Is Your Child Ready or Is It Too Early?
Monday, May 8th, 2006By Mimi Rothschild
It is a well-known fact that children develop learning skills at different ages. Home school does not rush a child into reading, writing, and mathematics simply because he or she has reached a certain age. There is no proof that forcing early education beyond home school will result in a more intelligent child. Putting a child under pressure to perform as well as or better than his peers will only confuse and inhibit the child’s natural ability to learn. In home school, the young child can ask “why” a thousand times and receive an answer that he can relate to and understand.
Home school provides the necessary communication and interaction between a child and his environment. The young child in home school is familiar with the people around him and with the things he sees, touches, and hears. It is only in home school that his innate curiosity will best be satisfied, where he has the freedom to explore and develop at his own speed. The knowledge that he gains from home school will eventually lead to his own independent thinking and reasoning.
Home school allows the child to learn so many important things about life that may not be learned elsewhere. The child in home school develops his sensory-motor skills by taking care of plants or animals, drawing and coloring pictures, singing songs, listening to music, and playing alphabet and numbers games with other family members. Home school has a more relaxed, flexible schedule, placing less emphasis on standardized tests and worksheets that may be given too early for the child to understand.
A child receives attention, support, and encouragement in home school where his interests are recognized and appreciated for their individuality. Rote memorization simply to pass a test or make a decent homework grade rarely results in permanent retention of knowledge. The varied and interesting background he receives in home school is far more valuable than being able to meet the teachers’ pre-set lesson plans.
Parents of home school children spend quality time with them, reading and discussing books, taking them on trips to the library, visiting cultural exhibits and historic attractions, and exposing them to the wonders and natural beauty of the world. Children gain motivation and self-confidence in home school. Their home school environment encourages a positive attitude toward academics: something to be enjoyed, not feared. Only the parents of home school children will know and understand if their child is ready, or if it is too early.