by Christi DuPre

Created on: May 19, 2008

Clearly one of the many benefits of home schooling is the opportunity to teach my children at their own pace. Self-paced learning is nothing more than allowing your child to progress at a rate that corresponds to their ability, notwithstanding the grade level printed on the cover of the curriculum. Our goal is to learn and master the concepts before turning the page. I found this to be especially important in the early years when building the foundations in reading and math. As we near the completion of our ninth year of home schooling, I can identify several advantages to student-paced or self-paced learning.

SELF-CONFIDENCE
Inarguably, self-paced learning bolsters the student's self-confidence. In the areas they excel, they can sail through course work at a steady clip not being impeded by slower students. This has accounted for many home schooled students completing high school earlier than classroom schooled children. Working at a higher grade level imparts confidence in their abilities in a given discipline. On the other hand, student-paced learning can spare low self-esteem in kids that have difficulty keeping up with the average classroom rate of progress. At home, a child is not singled out as slow or special when they work at a slower rate than the so-called average. As a parent, I have no other concern or agenda than encouraging my kids to achieve their personal best. So step by step we diligently progress to mastery of the challenging areas. The result is less frustration and more confidence. They come to trust the adage that perseverance reaps rewards.

UNCOVERING TALENTS
An amazing advantage of student-paced learning is that you and your child may discover their God-given gifts at a very young age. As you observe their progress, their strengths and predilections are exposed, and you can exercise more wisdom in directing their future. As an example, my 11 year old son loathes writing but delights in building and inventing things. Since writing is not an optional skill, we had to find a way to accomplish it without tears- his and mine! Whenever possible, I attempt to weave his interests into a writing assignment. This year he drew a floor plan of the first level of our home with measured dimensions. He included a brief written description of the layout of his bedroom. In his leisure time, he has designed Lego "creations" for Lego-sponsored contests. Although he hasn't won a prize, he enjoys his talent and takes pride in building. He may go on to construct larger creations in the future!

INDEPENDENT LEARNING
This past year I have experienced a remarkable advantage to self-paced learning with my 7th grade daughter. She needs less and less of my time! As her ability to learn independently has matured, she requires less hand-holding to accomplish her tasks. I initially felt some guilt as I realized that I was no longer tutoring her, but my role had changed to "consultant". Working at her own pace gave her confidence that she knew her studies well enough to proceed independently to more difficult lessons. This is invaluable training for higher education and life in general.

Student-paced learning is a natural, more relaxed method that seamlessly meshes with home schooling. The biggest challenge is releasing yourself from the haunting mindset that you must demonstrate that your child is "the norm" for their age or grade level. I discovered that my children couldn't be pushed beyond their level of readiness without frustrating them and you. As you respond to their readiness, learning becomes much more fun and effective, and there is more time to explore their talents and interests.

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