Academic Growth in His Perfect Timing

Spring is rapidly approaching, and with it marks the downhill stretch of our school year. This is the time I struggle not to panic over what we did not get done.

Every fall I have lofty plans of what I expect to accomplish during our school year. It always involves reading the finest literature, and the plan to witness amazing academic growth through every page of curriculum. By Christmas break, I’m exhausted and way off schedule. I pray I survive the remainder of the school year, and dream of summer break.

A few years into homeschooling, when my oldest homeschooler was in about third grade, I began to ponder my cycle of starting well and finishing exhausted. I worried my children were not meeting academic milestones and pushed for them to finish every worksheet. After all, every assignment was on the curriculum, and I’m a rule follower. Unfortunately the year ended in tears. Theirs and mine.

As I took my failure to prayer, I considered my own childhood academics. I wasn’t the top student in my class. In fact I’ll even tell you my secret. I didn’t really read until I was in third grade! Even more shocking, when I applied for college nobody asked or cared.

I learned to read exactly when God knew I would. I had a teacher that read aloud books like Where The Red Fern Grows, and I was captured by adventure. I was amused by the antics of Amelia Bedelia, and suddenly I wanted to read for myself the messages in Charlotte’s Web. I learned to read exactly when I was ready to.

When spring fatigue hits our homeschool, tempers flare and attitudes drop. I know it’s time to take a few breaks and work on heart lessons. Staying on schedule with math or reading is far less important than teaching my children to love each other. It’s equally important for me to take a break to play and enjoy them.

I continue to prayerfully consider the academic goals of each school year, and begin each fall with high expectations. I continue to struggle each spring with not finishing curriculum, but it’s getting easier. Ultimately, I know that God knows exactly when my children will meet each academic milestone. Sometimes it’s earlier then I expect, and sometimes it’s after when I hope. Always, it is in His perfect timing.

Teresa Brouillette is a wife and busy homeschooling mom, living for Jesus. With a love for writing, she shares the adventures and lessons of her family and homeschool at TeresaBrouillette.com.