With Homeschooling, You Set the Pace So Kids Never Have to Fail

If your child is 5 and reading at a third grade level, why would you leave her in school? She needs something more challenging.

And if your child is 5 and barely recognizing letters yet, why would you leave him in school? He needs something developmentally appropriate.

Why can't a classroom allow an individualized pace?

In a classroom, the teacher is required to try to keep all the students learning together. This means some are left behind. Not because the teacher wants to, but because the system requires that the class cover a certain amount of material within the limited number of school days.

A few students might get the extra help they need, but most will learn early on that the system can’t help them.

With homeschooling, you don't have those restrictions. You can take the time to make sure your students get the education they need. And if they need extra time to master a topic or skill, you have the opportunity to give them that time.

With homeschooling, you can make sure your children understand

With homeschooling, you can choose to grade on a pass/fail system, where you don’t allow your children to fail. If your children don’t succeed the first time they try something, that’s fine! You have learned something about how they learn, about where they are confused.

So you review, take a break, try a different approach . . . these are all gifts homeschooling parents give to their children. You have the freedom to wrestle with a subject until your children understand.

How does homeschooling let you set the pace?

Your children can race ahead in their areas of strength, and take the time they need to master the things they aren't proficient in yet. You don’t have to stop until your children understand what you’re teaching.

• If one child needs half as many math problems as the book assigns, you let that child progress quickly.
• If one child needs all the math problems and maybe a little more, you can add in the board games, or check online for creative ways to reinforce particular concepts.
• If one child understands, but grows tired quickly from the mechanics of writing, you are free to write the answers your child dictates.

You are teaching your children how to learn for the rest of their lives, so learning never stops. You can give your children a customized education that meets your children’s needs, whether they work ahead or need a little more time to grow and develop.

Don’t let your children believe—and don’t you believe!—that they aren’t learners or that they have nothing to offer the world. Homeschooling opens the doors to learning for every student.

Ready to explore the possibilities for your children’s education? Sonlight has homeschool consultants available to talk to you about the next step on your journey. Click here to schedule an appointment.