Many people believe that completing a grade level and receiving a passing grade equals education. Think again!
Don’t confuse “passing a test” with understanding and knowledge. I may have passed an algebra test in 9th grade but does that mean I could sit down solve a problem with many unknown variables? Not always. Short term learning does not prepare a person for real life.
As a homeschool teacher, I require my children to grasp each subject with understanding that goes beyond coming up with an answer. True mastery comes with the ability to solve real life problems. In real life, you are not asked to find the product of two numbers such as 4 X 3 = 12. A real life example would be when my child can accurately figure the area of a room for carpeting, without me telling him the formula. Then calculating the cost based on price per yard, etc. This type of problem requires mastery of math formulas necessary for real life.
Check out this article with another homeschool teacher’s experience: Homeschooling not easy, but rewards are many