There’s something incredibly satisfying about finishing something.
The last page of the book or that final box checked. The lesson or unit completed.
Done.
What Does “Done” Actually Mean In Homeschool Learning
After more than a decade of homeschooling, I’m not sure “done” always means what we think it means.
For example, does finishing a unit study mean we:
- Completed every activity?
- Read every book?
- Answered every question?
- Covered every possible thing there is to know about the human body or the American Revolution?
Because if that’s the definition, I’m not sure we’re ever really done.
“Done” Looks Different in our Homeschools
One of the things I love most about unit studies is that they give us room to pay attention to our kids, their interests and abilities, instead of only paying attention to the plan.
Sometimes your child becomes fascinated by one tiny part of a study and wants to spend three days exploring it.
Sometimes the library book you thought would be a favorite falls completely flat.
Sometimes the hands-on project becomes the thing everyone remembers.
And sometimes we realize halfway through that our child has gotten what they needed from this study, even though there are still pages left.
Learning isn’t more meaningful simply because we finished everything we planned.
The goal isn’t to finish the unit study. The goal is to use the unit study to help your child learn.
These are two very different things.
And that little bit of white space left unchecked? It doesn’t have to mean you fell behind.
It might simply mean you knew when it was time to move on.
Let the adventure begin,
Tricia (and Amanda)