No two children are the same. Even in the same family, children can vary greatly. And it’s not simply their gender. It’s their likes, their dislikes, their strengths, their weakness, even the way they assimilate information. Understanding this allows parents to choose curriculum that helps their children learn in effective ways.

Learning at home doesn’t have to be a one-size-fits-all approach, something that is typically found in traditional schools. Parents are able to look at their child’s learning style to determine what kind of curriculum works. Does their child learn best with hands-on activities or from visual material? Does their child thrive on social interaction, or does he prefer solitary pursuits? These kinds of questions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to homeschooling.

Choosing curriculum can get even more specialized. One parent I know has a child who loves airplanes. His entire room is papered with pictures of jets and aircrafts, and he dreams of one day becoming a pilot. This allows his mother to work her child’s passion into his education. He’s able to study about the history and science of flight. In a traditional school, he might learn the dates when flight became possible, but in a homeschool setting learning can come alive with biographies and documentaries about the Wright brothers or Amelia Earhart. This not only impacts his knowledge of history, but it also allows him to improve his reading and writing skills. In time, he can explore the physics of flight and the math needed to achieve it. The possibilities are endless.

There’s also the added benefit of working engaging subjects into your child’s repertoire. A parent whose child has a penchant for music can add music into the child’s regular schedule. The same goes for art, dance, drama or sports. No longer must these pursuits be tagged on as after-school activities. Instead, parents can work them into their core curriculum along with reading, writing and arithmetic.

Every child can benefit from this individualized pursuit. Younger children may need to defer these kinds of decisions to their parents, but older children can join the discussion to decide how to best integrate their interests into their education. Not only does this help build upon the God-given talents that exist in every child, but it creates a passion for learning.

Homeschooling gives parents the opportunities to look beyond merely filling their child’s mind with a list of facts. It’s more than teaching their child how to write a passable sentence, succeed at a standardized test or even gain entrance to a certain university. Instead, homeschooling allows parents to create in their children a love of learning that lasts far beyond graduation day.

Tailoring curriculum empowers parents to do just that. Yes, their children will learn how to read, write and compute, but more than that, it helps unlock their learning and prepares them for life by allowing them to develop the talents that they naturally have.

Don’t miss the Part 5 of Why Homeschooling Works when I’ll discuss the benefits of learning in a Nurturing and Safe Environment.