ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 4-YEAR-OLD?

Are you smarter than a 4-year-old ...



My mom is a teacher and she loves watching that show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" I haven't seen it yet, but maybe one day I'll have a chance to tune in.

I thought I might share with you (my family, specifically) a little about our journey through a home-centered education. And although I know there are several of you from different Continents that read my blog where this method of teaching would not be acceptable, even illegal, home-centered education is growing by leaps and bounds in the US.

Many people homeschool their children for many different reasons. That is certainly another subject for another time. And it is not a job to be taken into lightly, nor is it an easy one. I do not have a teaching degree, I am quick to get angry, I am slow to listen, I don't always eat right, and I am not a math person, I am just a sinner who falls short of the glory of God, but through Him I can do all things.

As Christians we must make God a part of our everyday experiences. You must teach your children dilgently to see God in all aspects of life, not just those that are church related. Did you know that Muslims teach their children to memorize the whole Koran? (We're talking as big as the New Testament) Why? Because religion for them is a way of life, not just something they do one day out of the week. It is what they believe and how they live.

I know what's best for my children, better than anyone else, and so does God. I know their strengths and weaknesses, their learning patterns, what makes them tick. I taught them how to walk and how to talk, and I can also teach them how to learn. Did you hear that? I can teach them how to learn. I'm not just going to teach them, but I'm going to teach them HOW TO LEARN, so one day, when they become independent thinkers and no longer need my guidance, they will continue that learning process on their own, through a Christ-centered education. And we'll do that by what is known as the lost tools of learning; in other words, a "classical education."

Throughout the year I'll walk you through what a week looks like at the Broom house, and then explain a little bit about why we do what we do so you can get a better understanding. Not everything goes perfectly every single day at our house, but I do love watching my children get excited about learning. When you finally learn all of the alphabet, read your first sentence, finally mastering a whole song on the violin, and even learning who George Washington is, it excites my children. They've accomplished something. (They get excited every time they see Washington's face on a quarter, or even hear the mention of his name. Funny!) Why? Because they now know who he is.

One year my mom taught a class, and when she asked the class who our first president of the United States was, no one in the class could answer her. And it was an advanced class. Maybe they knew and didn't feel it important to say so. I don't know the answer. But it surprises me greatly. And I think "how sad," even my four and six-year-old knows who he is.
So feel free to join us on our journey! Maybe you'll learn something you didn't know!