When?

When do we teach our kids certain things?

Depending on your state's home school laws, we are supposed to keep our kids parallel to their public school peers.

I've seen books and own some that 'help' us to figure out what it is that our child is supposed to learn in the ____ Grade. "What your child needs to learn...".

My state of Oklahoma wants us to follow their 'PASS' (Priority Academic Student Skills) book. Supposedly, public school students that can't complete what is in the Pass book of their current grade are supposed to be 'held back'.

I've found that one of the beauties of Home Schooling is this - when an opportunity presents itself - we don't have to let it slip away because it's not the 'right' time.

Today , while my youngest was working on a 'fun' math worksheet, I realized that this project was perfect to explain multiplication. She's in 2nd grade this year. Just so happens that the design of this worksheet allowed me to explain multiplication very easily. She was a bit resistant at first because I was adding to the instructions - she's mine therefore a bit strong willed. But she 'saw the value' of what I was teaching her and was doing multiplication (basic levels with single digits) by the time she completed the worksheet... and smiling! I went on to show her the 'finger game' of multiplying by 9's. It's cool and weird!

If you share my faith, you know what I mean when I say that I was inspired by that worksheet to introduce a higher level of math. It was the 'right' time... for her.

There are opportunities like this all the time if we will look for them. Kids need to learn when they're ready - and that's so individual for every child.

Am I proposing un-schooling or pushing them academically? No, but I do think there is a time for every season and today was the start of her Multiplication Season.

Clarifying - I won't drop her current math and jump her up a grade, but I will continue to look for ways to continue talking about multiplication.

UPDATE : She wanted me to read a bedtime story (as usual) and also brought a little fun flip book of MULTIPLICATION to bed. She's got it!