Are you finding that your kids are getting done with school too quickly? Are they bored or advancing through the lessons at a rapid rate? Do some of the subjects gets done very quickly because the child just loves that subject? There will always be those subjects that become too easy or too simple for a child because they are better at it or like it more.

For some curriculums, the lessons aren’t the right age or the child advances through them. Even if you pre-test and assess your child’s levels before buying curriculum, it’s impossible to know everything until the child is going through the daily lessons.

Hints for when it gets too simple or easy in homeschooling:

Are your Kids Bored?

• Are your kids bored because curriculum too easy?
  • Mix it up with activities and what time of day you do school (break apart)
  • Use experiments like these
  • Use online resources like these (math or history)
  • Find what subject they like most and explore it in depth (such as science, coding, robotics)

Is there too much simplicity?

• Is there too much simplicity and it’s too easy?
  • Add in extensions with help from online or extensions from units (like Story of World)
  • What is simple about the curriculum and does the company offer more options?
  • Can you supplement lessons with free materials online or at the library?
  • Are the materials not age appropriate so you need to revise them?

Have you gotten stuck?

• Have you gotten stuck in a rut of simplicity and short days?
  • Add in informal learning such as games, cooking, sewing, crafts, hobbies and more
  • Evaluate requirements vs. how much time you are spending on subjects
  • Figure out if you can keep a short day or if you need more time developing a weaker subject
  • Find a favorite subject or favorite hobby and add it in per day
  • Consider Bible reading lesson together or a daily reading hour to add in

Too many simple worksheets?

• Is everything worksheet and book?
  • Supplement the lessons with materials online or at library
  • Add in games/activities and experiments
  • Find other curriculum if this one is too little for too long
  • Find resources/ideas online or do more conversational assessments to discuss
  • Consider a co-op to add in more content and time.

Struggling or Advancing?

• Is one child struggling while the other is advancing too quickly?
  • Consider switching curriculum for the advancing child
  • Ask child to research more and do extension projects
  • Give the child who is struggling more external resources such as manipulatives, videos and activities.

Content Lacking?

• Not enough content for schoolwork?
  • Figure out how long it will take for them to complete the books (such as mapping out their completion rate and completion of entire textbook)
  • Figure out what age they will “graduate” book or entire schooling
  • Break apart subjects or separate subjects or slow down the subject (take a semester off if year round or separate out world history with American history, spelling with grammar, handwriting and cursive, etc.
  • We are adding Geography to our eldest child’s curriculum because he’s advancing and he’s tested out of a lot of things – he’s done with spelling, he’s almost through science so we are slowing it down and adding in other topics.

What we’ve learned in homeschooling is that too EASY is much EASIER than too DIFFICULT. The reason is that if the curriculum is too easy, there’s always more content out there to learn. The beautiful thing about homeschooling is you can modify and add in anytime you want. You can switch it up, take a break or add in activities. Depending on your child’s learning style and attention, you can make it what you want.