Keep Kids Challenged, Not Overwhelmed

Remember Goldilocks and the Three Bears? One bowl of porridge was too hot, one bowl was too cold, and finally she found the porridge that was just right. Education is like that, too! The joy of homeschooling is that you can find the perfect temperature! You can monitor and adjust, and keep kids challenged, but not overwhelmed. Remember, you want them to learn, not to be bored. Check out these news stories.

School is Too Easy

New research says that children report school is too easy. "Millions of kids simply don't find school very challenging, a new analysis of federal survey data suggests. Among the findings: 37% of fourth-graders say their math work is "often" or "always" too easy; 57% of eighth-graders say their history work is "often" or "always" too easy; 39% of 12th-graders say they rarely write about what they read in class."
Read the article in USA Today: School is too easy, students report
 
School is Too Hard 

The New York Times wonders if school is to hard, and suggests that algebra is not necessary. "It's true that students in Finland, South Korea and Canada score better on mathematics tests. But it's their perseverance, not their classroom algebra, that fits them for demanding jobs." My HomeScholar thought for the day - doesn't  algebra require perseverance? Perseverance leads to jobs. Therefore algebra leads to jobs, right?
Read the article in the New York Times: Opinion: Is Algebra Necessary?

Homeschool Can Be "Just Right"

In a Wall Street Journal article, called "My Education in Home Schooling," the author shares that she chose homeschooling because "Her academic options seemed to lie on either side of a wide chasm: a fluffy pillow on one side, a jackhammer on the other. I tried home schooling because I couldn't find a better alternative." I like her take on the socialization issue. "Homo sapiens have walked the Earth for at least 130,000 years and, in this time, they learned to be human from their elders, not from their peers"
Read the article in ThWall Street Journal: My Education in Home Schooling 

My best advice: keep kids challenged, but not overwhelmed. You want them to learn, not to be bored.

How do you keep your kids challenged but not overwhelmed in your homeschool? Please share!



Please note: This post was originally published in November 2012 and has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.