Why your choice of curriculum doesn't matter

[0 kids n not countin]

All I could think was WTF? after reading this post:

growinghomeblog.com

Why Your Curriculum Choice Might Not Matter As Much As You Think It Does

Home school conventions and curriculum fairs are full of them: stressed-out homeschooling moms in search of the "perfect" curriculum. Anxious faces suggest meandering through the crowded hallways and sifting through myriads of material is no easy task. Moms stop other moms to ask, "What curriculum do you use?", hoping to discover the link to a successful school year.

What am I really asking when I implore another homeschooling mother about her curriculum choice? Because in all honesty, the curriculum she uses with her children probably won't help me with mine.

Giving myself the benefit of the doubt, perhaps her child does learn the same way as my child. Maybe that's why I'm curious. Maybe I really am looking for the most effective way to teach my child their ABC's and 123's.

Or maybe, I'm liking the way her kids are turning out and want my kids to turn out like that too.

It's silly isn't it? That I can think the key to a successful home school lies in a brand of textbooks. It's silly that I can stress over curriculum as if my choice will make my child turn out okay. I can put more thought into how they're going to learn the comparably insignificant three R's when my focus ought to be teaching them about our ruin in Adam, redemption in Jesus, and the renewing of our hearts and lives by the Holy Spirit.

What an awful lot of unnecessary pressure we put ourselves under, when ultimately, it's the grace and power of a super-natural God that is absolutely necessary to make any home school successful!

In the end, it matters not whether Johnny learns to read. Reading won't get him into Heaven. Neither will his ability to write, compute numbers, or dissect a frog.

"If you try to give people knowledge, and you haven't trained them in character, based on faith, they will become intellectual reprobates." - Doug Phillips

In the end, what matters is my child's salvation. This is not something that can be found in a curriculum, worksheet, or activity binder. I can't give them a page of multiple choice questions and give them a passing grade. I can't do anything to make their salvation happen.

Hallelujah!

From beginning to end, salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit, applying the atonement Jesus paid for with His blood to sinners who God loved for no reason in ourselves (Hebrews 7:25).

This is what gives me hope as a home school mom. The God who can save my child is the same God who takes no delight in the death of the wicked, but desires everyone to come to repentance (Ezekiel 33:11). He is the same God who promised that those who seek Him shall find Him (Proverbs 8: 17). And these promises are certain because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrew 13:8).

Therefore, as a homeschooling mom, I ought to be pouring my energies, sweat, and tears not into curriculum, but into familiarizing my children with the Bible because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

Don't get me wrong. We ought to do due diligence in choosing curriculum that corresponds to the individual needs of our children. But if it's not working, don't sweat it. There is one thing needful in a child's education, and that is to sit at Jesus' feet (Luke 10:42).

Start your day in God's Word. Choose curriculum that is Word-centered. Pray for the salvation of your children. Present them with the Gospel as you sit in your house, walk along the road, when you tuck them in bed at night, and when you get up (Deuteronomy 5: 6,7).

Go forward and home school in hope. The salvation of your child does not hinge on your curriculum choice; it rests on the finished work of Jesus Christ who has freely offered Himself in the Gospel.

post signature

[August]

And no venn diagrams!

[ILoveJellybeans]

In the end, it matters not whether Johnny learns to read. Reading won't get him into Heaven. Neither will his ability to write, compute numbers, or dissect a frog.

If you dont care whether your child learns to read and write, you shouldnt homeschool.

The point of homeschooling a kid is that the parent teaches their child the kind of things they learn in school. If it was purely about teaching children religion, it would be homechurching.

[Koala]

Because you know, "salvation" and reading and writing are mutually exclusive. Good to know.

[OkToBeTakei]

Did she REALLY just quote Doug Philips? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[merrily]

What matters is that Johnny becomes a god fearin' patriarch who hates women, or a xenophobic Dim Bulb, or a manly man Doug Phillips, or possibly a virgin Ardt.

What matters is that Annie becomes a 'mommy' to more kids than she can handle, then have a meltdown while loading the laundry, or a 'waiting forever for prince charming' Mary, or a abolitionists.

Because in the end, they get to go to heaven!! Living an unfulfilled life is not a waste!!

....

What did you say I'm abusing my kids???

Why, you're a pro-abortion, liberal, atheist who will surely go to hell!

[formergothardite]

Did she REALLY just quote Doug Philips? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I think she did. :pink-shock:

That Easter egg of your chicken gave birth to should have hatched into a rainbow colored chick by now. :lol:

[SpeakNow]

I agree with exactly one thing: you don't need to stress too much about curriculum. I find it best to experiment until you find what works best for you (of course I'm referring to research backed curricula...not ATI and such garbage).

[Koala]

Did she REALLY just quote Doug Philips? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

He's a tool you know? :whistle:

[LadyBlue]

You know, there must be kids like me in these families. By 7 or 8, I knew religion was a crock. It made absolutely no sense to me and never has. I believed in fairies and unicorns longer than I believed in Christianity. How do kids like me (and I'm sure there probably aren't a lot, but there must be at least a couple) not go stark raving insane? I had a hard enough time coping with smiling sweetly at the b.s. of church and Sunday school once a week, I can't even imagine having to endure it day in and day out, all day long. And if they don't pretend to go along with it or let the mask slip at all, they undoubtedly get beaten/lectured/sent to indoctrination camps.

[snarkyjan]

Hey, they may be illiterate and unemployable in adulthood, but at least they'll have avoided becoming intellectual reprobates.

[Guest]

Wasn't the idea behind reformation and Protestantism that people need to read and comprehend the Bible in order to understand it and be properly saved? Wasn't Christianity and the ability for children to read the Bible one of the driving forces behind the US's public education system?

I really get annoyed when homeschooling, Quiverfull fundies don't realize that their "movement" has little to no basis in history and is realistically just a fad that has gained momentum in the last 30 years and in all likelihood, will begin to decline over the next 30 or so years, as most religious fads in the US do.

[jaelh]

Hey, they may be illiterate and unemployable in adulthood, but at least they'll have avoided becoming intellectual reprobates.

She's entirely right you know. Your curriculum choices don't matter at all, if you want to avoid raising intellectual reprobates.

If you avoid the intellectual, you're necessarily going to avoid the intellectual reprobate!

Two-for-one.

[Blahblah]

So if the kids can't read or write or add up, and have no knowledge past the "fact" that they will be "saved", then what are they expected to actually do in between birth and sitting at Jeebus' feet.

[OkToBeTakei]

So if the kids can't read or write or add up, and have no knowledge past the "fact" that they will be "saved", then what are they expected to actually do in between birth and sitting at Jeebus' feet.

Resent the fuck out of their parents.

[browngrl]

I really get annoyed when homeschooling, Quiverfull fundies don't realize that their "movement" has little to no basis in history and is realistically just a fad that has gained momentum in the last 30 years and in all likelihood, will begin to decline over the next 30 or so years, as most religious fads in the US do.

I think you are right. In fact I see the seeds for its' eventual downfall in this blog post. In 20 years her sons are going to be poorly educated (and if her son's have the self discipline to educate themselves there will surely be many other boys who aren't educated). These boys are going to have to find a way to pay for a SAHW and multiple children (in a world where other people are much better trained). Fundie girls will be ground down looking after many children with little income or they will be at the mercy of the government/friends/family for their support if they remain single. It will not be easy. Some people will crack under the pressure and leave their families or religion. Some will wake up to the fact that education matters and educate their children and a smaller group will crawl farther down the fundy hole and become yet more marginalized.

[emiliawasframed]

Wasn't the idea behind reformation and Protestantism that people need to read and comprehend the Bible in order to understand it and be properly saved? Wasn't Christianity and the ability for children to read the Bible one of the driving forces behind the US's public education system?

I really get annoyed when homeschooling, Quiverfull fundies don't realize that their "movement" has little to no basis in history and is realistically just a fad that has gained momentum in the last 30 years and in all likelihood, will begin to decline over the next 30 or so years, as most religious fads in the US do.

THIS. Context is so incredibly important for the building of actual knowledge, and these people are so incredibly presentist, despite their supposed interest in historical eras.

Also, what about worshipping God with your mind, as included in the greatest commandment (Luke 10:27)? God gave you that brain; He wants you to USE IT.

[treehugger]

What I really want to know is - how the hell is she qualified to be giving any advice about homeschooling to anyone? I mean, isn't her oldest kid like 4? I know she was homeschooled growing up - but so was I - and I would not be comfortable telling ANYONE how or how not to homeschool! I do not have the experience or qualifications. There are things I would do differently, but I have not taught any of my own kids, so why would I be dishing out advice on it? Also - it totally matters what curriculum you use. Maybe not the name - but the curriculum should include whatever subjects kids in public schools are learning and it should be a researched curriculum - not the crap that is A-beka and Wisdom Booklets. Also, definitely not the made-up shit that is anything remotely Vision-Forum related. And quoting The Tool - really?!?

[doggie]

It may not get him into heaven but its a good chance he will end up in hell even before he dies.

[refo]

What I really want to know is - how the hell is she qualified to be giving any advice about homeschooling to anyone? I mean, isn't her oldest kid like 4? I know she was homeschooled growing up - but so was I - and I would not be comfortable telling ANYONE how or how not to homeschool!

She has written elsewhere that homeschooling is a lifestyle, I think. Starts from birth, etc. So she considers herself a full fledged homeschooler even though her oldest kid is only 3.

[linnea27]

She has written elsewhere that homeschooling is a lifestyle, I think. Starts from birth, etc. So she considers herself a full fledged homeschooler even though her oldest kid is only 3.

well shucks I suppose I am a homeschooler too. My kids aren't in school (yet) and I taught them everything they know. Well, me and Dora. I'd better get right on imparting my years of homeschooling wisdom onto others too.

[uber frau]

So my baby is totally homeschooled then? I mean, he's learning to talk and eat with a fork and put wooden train tracks together. I'm an expert unschooling mum.

[Hane]

The hell of it is, she at least knows how to write well: no riffles, no grammatical errors, sound sentence structure, logical "reasoning." So her kids just might have a fighting chance in the real world.

[thoughtful]

In the end, what matters is my child's salvation. This is not something that can be found in a curriculum, worksheet, or activity binder. I can't give them a page of multiple choice questions and give them a passing grade. I can't do anything to make their salvation happen.

Hallelujah!

From beginning to end, salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit, applying the atonement Jesus paid for with His blood to sinners who God loved for no reason in ourselves (Hebrews 7:25).

So, just sit back and relax, homeschooling Moms! Let Jesus do all of the work.

Therefore, as a homeschooling mom, I ought to be pouring my energies, sweat, and tears not into curriculum, but into familiarizing my children with the Bible because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

Start your day in God's Word. Choose curriculum that is Word-centered. Pray for the salvation of your children. Present them with the Gospel as you sit in your house, walk along the road, when you tuck them in bed at night, and when you get up (Deuteronomy 5: 6,7).

Wait -- that still sounds like a lot of work!

Darn.

[hapamama]

So what math curriculum would be "Word centered"? I don't see a word problem like "How many people can you feed with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes?" working out in real life. I can't see an employer tolerating "miracle based" math.