THREE REASONS WE LET YOU CHOOSE YOUR OWN BOOKS:

(1) Because God makes each student different.

A standardized curriculum falsely assumes that children themselves are standardized. In reality, however, a child may be ahead of the average in one subject and behind the average in another. This is normal. We accept that there is a range in which children learn to walk. There is a range for all subjects, at all ages, as well. Therefore, we believe that you should take the time to custom design an educational plan for your student(s). The library is a wonderful place to start (and revisit many times). Take the time to choose real and interesting books, books your kids will enjoy reading. You won’t be sorry. I recently talked with a father of two teenage boys. His younger boy voluntarily checked out Hamlet the night before. The father never told his fourteen year old he had to read it. But because he has grown up in a home where reading is a way of life, where the appetite for learning is still in place, he chose it, read it and learned. Your kids can do that, too!

(2) Because God makes each student different.

We encourage you to take the extra time to use more than one resource. There are thousands of books on every subject, and there are all sorts of wonderful ways to learn: field trips, biographies, time lines, interactive programs, web sites. The list of possibilities is nearly endless. Truly being educated is not necessarily just “passing the 12th grade.” Education is the ability to think, research, and understand the world of knowledge. If you choose a set curriculum, don’t feel “locked in.” If you find a better way to teach something, supplement. (e.g. Fractions and measurements may be best learned in the kitchen.) Let your home be a rich environment of learning opportunities; microscope in the corner, telescope on the porch, science kits in the bedroom, music, pets, (critters?), games, gardening, arts and crafts and books on every subject in every room. That way you can say at anytime, “Hmm? I don’t know. Let’s look it up!” Make learning a lifestyle of asking how, when, why, and where questions...about EVERYTHING! That way you won’t nag your children with “Get in there and finish your homework!” Instead, you’ll be their guides on a wonderful journey of lifelong interests and appetites for learning.

(3) Because God makes each student different.

You don’t have to spend a lot on books. Our experience is that the average amount parents spend on books is only about two to three hundred dollars a year per student. If we chose books for you, not only would it limit your possibilities but it would drive up the low prices for enrollment. These are the three main reasons we let you choose your own books. To understand more read A HEART FOR LEARNING, by David Parkerson and You Can’t Get an Education from School Books, by John Taylor Gatto.