You’ve seen these before, too: oversized, paperbound booklets, that look almost like magazines, with 30-80 pages, for reading a small amount and writing the answers directly into the book. You either loved them as a child, or else not.
As a home-educating mom, you may just learn to love them the way your teacher did: they make learning, and thereby teaching, so much easier.
If you, Mom, as the teacher, must be gone, you must leave someone you trust in charge of your students.
This person may love your children to pieces, but not feel your drive to be a good teacher.
This person may be your husband or your mom, so firing is not a resort.
But workbooks may be.
Workbooks are inherently geared to any teacher, including the student, himself. He reads a little, answers a few questions geared to comprehension, and then repeats.
Because the coursework is so intensively interactive, the student learns more, faster, and retains it longer.
Because the student can feel the acceleration of his learning, he gains confidence.
Because the incremental teaching and much-needed confidence is built into the book, the teacher finds the student needs less direction.
Sounding good?
The Non-Standard Student.
Perhaps you already figured this, but if your child is not inherently gifted for student-hood, workbooks can carry him along until those long twelve years are finally over. Many children finish the day’s work by noon, and still learn enough to do well on exit tests.
It’s just easier. Not only for the student, but also for the teacher.
On the other hand, if your student is far, far ahead of his peers—or maybe even of his teachers—a curriculum that could test and place him where he belongs could be a tremendous asset, in many ways.
Home Business.
Finishing by noon makes time for a home business.
And finishing by noon, daily, is not such a stretch, you will learn.
Early Graduation.
Finishing by noon makes time for doing two day’s worth per day, which can create time for graduating and starting college earlier than you thought.
For some students, it can mean graduating at age 18 instead of 20, after all.
For others, it can mean graduation from college by age 18.
It’s a thought.
Learning Gaps.
If you are taking a child out of a collective school environment, you probably have little idea where he is in his learning or where he should be.
He may have learning gaps or even be behind the kids his age.
But with workbooks come . . . placements tests!
Placement tests are the tool that lets you know exactly which book to buy for your child, and why. You can have the confidence that comes with knowing this material is exactly the right level for your student; not too easy or too difficult.
The Unsure Beginner.
Of course, you also are unsure about what to do or how to do it.
(Don’t feel bad; most professional teachers who begin homeschooling feel the same!)
But with workbooks, the self-explanatory nature goes both ways—for the teacher and for the student. Since the workbooks do all the work, you, Mom, will have more time, more confidence, and more understanding of what your child needs.
And more time for folding laundry? Maybe?
Accuracy in Placement.
You know this equals accuracy in spending, which is so important during these times of economic chaos.
Especially if you begin in the middle of a school year, you can buy only what you need because workbooks cover only three weeks’ worth of studies.
You could never buy half of a regular text!
Is this all ringing true for you?
If so, you may need to change to workbook style curriculum. Classic types are: A.C.E. and Christian Light.
Check them out!
Still not getting it? Try unit studies!
Home's Cool! 