Cover? Uncover?

One of the most fulfilling parts of homeschooling is covering all the material in a textbook cover-to-cover. Um, wait, that came out wrong.

One of the most fulfilling parts of homeschooling is uncovering all the hidden giftedness, potential, leanings, and natural aptitudes in my child.

It is so easy and tempting to consume ourselves with our curriculum. Have I done enough? Am I doing enough? Is this enough? Is that enough? At best, it’s an incomplete question. And short answer? No, you’re not doing enough, and that’s okay too. (You can read more about this in my blog titled, “Gasp…Gaps!”)

After all, what are we really asking anyway? At the end of the day, most of us are questioning, “Are we covering enough of the curriculum to count? Do we have to finish the book, take every quiz, every test, answer every math problem, and diagram every sentence? Are we covering enough?”

While these questions are important, and individual states vary on their academic requirements, my hunch would be that you’re not homeschooling just for the scope and sequence of each curriculum. Because that, my friend, sounds painfully boring.

If I had to venture a guess, I’d say that you, like me, value far more what we’re uncovering in our child than what we’re covering in our material.

Years ago, I began praying through these questions at the beginning of our school year:

Lord, what might we uncover about our oldest this year?

What might we uncover about our youngest this year?

What will we learn about them…

how they approach hard things, how they enjoy learning, how they are filled up?

What makes them tick? How do they respond to disappointment and confusion?

How do they see You, and how do You see them?

Oh, friend, this, this is why I homeschool...to uncover, to roll back the beauty of who He’s made.

Here are just a few things I’ve uncovered about my children that the curriculum never covered:

My oldest tackles the hardest task first. She knows her tendency is to be overwhelmed with large projects, but she’s learned how to accommodate for this by chipping away at bite-sized aspects within the assignment. She cares about a grade, but not to the detriment of her value. She’s equal parts thrilled with an A in geometry and satisfied with a C+ in biology. (I admire this quality in her!) She’s deeply analytical, has strong critical reasoning skills, and is extremely pragmatic. My oldest recognizes how to lean into her dominant areas without sacrificing her most creative energy to what she’s less apt to pursue in life. She’s realized that just because she may not understand a lesson today, doesn’t mean that she won’t understand it next week. She knows her brain is growing. She’s discovered she has a love for writing children’s fiction, and it shows!  

My youngest knocks out short tasks for a quick win before tackling larger projects. That momentum keeps her steadily engaged and moving forward. She has natural aptitudes in nearly every subject, and she often just “gets it” academically. She’s a bright kid, so we’ve had to learn how to navigate when a new concept isn’t quite clicking because she doesn’t have a lot of experience with that. To get her through that bump, she often needs a short re-set of piano or a few minutes on her rockclimbing hang-board to redirect. She has a deep interest in all things historical fiction and indigenous people. She is a praying warrior of a girl, and you’ll often (read: nearly always) hear her singing worship songs, reading Scripture aloud, or volunteering to pray for all.the.things. She sees the people and needs that others might miss. She’s very quick to forgive others and slower to show herself grace, but we’re working on that.

Friend, curriculum is important, but it’s not our master. It serves us, not the other way around. When we see tears, frustration, or confusion, that’s a sure sign it’s time to lean in and listen to what’s being uncovered. Set the curriculum aside and tend to your child’s growth point.

Homeschooling is your super power to uncover these gifts. One day after another, one foot in front of the other, and “a long obedience in the same direction.” Is it monotonous? Some days. Is it wearying? Yep, it can be. Is it worth it? You tell me. I’m praying for you, friend…all along the way.