When I was a little girl, my mom tri-folded all our bath towels. So, I learned to tri-fold the towels. When I went to college, my roommate folded them into halves and quarters. I learned to fold her towels that way because she liked them that way.
Now, as an adult, I fold my towels in different ways depending on the size of the towel. My regular bath towels are bi-folded and the giant sheet towels are tri-folded. Why? Because then they both have the same flat surface and fit in my towel cabinet best.
There is a point. I promise.
Hang on, I know some of you out there are now sure I’m evil because I am folding half my towels wrong. Take a few deep breaths. It is going to be okay. You don’t have to come to see my cabinet of chaos.
So, what does this have to do with homeschooling? Giving your kids a quality education is a lot like learning to fold towels four different ways, none of which are what you learned as a child. One of the most important things you can understand is that the methods you know, that you learned as a kid, may not work for your kid. They may not work for any of your kids. Or, perhaps they will work for one kid and the others will need a different method.
Homeschooling involves learning how to teach things you thought you knew how to do, over and over. It often requires learning to do things differently because your child needs a different method.
Different Drummers, Each With Their Own Beats
This need for a different method can be for any subject area. One of my kids learned to read from early readers and another needed a step-by-step phonics approach. One of your kids might be a math whiz that does great with a standard, structured curriculum. Another might need to slow down and do some side quests in their math journey.
History and science are similar. One child responds well to co-op classes. Another does best with hands-on learning. The middle child just prefers to read the book to themselves. Those are just my kids in one subject area. The same method of instruction rarely works for all three of my kids.
Don’t Give Up!
When you feel like you just can’t figure them out, it is important to keep going. Find a side quest to go on. Explore other topics and interests and circle back to a different curriculum.
This is why homeschoolers are always looking at curriculum options with their eyes a glow. They know that the perfect curriculum for one kid, or even one school year, may not be perfect ever again.
However you fold your towels, I wish you well in your quest to homeschool!
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.