5 Goals for Homeschooling Elementary School

By Vicki Tillman on 26 June 2012 / Elementary Homeschool, News / 4 Comments

Here's our classsic post on Homeschooling Elementary School...

Homeschooling parents have the freedom to use their children's elementary years to educate a child's WHOLE being- not simply give them an academic education.

When my kids were in elementary school, these were our family's goals for homeschooling:

1) Immerse them in the faith

We read-aloud Christian-themed novels (like Frank Peretti's Cooper kids, Paul Hutchens' Sugar Creek Gang, and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia). The kids participated in Sunday School and Awana. We read children's Bibles. We talked the faith and prayed together.

2) Establish wonder

Wonder is a keystone of learning. I child who has known wonder can enjoy learning. We established wonder by seeing God's hand in nature. We hiked often and took lots of opportunities to stop and look at the shapes in the clouds, note the colors on flowers, the songs of birds. We also learned the birds in our yard (at least we learned that there ARE birds in the yard) and the types of trees in the neighborhood.

3) Develop creativity and imagination                       

C.S. Lewis said that "imagination is the organ of meaning". If children learn to creatively use their God-given imaginations, they will come to know themselves more deeply. They will also be more available to God's creative work in their own lives- they will learn to have fun, to create, to take their place in the universe.

My kids composed stories and poetry, drew and did crafts (mostly in co-op with creative moms there). They also told jokes and made up tall tales and silly songs. They learned to trust that God would give them ideas.

4) Learn perseverance

As they take on academics, my kids had to learn perseverance. It is important to learn to say, "This is hard, but I can do it." (Of course,

some days/subjects are better than others on this one- even for me. Actually, I'm still learning this one...)

5) Learn academics

Ah, the joy of the 3 Rs and unit studies of history and science. Good, good times. As much as we could, we'd have fun with it. What wasn't fun we learned to push through. What greater reward for me than to teach my own child to read and to multiply and to know our nation's history and Who made the world?

What were/are your goals for homeschooling elementary school?

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Great adventures in reading and learning for elementary-aged homeschoolers!

 

 

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