Since the inception of the interwebs, viral has become a tricky word. It has its roots in things like viruses, infections, and germs. And yet, in our digital days, viral speaks more of popularity than poison. I guess we can chalk it up to our ever-evolving zeitgeist which is, unapologetically, like a virus--moving, growing, and multiplying in contagious ways.
When I started homeschooling 15 years ago, I knew about a dozen other moms who were launching too. We all had preschoolers or kindergarteners. With high hopes and big plans, we stepped into the role of homeschool mom with relative ease. Sure we were fearful. But only because we were venturing into something new and quite meaningful.
Since we were only teaching four and five-year-olds, what harm could we do? we asked ourselves.
That first year was a success for all of us. For the most part, we loved it and so did our kids. But as the years went on, I began to notice a sad trend: more and more of those original homeschool mom-friends began to bow out. One by one, they decided that homeschooling had been great in the little years, but would surely be a slog in the upper grades.
"Fun" just turns into a massive mess that I have to clean up.
I'm not very creative. I don't know how to make learning "fun."
If you've not said the previous three statements out loud, you've probably at least whispered them under your breath as you rage-cleaned glitter off the carpet, declaring that you're just not the "fun" homeschool mom and never will be.
According to a recent poll by Education Week, the number of families who choose to homeschool more than doubled in America this past fall.
With the pandemic making traditional classroom environments less-than-ideal, it's no wonder that so many parents decided to bring the learning home. Needless to say, books and blogs about homeschooling were trending on all the charts.
Boxed sets of curriculum often get a bad rap in homeschooling circles. Because of their one-size-fits-all approach to learning, they are seen as rigid and uninspiring. Veteran homeschool moms will say that the assignments often lack value and become place-fillers and busywork; that the textbooks are dry; and that the course loads are laden with the unnecessary burdens of a traditional classroom.
Moms who've been homeschooling for any length of time tend to shy away from boxed sets because they much prefer to create a tailor-made education for their child--one that will nurture curiosity, develop individual gifts, and present material in an engaging and interactive way.
