{"id":994,"date":"2012-12-20T10:45:01","date_gmt":"2012-12-20T17:45:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.janice-campbell.com\/?p=994"},"modified":"2016-09-09T21:52:07","modified_gmt":"2016-09-09T21:52:07","slug":"how-to-be-a-good-quitter-in-your-homeschool-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doingwhatmatters.com\/how-to-be-a-good-quitter-in-your-homeschool-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Be a Good Homeschool Quitter: Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the last post, I talked about changes you might want to make if a book or curriculum is not developmentally appropriate or is loaded with twaddle (low-quality, low-density content). Those aren’t the only times you’d quit, supplement, or adapt a curriculum, though. If you have a gifted student or are trying to teach an auditory learner with materials for a visual learner, or teach a visual learner with materials ideally suited to the kinesthetic student, you may also want to do a bit of tweaking.<\/p>\n

The fundamental point remains that trial and error<\/strong> is part of the learning process for both you and your students. Don’t expect to get every curriculum choice right the first time. You’ll get better and better at making choices, though if you’re anything like me, it’s easy to be drawn to resources that fit your own learning style and interests rather than your student’s ;-). Being willing to set aside something when it’s not working isn’t a weakness \u2014\u00a0it’s an acknowledgement that you are the teacher, and it’s your job to help the student learn, not to check off pages in a textbook.<\/p>\n

Okay, back to the article . . .<\/p>\n

Have a gifted student? Step back.<\/h3>\n
\"Thomas<\/a>

Thomas Edison attributed his success to his mother.<\/p><\/div>\n

If you have gifted students, there is very little chance you’ll be able to stay ahead of them, especially in their areas of interest. Frankly, you don’t need to. Gifted students learn differently from others, with intuitive leaps that help them connect disparate knowledge areas.<\/p>\n

You’ll find them delving deeply into a chosen topic for a period of time, emerging saturated with deeper knowledge based on far more information than you would have ever required them to study. If you\u00a0provide books<\/strong>, resources<\/strong>, unstructured time<\/strong>, and access to learning mentors<\/strong> for\u00a0foundational skills<\/a>,\u00a0\u00a0cultural literacy basics<\/a>, and areas of special interest,\u00a0your gifted student can thrive.<\/p>\n

Can gifted students learn through ordinary textbook\/workbook curricula? They can learn a little, but holding a gifted student to the pace and structure of many programs is similar to feeding an Olympic athlete on a diet of Twinkies\u00ae and soda and expecting good results. A steady diet of canned curricula is usually a waste of the gifted student’s time and gifts; a squandering of natural curiosity; and can\u00a0provoke a gifted child (often keenly attuned to illogic or injustice) to wrath<\/a>. Ordinary texts can be part of a scope and sequence for learning or used for areas of weakness, but gifted students need a great deal more. (This is important, and there’s much more I want to say, but it will have to wait for another day, another post.)<\/p>\n

Learning style matters<\/h3>\n

Most people have a way that they most easily take in information. These natural learning styles include auditory, visual, or kinesthetic strengths. A few brief generalizations (not intended to be a comprehensive overview):<\/p>\n