What To Do With A Reluctant 6 Year Old?

Every month or so, on our local homeschool yahoogroup, some young mother and beginning homeschooler writes desperately seeking advice on what to do to motivate their young elementary child to happily complete their school work.   After all, all the curriculum companies picture a neatly dressed child happily working away at their math sheet while mom does the dishes -- isn't that the norm?

Often, this mother has implemented a school regime of intense reading instruction and worksheets.   They are dismayed at the whining and other avoidance behaviors employed by their previously cooperative child.  When the advice starts rolling in, I'm sometimes amazed at the volume of opinions that this reluctance on the part of the child is a discipline problem.  

I admit that it does sound slack to delay intensive academics.  Should we not, like the public schools in their "race to the top", or whatever the current catch phrase is, push our little children toward earlier and higher academic achievement?

Over the years, I and many others, have tried to communicate a less stressful way to begin the educational journey with a 6 year old.   Sometimes moms "get it" and sometimes they just can't grasp the concept of relaxed, developmentally driven approach to school.  All too often, after consulting with experienced moms, reading the books and "buying into the concept", these well-intentioned moms still fall back onto "schoolish" methods.

Why?

In her blog post today, Sarah Mae at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee answers this question  in a lovely and encouraging post, full of wise advice.

Be sure to read through the comments, you will be very glad that you did.

Sarah Mae is being mentored by one of my favorite homeschool - mom authors, Sally Clarkson. For practical advice on homeschooling through grace, there is no finer resource than Sally and Clay Clarkson's newest edition of Educating the Whole-hearted Child.