Wonderfully Made!

As our daughter finishes up her second grade year, I begin to stress and worry about next year.  In Pennsylvania, elementary students are tested in 3rd and 5th grade against state standards.

Other moms tell me their 1st graders don't get recess because they've got to hit the books.  Second graders are made to learn learn learn at school, and then finish up the day with an hour of homework.  I began to wonder if I wasn't cramming enough into our daughter's head here at home.

Homeschoolers tend to be more easygoing when it comes to school workloads.  We favor play and reading over boring, repetitive, or forced learning any day.  But I wonder if what I am doing is enough.  She really hates writing and that is something I know her peers do all day long.  They're good at it.  They can whip out sentences and paragraphs like nobody's business.  Spelling words?  No problem.  They've been at it since first grade.  They're professionals.

And then they come again.

Those nagging questions:  Am I doing enough?  Am I doing this right?  Am I helping or hurting her for the future?

So I picked up What Your Child Needs to Know When and ran across this story today.  Originially, I pulled this from the shelf to read over the checklist of requirements for each subject in second grade.  Instead, I flipped the book open to the FAQ page.  It was just what I needed!  If you are wondering if you're doing the whole "school thing" right with your child, it may be helpful to you, too. 

Here it is:

"I know of a child who has struggled through spelling for many years.  He doesn't get a grade.  He and his mother both understand that spelling is a problem area, and continually work on it.  What is the alternative?  Should she give him an F and put him in public school?  Should she keep him in the eighth grade for five years, giving D's in spelling?  This boy is so busy building and repairing computers, he hasn't had much time to work on spelling.  By the way, who made these standards anyway?  I wonder if they can put a computer together?  Sometimes, it is OK for the duck to be an average runner, especially if he loves to swim.  God made him that way."

After elementary and middle school, high school and college, what do we end up doing?

After years of being made to learn the "core" elements of education, getting "well-rounded," we pursue what we are interested in.  We are happiest as adults when we do what we love.  Why should we put pressure on our kids to stress and strain over something that they might not use in the future?

An engineer-minded student might flop cooking class, but they can design a better oven.
A language-oriented student might bomb algebra, but they can write a fantastic novel.
A child who struggles all through school might end up being the next Albert Einstein.

I think I need to calm down with these worries and remember what is most important.

This goes for homeschool parents, public school parents - any and all parents.

God designed your child in a wonderfully specific way with unique talents and abilities.

As parents, we need to help our children discover their talents, like a gem dug out of the dark earth, then clean it and polish it until it shines.  Your child may end up dazzling the world!

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Gemstone image by Shari Weinsheimer. 
Diamond image by zcool.com.cn