Homeschool Curriculum Blog Online Learning for PreK-8th

I’ve obviously been using the Time4Learning curriculum too long.  It has made me a Time4Learning snob, I’m afraid.  I was talking to a friend whose child is in public school the other day, and we were discussing some troubles her son was having in his fourth grade class.

My friend’s son has always been very good in math.  His teacher is even giving him accelerated work because he has mastered his daily work so easily.  But in language arts, he is really struggling.  Reading comprehension is especially difficult for him.

In hopes of being helpful to my friend, I blurted it out before I even thought it through: "Can’t your son just take third grade language arts until he catches up?"

My friend looked at me like I had really lost it this time.  I had to backtrack for a good five minutes and explain how the homeschool curriculum we use allows for flexibility in levels of learning.  I explained that in the homeschool world, grade level isn’t as important as individual achievement. 

I’m so thankful that there is a curriculum that allows for the strengths and weaknesses of each child, and doesn’t punish for working at different rates and levels, but instead supports them in mastering subjects at their own pace. 

If you have a child who is working at different academic grade levels in different subjects, you might find that the Time4Learning homeschool curriculum is a perfect fit for him or her.  No one child is alike.  Fortunately, there is a curriculum that doesn’t expect them to be. 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if EVERY school were like that??

Posted under grade levels, homeschool curriculum, problems at school

I’ve been watching an interesting thread in the Time4Learning Parent’s Forum this week.  The thread is called "Accidental Homeschooler," and the parents involved in the thread have been venting about the dilemma they are faced with.

It seems that the school system their children have been enrolled in has failed them in one way or another.  Either their child wasn’t learning enough, had special needs that the school system wasn’t adequately addressing, or had grades so low it was affecting the child’s self esteem.

As a parent whose hard-earned tax-dollars are funding the schools, this can be an incredibly frustrating experience.  No one expects perfection out of the public school system, but they do expect that their child will be adequately prepared and educated.  They expect teachers and resource workers to be adaptive to children’s particular learning needs.  And they expect that when a child is failing, that every effort will be made to bring him or her back up to grade level.

When these expectations aren’t met, some parents consider a whole other alternative - - homeschooling.  These "accidental homeschoolers" had not started out with a plan to homeschool, but because of the failures of the school system,  decided to see if homeschooling would be a better choice for their child.

The parents in the forum thread I’ve been following have decided to try out the Time4learning online homeschool curriculum for their child because it better meets their child’s learning needs.  Time4Learning is:

• Standards-based
• Engaging and Interactive
• Affordable
• Easy-To-Use (especially for first time homeschoolers)
• Adaptable for use with both special needs and gifted learners

If your child’s school system is not meeting his or her needs, and you are thinking of schooling your child at home, then click here to download our free Welcome to Homeschooling guide for new homeschoolers. Who knows…maybe YOU will be the next person to join the forum thread to tell the story of how you became an "accidental homeschooler."

Posted under Homeschool, Special Needs Learning, homeschool curriculum, homeschooling manual, new homeschoolers, problems at school