This law of motion works in schooling as well. Instead of trying to push the daughter into the next chapter in her math text, pull her in. Create interest and go before her.

What if the next chapter is on fractions? How would your son react if you got out the measuring cups and announced that you were going to make homemade pizza for math...and lunch! When the pizza is done, you can cut it into ½, ¼, and then 1/8.

My youngest daughter has difficulty getting started in the morning. I pull her into her school day by starting with her favorite activity, a science experiment. Then it's an easy transition to the rest of her schoolwork.

With a little imagination, you can lead your children into a host of experiences that will motivate, inspire, and pull them up the ramp of learning new things.

It is Easy-er to Trust than to Tense

I went to college to be a teacher. I attended many classes on the way children learn, the development of the brain, and methods assured to cement certain concepts within. But, I've learned much more about teaching by teaching. Most of what I know about children, I've learned from children, not from classes and textbooks. I've read scores of books on homeschooling (and I hope to write one in the near future), but most of what I know I've learned from my kids.

To me, a complete, well-rounded education comes from experiences, from making mistakes and royal blunders, from crises and triumphs. God may not have His scope and sequence in chart form so I can check it off every day, but I can trust that He has one. I can trust that God is the Master Teacher and that we are right on track, fixed on His promises, walking in His ways.

I DO use curriculum and textbooks, but I do not trust in them. I DO define goals for my children, but I commit them to the Lord and do not despair if we get off track of MY plans.

My son didn't read until he was in fifth grade. When he was in ninth grade, he was many years behind grade level and I was told to prepare him for the work world because he wasn't college material. Instead, my son graduated from high school a year early, was accepted into college, received an academic scholarship, earned 42 credits in his freshman year of college while working 30 hours a week, and received over a 3.5 GPA! This is not bragging (well, it is a little) but more, it shows the mighty hand of an all-powerful, all-sufficient, all-gracious God in Heaven who knew exactly what He was doing with my late bloomer!

Once in a while, we need to give a concept to God and let Him spin it around for us. God can inspire us to mentor our children instead of feeling like we have nothing to offer them if we are not masters ourselves.  He can enable us to entice them to learning new concepts instead of forcing them to sit their tails in a chair and get cranking.  And He can secure us in His wonderful promises and awesome will and make us a part of His purpose for our children. When we realize that it is possible to find easy-er ways to home educate our children, we will soon be experiencing the joy of the journey. 

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Lori M. Henry is married to a very supportive husband and is mom to three terrific teenagers. She has homeschooled her children since kindergarten and graduated her eldest in May 2004. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education and has taught in many settings from public and private school classrooms, to homeschool co-ops, to one-on-one instruction at home. You can reach Lori at realmom007@yahoo.com.