What's Your Objective?

Time to get your objectives ready

If the school district superintendent came to your house & asked you to write down what you wanted you child/children to learn for the year, what would say?

Suppose it goes something like this:

"I would like for you to make a list of objectives you wish your child to accomplish for the school term." says the Super.

"Objectives?" you ask. "What are objectives?"

"They are goals for your child to accomplish throughout the school term. You'll need to list them by subject & be specific with your wording. They also must be grade appropriate, not according to your child's level. Oh, you have 30 days to do this. Oh, and you need to have your high school diploma copied. Um, did I mention you need to sign & fill out an affidavit. Yeah, I should mention that it needs notarized. By the way, you need to attach a a copy of your child's immunizations. After you get all that done, I'll review it & let you know if it is acceptable." says the Super.

This is what homeschoolers face every year this time. They just get finished handing in their portfolios to end the current school term, & then they have to start thinking about the next school year.

What is important to you for your child to learn? Math? Language Arts? Science? Art? What about character? Balancing their own checking account? Eventually be in charge of their own education?

"But these are children! They can't be in charge of their own education. They would pick Texting as an elective. Or worse yet, as an  English course."

The objective of most homeschoolers is to have their children be responsible for their education & ultimately the direction of their lives. This doesn't mean that the supervisor of the home education program, most times it is the mom, is getting lazy or simply doesn't care. It just means that at some point the child must leave the protection & guidance of the household & make choices about the future. Why not let them have control of decisions where if they make a mistake, it can be corrected or steered in a more profitable direction?

So, I ask you, "What is your objective for your brood?" Take a minute & really think about it. Go ahead, I'll wait. (I would play some music at this point, but I am not that smart.)

How many did you come up with?

Now think about what God's objective is for your charge? Is it to be the most successful? Is it to develop a special talent that may make the population of the opposite gender swoon over them? Does He want them to be voted Most Popular in the yearbook?


"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."  Deuteronomy 6:5-9


 "Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it."  Proverbs 8:10,11


"For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous."  Proverbs 2:6,20

Now, are your goals & God's the same?

So, would you rather your child ramble off the entire Periodic Table of Elements by grade 4 or have a godly character that people know him/her by?

I found a book that is helpful in aligning your goals & God's goals for your home education program. It's called The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach: Bible-Based Homeschooling  by Robin Sampson. It's a good start & a great reference book. You can find out more about this teaching method at http://www.heartofwisdom.com.