Letting Go In Our Homeschool ~
Written by Jessica Waldock
As homeschooling parents, we’re used to being in control. We put lots of time and effort into choosing the right curriculum, planning lessons and field trips, and hours teaching our homeschoolers.
But what if we just let go of the reins?
What if we adopted an interest-led learning approach and let our homeschoolers take the lead? Would it really be so bad? What if we had the courage to let go in our homeschool and something amazing happened?
I’ve been letting go in our homeschool and it’s been amazing!
Keep reading to discover how we homeschooled during the early years, what I learned, and why I’m letting go in our homeschool these days.
Homeschooling In The Early Years
We had so much fun homeschooling during the preschool years! I realized early on that Emily learned best through play and adopted a play-based approach that led to hours of learning fun and connection for both of us.
I’ll never regret those early years when we focused on learning through playing together and real-world experiences.
As we began our kindergarten year, I changed my approach. I got serious about academics and was mesmerized by all the formal curriculum options. I regret all the bookwork, worksheets, and general “seriousness” of that year.
When I realized neither of us was enjoying the experience and Emily wasn’t really learning as much as I thought she would, I decided to go back to some of the things that worked for us in the beginning.
If I could give you one bit of advice about homeschooling in the early years, it would be to just let them be little.
Learning About How My Child Learns
After figuring out what didn’t work and discovering how well learning through play worked for us, I began to learn more about how Emily actually learned the best. Discovering how your child learns is a really important part of homeschooling.
Once you know what kind of learner your child is, you can tailor your homeschool lessons and resources to meet their needs.
For example, we discovered that Emily is an auditory learner. Reading books aloud to her really helps her comprehend the information and retain lessons better than she might if I just gave her a paper to read.
We also discovered that our daughter learns best when we can let go and let her lead. Encouraging her to follow her interests and passions always leads to more learning for the whole family. Plus, it’s an important part of fostering the kind of connection we want to have as a family too.
Following her passion for art and science experiments has led to hours of fun lessons and activities for her and Kevin. They have learned so much by creating and exploring together!
Following Emily’s interest in sharks led us to Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium where we saw manatees and dolphins up close on an amazing eco-boat tour we’ll never forget!That trip led us to spend an entire summer diving deep into an amazing ocean unit study too!
Letting Go In Your Homeschool
Letting go of the reins in your homeschool can be really difficult. In fact, I still question myself a lot! Sometimes I go out and buy a curriculum even when I know it won’t really work for us.
However, as time goes on, I’m learning that I really can let Emily guide our homeschool.
As Emily grows and we get further along in our homeschooling journey, I’m discovering that I can trust her more and more to lead the way. I can lean into her interests, passions, and curiosity. When I do let go, I’m always pleased with how it turns out.
We learn so much together as a family about topics and concepts that I never would have thought to explore. Plus, she’s discovering that learning is a lifelong endeavor and something she can have ownership of throughout her life.
Now that’s a valuable lesson!
If I could encourage you to take one step in your homeschool, it would be to give yourself permission to let go.
Let your student have the reins and see what happens. I promise they’ll surprise you.
Do you have a story of something positive that happened when you began to let go in your homeschool? We’d love to hear it!
What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!