The following is a guest post written by Christie Burnett of Childhood 101.

As an educator passionate about interest-led learning, I know that planning for and recording a child’s learning journey is about so much more than which subjects or developmental areas have been covered. Typically the exploration of a child’s area of interest will encompass multiple subject areas, some of which I am unable to even predict when I first notice the onset of a new fascination.

As a result I have always found it more helpful to brainstorm about the interest in a way which helps to set a context for the learning. This prompts me to consider the potential of the environment, literature, resources, creative expression, and even the community as learning resources.

These are the prompts I use when brainstorming the learning potential of a child’s interest. [Read more…]

One of the worst mistakes rookie homeschooling parents can make — and sometimes veteran ones do, too — is to compare their kids with another.

“Little Betsy is studying German and French and taking college-level algebra. Her vocal instructor says she has the voice of an angel.”

And while it’s wonderful for Little Betsy, it’s possible that in comparison your own little one, who is fluent in Pig Latin and loves to sing about how Batman smells, might seem less than admirable.

You may start to wonder: Is my child falling behind? Is she missing out on something? Should she be spending two hours a day on Rosetta Stone? Perhaps you’ll even begin to doubt your ability to give a decent education to your child. Don’t go there.

You will be miserable trying to live up to someone else’s expectations, and your child will be miserable forced to follow someone else’s schedule. [Read more…]