Comments on: Curing Scope and Sequence Syndrome http://fivejs.com/curing-scope-and-sequence-syndrome/ A Homeschooling Mom Striving to Raise Lifelong Learners Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:28:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jolyn@Budgets are the New Black http://fivejs.com/curing-scope-and-sequence-syndrome/comment-page-1/#comment-3713 Jolyn@Budgets are the New Black Sat, 19 Jun 2010 00:04:11 +0000 http://fivejs.com/?p=3367#comment-3713 Wow, am I glad to read this. I am still researching homeschooling, which I hope to start after we move to a different state in about six months; I'm keeping my kids in their public school status quo until then. I just visited with a very experienced homeschooling mom last weekend who, I could tell, followed a very traditional method. She actually recommended the Scope and Sequence for me to start out so I'd "know" I was covering everything. I did recognize after our conversation that I will not follow such a strict traditional methodology that she does. But I left there and since then I have felt more discouraged about the whole homeschooling idea, and I wasn't really sure why. Now I know! Homeschooling seems to be so much about following your instincts and questioning and sticking with your values. I need to gain confidence and not measure myself against other homeschoolers, but rather, against my own values and the answer I give to the question, "Why am I homeschooling?" (I came here from, "So You're Thinking About Homeschooling?" What a timely post!) Wow, am I glad to read this. I am still researching homeschooling, which I hope to start after we move to a different state in about six months; I'm keeping my kids in their public school status quo until then. I just visited with a very experienced homeschooling mom last weekend who, I could tell, followed a very traditional method. She actually recommended the Scope and Sequence for me to start out so I'd "know" I was covering everything. I did recognize after our conversation that I will not follow such a strict traditional methodology that she does. But I left there and since then I have felt more discouraged about the whole homeschooling idea, and I wasn't really sure why. Now I know! Homeschooling seems to be so much about following your instincts and questioning and sticking with your values. I need to gain confidence and not measure myself against other homeschoolers, but rather, against my own values and the answer I give to the question, "Why am I homeschooling?"

(I came here from, "So You're Thinking About Homeschooling?" What a timely post!)

]]> By: Jennifer http://fivejs.com/curing-scope-and-sequence-syndrome/comment-page-1/#comment-3708 Jennifer Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:29:18 +0000 http://fivejs.com/?p=3367#comment-3708 Your article took the words from my mouth and purpose from my heart! :) My daughter just turned 5 (May 2010) and I am confident that my instincts on how and what to teach will be more than adequate for shaping her into a remarkable, Christ-like person; only by God's grace, of course. I have not "pressured her to learn with strict standards of achievement", but because I have lovingly nurtured her desire to learn, she has been reading for a whole year, writing well, and can count to 100. My mom refers to her as an encyclopedia; always teaching her something new. :) Funny, that's what I call my husband. ;) To us, the most important aspect of homeschooling is building character in our child. She is developing a servant's heart and learning the value of self-control. I don't think it's important that we compare and I don't think young children need to be pressured to learn certain things or be ahead of their public school peers. However, advanced learning is typical with homeschooling. Anyway, I am very excited about homeschooling as I see it as a family journey. I really do believe I am doing what's best for my daughter AND family. Your article took the words from my mouth and purpose from my heart! :) My daughter just turned 5 (May 2010) and I am confident that my instincts on how and what to teach will be more than adequate for shaping her into a remarkable, Christ-like person; only by God's grace, of course.

I have not "pressured her to learn with strict standards of achievement", but because I have lovingly nurtured her desire to learn, she has been reading for a whole year, writing well, and can count to 100. My mom refers to her as an encyclopedia; always teaching her something new. :) Funny, that's what I call my husband. ;) To us, the most important aspect of homeschooling is building character in our child. She is developing a servant's heart and learning the value of self-control.

I don't think it's important that we compare and I don't think young children need to be pressured to learn certain things or be ahead of their public school peers. However, advanced learning is typical with homeschooling. Anyway, I am very excited about homeschooling as I see it as a family journey. I really do believe I am doing what's best for my daughter AND family.

]]> By: Dawn http://fivejs.com/curing-scope-and-sequence-syndrome/comment-page-1/#comment-2874 Dawn Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:17:49 +0000 http://fivejs.com/?p=3367#comment-2874 Yes! Amen! We become much wiser homeschool moms when we figure out that we DON'T have to check off every skill on someone else's list in order for our children to 'be educated'. Education happens everywhere. We have to look at OUR children, decide what we want them to eventually be able to be, do, say, and then teach to that. If they can read, write, and do math, everything else will fall into place. History and sciences can be taught dozens of different ways with hundreds of differing scopes and sequences. I know that the day this realization hit me, it was as if I had--literally-- been hit upside the head! It's your school and these are YOUR kids. If we were meant to check off boxes, these kids would also come with instruction manuals for raising them. Since they don't, we get to actually think about THEM when we decide what we're going to teach when. And isn't the the most important part of homeschooling? .-= Dawn´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/5KidsAndADog/~3/m1vFdSf-tSI/" rel="nofollow">B90Days: The Home Stretch in the OT</a> =-. Yes! Amen! We become much wiser homeschool moms when we figure out that we DON'T have to check off every skill on someone else's list in order for our children to 'be educated'. Education happens everywhere. We have to look at OUR children, decide what we want them to eventually be able to be, do, say, and then teach to that. If they can read, write, and do math, everything else will fall into place. History and sciences can be taught dozens of different ways with hundreds of differing scopes and sequences. I know that the day this realization hit me, it was as if I had–literally– been hit upside the head! It's your school and these are YOUR kids. If we were meant to check off boxes, these kids would also come with instruction manuals for raising them. Since they don't, we get to actually think about THEM when we decide what we're going to teach when. And isn't the the most important part of homeschooling?
.-= Dawn´s last blog ..B90Days: The Home Stretch in the OT =-.

]]> By: joyfulmiller http://fivejs.com/curing-scope-and-sequence-syndrome/comment-page-1/#comment-2784 joyfulmiller Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:16:50 +0000 http://fivejs.com/?p=3367#comment-2784 <a href="#comment-2783" rel="nofollow">@Kati Wilson</a>, I'm so glad that it's a help to you. :) @Kati Wilson, I'm so glad that it's a help to you. :)

]]> By: Kati Wilson http://fivejs.com/curing-scope-and-sequence-syndrome/comment-page-1/#comment-2783 Kati Wilson Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:04:20 +0000 http://fivejs.com/?p=3367#comment-2783 My girlfriend sent me your link, and I just have to tell you, you have blessed me today!!! I'm also in my 4th year of hs ,and love it w/a passion, but that little voice creeps in my head (about this time of year :) filling me w/self doubt. "But what are their frinds doing at their fancy pants private school over there?!"... So I sat down and typed out our HS mission statement, and was very pleased w/myself. Along the same lines of this amazing post...but I still couldn't shake the 'standards' self doubt. So thank you, fromthe bottom of my heart, for the confirmation I've received today from your article!! I'm going to forward it all of my precious hs friends, and then print it and hang it on my wall!!! My girlfriend sent me your link, and I just have to tell you, you have blessed me today!!! I'm also in my 4th year of hs ,and love it w/a passion, but that little voice creeps in my head (about this time of year :) filling me w/self doubt. "But what are their frinds doing at their fancy pants private school over there?!"… So I sat down and typed out our HS mission statement, and was very pleased w/myself. Along the same lines of this amazing post…but I still couldn't shake the 'standards' self doubt. So thank you, fromthe bottom of my heart, for the confirmation I've received today from your article!! I'm going to forward it all of my precious hs friends, and then print it and hang it on my wall!!!

]]> By: Julie http://fivejs.com/curing-scope-and-sequence-syndrome/comment-page-1/#comment-2755 Julie Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:57:28 +0000 http://fivejs.com/?p=3367#comment-2755 Thanks, Joy! I needed that! Thanks, Joy! I needed that!

]]> By: Cindy http://fivejs.com/curing-scope-and-sequence-syndrome/comment-page-1/#comment-2031 Cindy Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:29:29 +0000 http://fivejs.com/?p=3367#comment-2031 As a newly minted homeschooling mom of 7 weeks, this was SO timely for me and I am glad I found your post. i have been struggling for weeks to LET GO of scope and sequence and "teaching to the test" yet have felt guilty, as if my son will fall behind. Behind WHAT??? Some arbitrarily established skill set that some stranger created that is meaningless? As my husband and I tackle the big picture thinking of homeschooling and what it means for us, we really and truly want to throw away SAT worries and state testing concerns and just teach! I want my children to understand the larger ramifications and causes of the great wars, to see history in context and in order, to study the sciences they will encounter in everyday life...not to waste time memorizing dates and classifications which will never be recalled in adult life. Thanks so much, you just might have given me permission to take off and soar! As a newly minted homeschooling mom of 7 weeks, this was SO timely for me and I am glad I found your post. i have been struggling for weeks to LET GO of scope and sequence and "teaching to the test" yet have felt guilty, as if my son will fall behind. Behind WHAT??? Some arbitrarily established skill set that some stranger created that is meaningless? As my husband and I tackle the big picture thinking of homeschooling and what it means for us, we really and truly want to throw away SAT worries and state testing concerns and just teach! I want my children to understand the larger ramifications and causes of the great wars, to see history in context and in order, to study the sciences they will encounter in everyday life…not to waste time memorizing dates and classifications which will never be recalled in adult life.

Thanks so much, you just might have given me permission to take off and soar!

]]> By: Earnest Mom says, “Does Egypt sound rigorous enough to you?” » Smrt Lernins http://fivejs.com/curing-scope-and-sequence-syndrome/comment-page-1/#comment-2030 Earnest Mom says, “Does Egypt sound rigorous enough to you?” » Smrt Lernins Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:03:40 +0000 http://fivejs.com/?p=3367#comment-2030 [...] it’s not, however, I’m not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to planning, at least. I’ll just build a better scope and sequence. It’ll [...] [...] it's not, however, I'm not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to planning, at least. I'll just build a better scope and sequence. It'll [...]

]]> By: Noteworthy Links: Home Renovation Edition | Life Nurturing Education http://fivejs.com/curing-scope-and-sequence-syndrome/comment-page-1/#comment-2028 Noteworthy Links: Home Renovation Edition | Life Nurturing Education Sat, 25 Jul 2009 04:19:54 +0000 http://fivejs.com/?p=3367#comment-2028 [...] Take a look at the big picture-  Curing Scope and Sequence Syndrome [...] [...] Take a look at the big picture-  Curing Scope and Sequence Syndrome [...]

]]> By: Jimmie http://fivejs.com/curing-scope-and-sequence-syndrome/comment-page-1/#comment-2029 Jimmie Sun, 19 Jul 2009 07:20:58 +0000 http://fivejs.com/?p=3367#comment-2029 You are absolutely right about S&S not lining up. They can vary A LOT! I do find them helpful for some areas (math particularly since it's my personal weakness) to see if there are any huge topics I'm omitting. But generally I'm like you. I know where I want to go, and I head towards it. Your post is very, very well spoken, and I'm going to bookmark it! .-= Jimmie´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JimmiesCollage/~3/AgLEQZHIJL8/" rel="nofollow">Sale at Knowledge Box Central</a> =-. You are absolutely right about S&S not lining up. They can vary A LOT! I do find them helpful for some areas (math particularly since it's my personal weakness) to see if there are any huge topics I'm omitting. But generally I'm like you. I know where I want to go, and I head towards it. Your post is very, very well spoken, and I'm going to bookmark it!
.-= Jimmie´s last blog ..Sale at Knowledge Box Central =-.

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