Back to Plan A

Getting back to homeschooling after the holidays has been painfully difficult. At first I thought it was just because of all the left over excitement, but now I'm beginning to think he is just bored with the lessons we have been doing.

It's not like we have a schedule or anything that I follow, we have always been somewhat eclectic in our approach. Until recently that is. I've been trying to follow some sort of curriculum plan. I found myself getting hung up on skills that most curriculums dictate he should practice for his grade level. What I forget sometimes is that he is already two grades ahead for his age in most areas.

I've been reading more and more about autodidact learning, child led learning, un-schooling, etc. From the time he was an infant, he has been the one directing his learning. Almost everything he now knows and has mastered are the things he showed interest in on his own. All I did was provide the resources and he dove in. I couldn't have held him back if I wanted to, he insisted on knowing!

I think it's time to try that approach again. Perhaps with a little more encouragement to try new things and a less prodding to "show me his work", we will get back on track. Something has to change because he shows very little excitement about his learning right now and I'm pulling my hair out. I need to trust my gut on this and trust my son.