When working on a jigsaw puzzle over the holidays, I
realized that homeschooling was a lot like assembling a puzzle. What is the
easiest way to tackle the job of assembly? The pieces are dumped on the table,
turned right-side up, and the border pieces are pulled out and used to build
the framework around the puzzle. Then, the big picture on the box is THE guide
that is used for completing the puzzle.
Most of us begin homeschooling by focusing like a laser on
each of the 1,000 tiny pieces. We get so zoomed in on the many small pieces—science,
history, geography, reading, writing, and math—that we lose sight of the big
picture. We gather a wide collection of curriculum in each of these areas,
never looking to see how they fit in the big picture.
Can you imagine trying to complete a 1,000-piece puzzle
without keeping an eye on the big picture? Every piece would be a hit-or-miss
fit with the other 999. But the big picture gives us something to measure
against, something to help guide the placement of the pieces, so we keep our
eyes on the finished product instead of on the individual pieces.
Our big picture was to raise children who were eager to
learn, self-motivated, and grounded in faith. Unit studies provided the means
to do just that, and they “fit” in with the big picture that we had in mind.
What is YOUR big picture?
Blessings,
Amanda B.
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