Are you homeschooling a child who would just rather not? Do you worry because they seem behind? I’ve homeschooled that child, let me give you some advice.
See all the places where learning is happening.
First, read about unschooling. This is the theory that children learn from life. They learn from things, people, and experiences. They do not require a curriculum to be learning. While I feel that there is a lot of value in using a curriculum for various educational purposes, it isn’t the be-all-end-all of education.
I know many children who developed their reading and writing skills because they were online gaming with friends and needed those skills to either game or communicate. I know several kids who read tons of books given the chance, and that time resulted in high reading scores, despite never having taken a literature course of any kind. There are tons of educational shows, games, video games, and more that kids can experience that do not feel like school.
Prioritizing having a positive experience over grades.
The problem with “school” for some kids, is that it is not designed to work the way their brains work. Many kids need to do things to learn. They need to move and experience. Getting grades and being told they are wrong is disheartening and discouraging. Not everyone wants to strive for perfection. Some kids just want to be good enough. The typical school experience doesn’t allow for that. It pushes for A’s in everything. That isn’t reasonable for everyone at every stage. This is a type of schooling you can easily ditch.
Stop giving your kids grades. Stop pointing out mistakes. If your child works every math problem wrong, you need to reteach the material. If they make a single mistake of saying 6 plus 7 is 14, just ignore it right now. Is teaching your child it is important to check their work necessary for college? Yes. So, if your child is going to start college next year, maybe do point out they made a mistake somewhere on the page (or in that problem) and make them find the mistake and fix it. But if your child has years to go before college, let it go for now. You can let their emotional well-being come ahead of being right on every problem.
For the child that doesn’t want an education, work instead of building your relationship with them first. Cook together. Take fun field trips that interest them. Go to the zoo. Play board games that require skills like reading and math. Read them bedtime stories. Don’t give up on their education, but it is okay to take a break for several months. It is okay to switch curriculums or teaching styles. There are a million ways to homeschool. If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.
About the Author
Laura Sowdon, OTR/L is an occupational therapist, writer, speaker, educator, and creator of the Five Senses Literature Lessons homeschool curriculum. She has worked as an occupational therapist with children in public and private schools, as well as private practice. Laura has taught and managed homeschool co-ops as well as homeschooling her own three children. Laura is dedicated to the idea of educating children at a pace that aligns with brain and physical development milestones and respects neurodiversity in all its forms.
