Let’s put it on the table once again. Repeat after me and say it loudly, “There will always be gaps.”
- If you use textbooks, there will be gaps.
- If you use a living books approach, there will be gaps.
- If you unschool, there will be gaps.
- If you you choose a new curriculum each year, there will certainly be gaps.
- Even if you use the same curriculum from K to 12, there will still be gaps.
We are human and fallible. This world is fallen. There will always be gaps in our learning.
To think that public school, or textbooks, or a pre-packaged curriculum or whatever is going to magically erase gaps is not realistic.
The fear of gaps is something that holds us back as homeschooling moms. Obviously we want a thorough study of a subject. And sometimes the gaps are critical. We must stop and fill them in.
But don’t let the fear of gaps control your choice of curriculum or method. If you believe in a Charlotte Mason education, go for it full force. Look the Big Bad Gaps in the face and laugh at them.
We know you’re there, Big Bag Gaps. And we’re not afraid. Because this whole life is a learning journey and I am not my child’s only teacher. Education does not stop with me. I have the privilege of laying a foundation that will be built on as long as these children are alive.
How concerned are you about gaps? What do you do to avoid gaps? Or how to you handle the fear of gaps?
I have to choose to ignore the gaps and concentrate on the goodness that I am teaching my daughter. Thanks for this post! It uplifted me. 🙂
Amber, so glad to have uplifted you!
Hi Jimmie,
Thanks for the reminder! I love Charlotte Mason, but I still cannot plunge into her methods fully, especially in the area of maths. I would love to, but with five children I just need to know they are learning all the major concepts systematically. In this day and age it is so important that our children are prepared to earn a living, and I believe education is an important tool. Having said that I KNOW that Charlotte’s ideal of a liberal arts eductaion is SO valuable, and I am so pleased to be able to share art, music, living books, nature study etc with my children – I believe many of these things are BIG gaps in our public schools!
Yes, the arts are a big gap in PS. You do such a great job teaching those, Rachael!
Agreed!
PS leaves gaps too. But they are gaps I’m not okay with. At least by homeschooling, I know the things I think are important will not fall through the cracks.
A great distinction, Sonita. Gaps we are okay with and others we are NOT okay with.
Jimmie, I love this: “Because this whole life is a learning journey and I am not my child’s only teacher.”
Even as a professional teacher, I could never complete everything I had planned for the year. Life sometimes got in the way of my plans and there would still be gaps!
Teaching my 3 daughters also means that sometimes one child may not get the “full and complete version” for that year – we simply cannot do it all!
Here’s to laying the best foundation – to foster the love to learn and the joy of a lifelong education!
Yes, Nadene. Very true. And there is always the conflict with volume versus depth (cover a lot very briefly or cover little indepth).
Thank you for this! I have been telling everyone that for a long time. Funny…I was just writing something about for an article. LOL. However, you did a splendid job, maybe I can let it rest. lol.
You should still write it. The message needs to get out there.
I went to public school and college and yet still feel like my education is full of gaps. When I struggle with thinking my kids aren’t getting enough or we aren’t covering enough I have to remind myself that they love learning things and they will fill in the gaps when they are ready. I am just giving them the tools.
Seastar, Oh absolutely. Me too. Gaps galore.
I once read that homeschooling is like weaving a hammock. There are plenty of gaps in a hammock’s constructions, but you make sure the frame of the hammock you are weaving is strong and sturdy and it can hold quite a load. The users of the hammocks can fill the gaps during a lifetime of use. Give those kids a sturdy framework for life. They will fill in the gaps thru their lifetime of learning.
Jen, the hammock is an EXCELLENT illustration. THANKS!
Thank you! I’m struggling those gaps, thanks for those encouraged words. Big hug!
Ching, Yeah!
Hi Jimmie!
Great post! I haven’t met a homeschooler yet who hasn’t had at least a mild concern about ” the dreaded gaps” in a homeschool education. What helped me relax and let go of the idea of ” gaps” was when I realized that we all have gaps.. young and old. I don’t know algebra…but my husband does, I’m not great with remembering dates or names, but I’m great at visualizing things and grasping concepts. Children are no different. I tell mine.. We know what we know and that goes for each and every one of us… young, old and in between through out our entire life. To me, what’s more important is that when a time comes that our children ” NEED” to know something, they have the skills to find the information. That’s a life long skill and one we use every day!
Great post!
Deb
Deb, your insights are wonderful for relieving the gap-itis so many feel. Thanks for sharing that perspective.
EXCELLENT POST! I think the goal is to help our children love to learn and know how to find the info they need at any given time. That way the gaps don’t matter. They can get it when they need it.
Blessings,
Dawn
I love Sonita’s answer.
Everyone, everywhere, at every age has gaps. I want my children to receive a splendid education BUT filling in every gap is not at the top of my list. It’s about priorities. I spend the most time on the things that matter most. And do my best with the rest.
We’re also Charlotte Mason-ers (Charlotte Mason-ians?) but I add in my own mix as well. We use Teaching Textbooks for math, and my grandfather teaches Spanish.
I also pray a lot that what they will need to know, will stick!
Wendy, I admit I’ve never thought to pray for “what they will need to know, [to] stick.” Food for thought there.
Yes! There will be gaps.
It is impossible to know everything in twelve-ish years.
It is possible to foster a love of learning and to put together a nice overview of the ideas that exist. It is possible to learn to recognize ideas of merit and beauty. It is possible to begin to learn what is worth learning.
I pray that my children will learn what they need to learn when they need to learn it. God knows their future needs and He will insure that the gaps are filled beautifully.
Susan, eloquently expressed. Wow, I have some seriously smart readers!
Hey Jimmie,
You’re right about the inevitability of there being gaps, we are human and fallible. I guess I am trying to avoid gaps and maths comes to mind first. I do the readiness tests to see whether dc knows enough to do a level and then I don’t just progress onto the next grade just because he’s at the appropriate age. mmmmmmm hard one. I don’t talk much about it to anyone and most don’t ask, phew! heeeheee We keep pluggin away. As I learn more it becomes more enjoyable for my children!!So I try hard to relax about it.
I understand where you’re coming from, Renelle. My example of filling up a gap was with math too. I think that letting the fear of gaps paralyze us is what I’m against. Providing a rich and comprehensive education is wonderful.
To be honest, I have felt this pressure from time to time. But, really, I experienced SO many gaps in my public school learning that I am not all that concerned about the gaps that I KNOW will be in my children’s education. I think I’m more concerned about spiritual and social issues that we need to discuss. We’ve recently started the Pledge of Allegiance, flag and all, every morning, followed by a short prayer for all homeschoolers, children, our government, whatever the Lord leads me to pray. The kids look forward to this time. I started this when I realized that my younger two kids didn’t know the Pledge and I thought it was important, for many reasons. It’s part of being American. We also have lots of discussions about the Bible, God, our faith, etc., and these, to me, are more important than anything. As far as subjects, I know we can only do so much and if I teach them how to learn and how to find out something, then they are ready to learn what they need to, when they need to, later in life.
Isn’t it a shame that homeschool moms feel this pressure – I mean, do paid teachers in institutions feel this way? Just a thought.
The Pledge is important. It’s something that we need to review. When Sprite tries to recite it, she tends to mix it up with The Lord’s Prayer! 🙂
hah! I laugh in the face of gaps! If I were afraid of gaps where would I be? there are thousands of millions of gaps in my own education that I’m having the time of my life filling in…
I can NEVER know everything about everything (as much as I wish I could) nor can I retain everything I’ve ever learned. it would be amazing to think I could expect the same from my kids! so.
here we ARE all living. learning. and LOVING every minute. free of the fear of gaps! 😉
amy in peru
fisheracademy.blogspot.com
Amy, wise words, my friend. Wise words.
I get myself hung up on gaps from time to time. I then slap myself around and remind myself to look at the Big Picture.
I have a kid in college and one almost in college. I am amazed that I can survive in this world for the number of gaping gaps in my own education! Having our older kids has humbled me. I am reminded daily of my gaps. Thank goodness my gaps are not their gaps. We find a balance and I’m guessing that’s how it works on a broader level beyond our family.
I’m just relieved that they know how to research what they missed and can fill in their gaps if they need to do so.
Jimmie, you are always finding the most relevant topics! Thank you!
Now excuse me while I go slap myself around and get back to moving forward with history (it is so easy for me to get us stuck learning ALL there is about one little thing!).
One in college and one in high school? What a success story. We are all prone to an attack of the gaps. Keep fighting them, Melanie!
I think the skill of teaching our kids to teach themselves is the most important thing! Then they can fill the gaps they discover as they’ll have the mental “tools”.
Rachel, I love what you said because I’m such a great believer in teaching HOW to learn/think.
What´s life, friend, but a continuous filling the gaps that all of the sudden come to mock us in our face? Plus a gap that lies unnoticed it is as a scream in the middle of an empty forest at night…maybe it exists, but who cares? If it bothers you, slap it, reduce it to a minimum, if it does not, it can´t be that bad.
Good attitude, Silvia. Gaps cause too much fear in homeschool moms. It shouldn’t be that way.
I’m not a big worrier about gaps. I find that I’m filling in many of my gaps by teaching her. Sometimes I’m really shocked at the half-truths that I was taught during my education. (And that I passed on as a PS teacher.) So I’m feeling pretty good about my daughter’s education after comparing it to mine. Plus, she’s learning how to fill in her own gaps. If she runs across something that she doesn’t know, she knows how to find out. I guess her gaps are a good learning opportunity. =o)
Good point. So the gaps we leave in our own kids, they will have to fill up by teaching their children down the line. Love it.
Great post!!! Amen!!! 😀
I think attempting to close the distance between those gaps is all we can do concerning gaps. It’s a matter of degree. We all have gaps; we just don’t want large ones that affect our ability to achieve or think, or are too large to bridge.
I agree! Instilling a love of learning and good character seem more important in the grand scheme of things. A love of learning will fill any gaps later in life – they’ll seek out the knowledge. I know I have…learning has been an ongoing process.
A well written comment, Alexandra. Thanks for sharing that.
We feel similar, Jimmie. I wrote a post with my thoughts about this a few years ago: http://www.walkingbytheway.com/blog/?p=657
Karen Andreola wrote about gaps in one of her parents review magazines and it is a great picture…Imagine a hammock though full of gaps there are tie points creating a mesh which uphold the person as he lies in it. The gaps do not inhibit the use of the hammock like they do not inhibit us in our lives. They are actually signature points to our uniquenesses. The gaps or tie points are who we are and what God is making us. Charlotte Mason was very much an advocate of letting the child tell us their destiny by making these choices. She had high respect for the child as an individual. Our experiences, interests, limitations, talents and blessings all contribute. Welcome gaps and welcome the emerging person God is developing. I love them!
I really like the hammock analogy, too.
No one can teach EVERYTHING to saturation point. We can only enable our children with the foundations, and then they can build up their skills and knowledge with their love of learning.