Why I Chose The Textbook Method - Part 1

Every now and then we all need a little inspiration to keep us going.  That's why I picked up this book this week and re-read the entire thing in one day.  

When I first began teaching my kids at home, I read everything I could get my hands on, that pertained to homeschooling.    I relied on the testimonies of those who had gone before me, to show me what to do and how to do it.  

But, over the course of 14 years, I felt like I had exhausted all the resources, read all the testimonies, knew about all the different methods and honestly, had no desire to pick up another homeschooling book.    In fact, I've gone through seasons where I was so burned out, that I didn't even bother opening up the latest issue of my favorite homeschooling magazine when it would come in the mail. 

But, this week, as I was planning for our next semester of 7th grade, I had a desire to be inspired once again.   In fact - I needed to be inspired.   It's been a long first semester.

So, when I sat down for lunch, I grabbed this book off the shelf and started reading and I'm so glad I did.

The Maxwells are advocates of textbooks; a topic which tends to split the homeschooling community, right down the middle.

Most of us, who have been doing this for any length of time, will agree that it gets confusing sometimes, on how to teach and what to use. There are way too many methods and choices, and every group has their reasons for making their decisions and it's hard to convince them otherwise.

I've been there, done that, tried everything!

But, one thing I've been consistent at realizing every year, is that I don't have time to do "it all".

As much as I would love to be back in the days where I had time to sit for hours with my little ones and read and craft and pull out all the creative stops, I'm just not there anymore.    My seasons have changed.

For many years now, I've been in more of an "administrative" season; one where I oversee the work that needs to be done, rather than doing the work with them.

That doesn't mean that I don't interact with my kids and help them when they need it.  What it does mean is that I am more of a guide/tutor that helps them understand the task before them and encourages them to work independently. 

And independent learning is a good thing.

I want Collin to know how to read instructions and follow them.   I want him to be able to sit and complete a task without someone holding his hand.   I want him to work ahead and feel good about his accomplishments.  These are positive goals to work toward.    (Of course, age is a factor to consider when teaching independence, but at every stage, there should be certain tasks that can and should be done, without mom standing right there at every moment.)

So, when choosing curriculum over the past few years, I've considered these goals and made my choices based on him working independently. 

This is where textbooks come in to the picture.  

But before you shrug this post off as one that doesn't interest you, hear me out.   There is something to be said for the method of textbooks.

First off, the textbook method doesn't have to mean that you choose a boring book, with no pictures or color, spouting off nothing but dry facts and dates.   What it does mean is a beginning and an end, put in order of events, written in small sections, that can be easily accomplished and studied.

When I first read Managers of Their Schools and the Maxwell's choice for the textbook method, I thought "how boring"!    But, as you read the book and look over their curriculum choices, you realize that they are not just advocates of the thing we call a traditional textbook, but more of the method I described above. 

For example, a workbook can be used, a computer program can be used, a manual that teaches a trade or a skill can be used.   Anything that has a beginning and an end and can be read to gain information about the subject, can be used. 

What doesn't fall into the textbook method category are curriculum choices that require mom to spend hours each day or several hours a week, planning and piecing together activities, lessons, etc. just to teach the basic subjects. 

These are the things that create burnout!

These are the things that cause others to look at all we're doing and claim "I could never do that!"  And, they're right!  The average mom doesn't have time to do all of "that".

So, as for my household and homeschool, I've had to ask myself over the years "What are my goals with having my kids at home?"    And the answers are pretty basic and probably close to most homeschooling moms:

*spend more time with my kids
*teach my kids according to God's word and standards
*protect my kids from garbage that goes on in public schools
*have the freedom to be a family without the dictation of the gov't
*manage our time according to our schedule; not a school district's schedule
  and many other reasons.

But, in order to keep my kids at home and still be a faithful "keeper of the home", I need balance.  It can't be all about school!  

As a homemaker I am also the bill payer, cook, cleaning lady, chauffeur, wife, mom, daughter, friend, woman to be used by God.    And I can't do all of that if I'm spending all day in school with the kids!

I'm just being realistic here moms.

So, if you're burned out from trying to be the super-homeschool mom and putting together a fantastic layout each year, maybe you should consider a new method.

Tune in tomorrow for Part 2 of Why I Chose The Textbook Method, where I will talk about entertainment and the detriment it's having on our kid's learning abilities. 


Thanks for stopping by!




Managers of Their Schools by Steve and Terri Maxwell, is a no-nonsense book about how to make the most out of homeschooling, using textbooks.   But, even if you're in the non-textbook category, you can still glean some great wisdom from their chapters on choosing curriculum, setting aside a day of lesson planning, scheduling, how to focus more on being at home during the day, and much more.


They share their own schedule in the back and show how it changed from year to year, as the children got older (most homeschooling moms love to look at other's schedules), and even share their curriculum choices, as well as a resource guide to some of the more popular Christian companies.