Time on Task

A few weeks ago, the local public and many of the private schools were closed due to broken water mains around the city. The crisis hit during the day on a Monday, and with no running water (or flushing toilets) it’s easy to understand why administrators found it impossible to house children all day for the rest of the week.

Now the schools are scrambling to figure out how to make up lost days. Good old homeschool, however, never missed a beat. As the water pressure fell, the kids just filled the bathtubs with water and we were good to go for sanitation purposes. That was quite an educational experience in itself. Not to be crass, but bucket-flushing is the height of luxury in many parts of the world (and in our case, preferable to the alternative).

Something similar happened after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Though we’re hundreds of miles inland, our home was without power for a week. Thankfully, after two days electricity was restored at my husband’s office and we camped out there and kept plugging away at the academics.

Just another illustration of how homeschooling holds the advantage when it comes to student time-on-task. Even under ordinary circumstances, at home no time is wasted in taking roll, collecting lunch money, or ferrying a classroom of students to recess, lunch, or various other activities. When students complete one subject they are free to move on to the next, not tied to an artificial “time period” for math, reading, or history. Nor is it necessary to race to another topic when the student a) is intellectually stimulated and wants to continue pursuing the current one or b) needs additional explanation and practice.

Whether your student falls in the “gifted” or “special needs” category, or somewhere in between, whether he is an analytical or kinesthetic learner, homeschooling affords more opportunities for meaningful learning experiences. It provides the perfect environment for mastery learning, where the student doesn’t move on to a new concept before gaining proficiency in the initial one—a benefit rarely available in traditional classrooms. At the same time, we have the flexibility to incorporate field trips, museum exhibits, fine arts opportunities, and other extras that enhance our curriculum.

For the homeschooler, minor illnesses are no impediment to completing assignments (perhaps to the dismay of our students). But around here we still take snow days when we can. In our climate, “snow” may mean a temporary flurry—we still suspend classes to enjoy the rare appearance of the white stuff.

Like the motto attributed to the U.S. Postal service, “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” keeps us from an excellent education!