance and understanding
through the daily learning of each lesson.

No Need To Hold A Race, In The Homeschool

Classroom Student Controls The Rate Of
Instruction
One of the largest benefits of homeschooling is the considerable freedom when
instructing your own child as your only student. One of the most valuable teaching
points within homeschool classrooms is the ability to slow the curriculum down
when the student becomes bogged down in a concept and cannot get past it. The
homeschool classroom is able to progress at the rate of the learner unlike the public
and private schools that move according to adopted curriculum rather than the
student. For obvious reasons, the public or private school teacher cannot, simply by
the number of students within the classroom, move at the comprehension rate of
each individual student. However, a homeschool classroom can proceed at a
personalized pace, providing support and guided teaching as needed by the student
until the concept is completely comprehended. Additionally, the teacher can
reorganize and redirect the initial subject and present it in an entirely different
manner to enhance the introduction and rebuild the foundation of initial knowledge.
It is especially true in mathematics, students require complete comprehension of
concepts in order to build and comprehend additional facts. For a student that has
fallen behind in a public school, a missed concept is a lost lesson that most likely
will negatively affect their further comprehension at a later point in their
mathematical studies. In a homeschool classroom, the feedback is immediate and
the parent, as teacher, can revisit the lesson, re-teach the subject matter and
continue to work with the concept until the student is comfortable and
comprehension has been successful.

In A Homeschool Classroom Your Child Won't

Have To Struggle To Keep Up
An advantage of the homeschool curriculum allows for considerable freedom when
instructing your own child as the sole student. One of the most valuable teaching
points within homeschool classrooms is the ability to slow the curriculum down
when the student becomes bogged down in a concept and cannot get past it. The
homeschool classroom is able to progress at the rate of the learner unlike the public
and private schools that move according to adopted curriculum rather than the
student. For obvious reasons, the public or private school teacher cannot, simply by
the number of students within the classroom, move at the comprehension rate of
each individual student. However, a homeschool classroom can proceed at a
personalized pace, providing support, guided teaching as needed by the student
until the concept is completely comprehended. Additionally, the teacher can
reorganize and redirect the initial subject and present it in an entirely different
manner to enhance the introduction and rebuild the foundation of initial knowledge.
It is especially true in mathematics, students require complete comprehension of
concepts in order to build and comprehend additional facts. For a student that has
fallen behind in a public school, a missed concept is a lost lesson that most likely
will negatively affect their further comprehension at a later point in their
mathematical studies. In a homeschool classroom, the feedback is immediate and
the parent, as teacher, can revisit the lesson, re-teach the subject matter and
continue to work with the concept until the student is comfortable and
comprehension has been successful.

Daily Schedules Not An Issue In Homeschool

Curriculum
Many families do not like to adhere to rigid time schedules imposed by the public
school timetable. For these families, the opportunity to homeschool provides a
strong benefit within their lifetyle, freedom from timeline and scheduling demands
being a strong motivator in their lives. In the homeschool classroom, the parent, as
teacher, controls the day-to-day structure of the classroom, building it to fit

successfully within the family's own personal time frame. For many this means
studies in the early morning then onto family chores and errands. For others, the
daytime hours are spent working around the home, running necessary household
and academic errands and then study time in the evening. As a homeschool
classroom, the academic timeline is absolutely at the best interest of teacher and
student in one classroom rather than an entire school district. For many families,
this individualized schedule is exactly what is needed for success. Additionally,
when working on a homeschool schedule, it is also possible to have flexible
scheduling family fields, vacations and other travel plans. Another benefit of the
homeschool program is the ability to fit in music, art, physical activity and other
extra-curricular activities. For many homeschool students, the concepts of math,
science, geography and other more concrete subjects are more easily understood
through dramatic play, artistic creativity and personal self-expression. For students
that require a more specialized educational program, homeschool provides a
successful opportunity to learn in a classroom that is molded around their own
personal learning style.

Home Makes A Very Safe Classroom

While there are many different reasons parents homeschool, it is an undeniable
benefit that children blossom under the kind of one-on-one guidance of patient and
loving instruction that can only be given by a parent. For many parents, the
financial struggles and endless pursuit of educational programs for their children by
far outweigh the alternative of public schools.

Sonlight Curriculum, A Christian Homeschool

Program Builds Family Strenth Through Quality
Academics
Sonlight Curriculum homeschool program promotes family unity and educational
discovery that is shared between parent and child along the path of daily life. The
Christian curriculum teaches parents how to effectively model for their students
that life is an ongoing educational opportunity. In the one-on-one educational

format of the Sonlight Curriculum homeschool curriculum, benefits of academic

growth and comprehension can be accomplished in less time by following their
quality program teacher guidelines. Through the benefits of the homeschool
program, r eal life extends into the homeschool classroom curriculum, further
modeling for the student that life and education is continually entwined with one
another. With this knowledge, students learn self-reliance, leaderships skills,
experience a growing strength within their confidence as a self-starter, learning to
observe the world around them and continually adjusting and growing as a part of
it. Students are given the freedom to experiment with special interests, learning as
they go along, carefully scaffolded by their parent as a teacher. In an environment
such as this, the child/parent relationship is enhanced and takes on a whole new
level into the realm of educator/pupil, each growing and learning new ways of
appreciation for one another. As the child accomplishes new tasks and received
positive and sincere support, encouragement and praise from their parent, the selfesteem of the child continues to grow, enriched the character of the child. As with
any living thing in nature, the more positive the surrounding area, the more
enhanced the growth of the organism; a child raised and educated in love will
blossom into a wonderful adult

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