Homeschooling can be so much more than the grade level expectations or standards for students. For many families using authentic learning, it becomes a way of life. I’m not saying to abandon all traditional methods, but instead to readjust your way of thinking about school. Take into consideration the analogies below.
School is like a video game of Super Mario. You must make it through each level (grade) to progress to the next. You have to battle villains (tests) along the way and beat them to continue through the level. Once a level is passed, no more thought is given to what happened in that level.
Homeschooling is still playing Super Mario, but instead of focusing on the levels, time is spent practicing and mastering the skills needed to play the game overall such as jumping, weapon usage, gameplay concepts, and time/point management. Once these are mastered, the student is able to apply them to any level in the game as well as other games (life.)
It is hard to step out of the mindset of grade levels when homeschooling. Grade levels are something in place to help the school system categorize students for the ease of teaching students at the same level. Developmentally, all students do not fit in this box of same-age, same-level teaching. You have already stepped outside of the box when deciding to homeschool. Letting go of grade level expectations and concentrating on mastery and authentic learning is like knocking down the walls of the box and letting the students create something magical like a fort, shields, a rocket, or dance floor. Use the education resources to fit your needs, don’t make your kids fit into the education box given by the school system. You never know what that box may become.
