Fabulous post from the author of Bravewriter- encouraging for all!

These are Julie Bogarts words, not mine, but they express so perfectly the real ‘reason’ I chose CM education over the traditional approach that I just had to share them with you all. Check out her blog at http://www.bravewriter.com for more thoughts and ideas..thanks Julie!

“Homeschool pondering: The hardest part of home education is that the primary responsible party (usually mom) doesn’t know how to measure her efforts. She grew up in school (usually) and “knows” that progress is measured in papers graded, in completion of text books, in numbers of problems and papers “turned in.”

This new way of education feels too messy or amorphous or filled with loose ends. She can’t appreciate that a long rich conversation with an 8 year old about the blue jay at the feeder is better than 3 sentences written in a work book about it. It’s hard to think that the trip to the grocery store through the Asian food section (where everyone wonders about tubers and cabbage and fish with eyes still in) is more likely to create a connection to Asia than coloring in a map of countries. It’s hard to believe that conversations over dinner about politics, values, history, and the latest movie really do teach, really do help kids form values, really do last longer in their imaginations than any set of quizzes or lecture.

Yes, you want your kids to master their math facts and to learn to spell. They will. The systems you’re using mostly work for most kids most of the time. What makes their education unique isn’t how well you systematize all the subjects into a schedule. It’s how well you share your enthusiasm for life, learning, art, literature, the power of math equations to create quilts or build forts or sell cookies, the excitement of an election year to convey the importance or politics, volunteering in your free time so that your kids learn about sharing themselves with others, and lastly, your enthusiasm **for them** – these human beings entrusted to you that you admire, respect, and for whom you hold an enormous imagination about how well they will contribute to the world as adults.

Hang in there as you are tempted to make check marks next to their accomplishments. Remember the bigger picture too.”