You want me to teach WHAT???

Some states have strict homeschooling requirements.  Thankfully, we’ve been blessed to be stationed in homeschool friendly states the whole time we’ve been homeschooling Munchkin.  We haven’t been told what we have to study or what we can’t study for that matter.  In Virginia, we were required to teach math and language arts.  Here in Arizona, we don’t have specific legal requirements when it comes to subject matter.

This freedom, for which we are extremely grateful, allows us to select courses that best suit Munchkin.  We can drop one subject and pick up another that fits in better with what is going on in our lives.  We can take advantage of learning opportunities that present themselves throughout the school year.  We can explore topics that interest her without being confined to “this has to be learned at this point in her schooling”. 

We have the freedom to decide what not to teach in our homeschool classroom.  We just saw this past week how school officials in one CA school banned the dictionary because it contained objectionable words (this decision was quickly reversed due to the public outcry), yet they didn’t have an issue with requiring reading and classes that many parents (and teachers) found objectionable.  Thankfully, in our own homeschool, we can dictate what we feel is best for Munchkin to see, read, experience at a pace that is best for her maturity level.

So, what do we teach Munchkin in our homeschool?  We always are covering the basics of Bible, Language Arts, Math, Science, and History.  How we approach these subjects can vary greatly from year to year or even month to month.  We like to use a mix of books, textbooks, lapbooks, unit studies, computer programs, and games for Munchkin’s studies.  Once we have the core subjects covered, we can add in extra classes such as Spanish, Art, Music, Home Economics…

But, how do I know what to teach?  The truth is that I don’t always know exactly what to teach.  I know the basic areas that need to be taught, and we go from there.  For Christians, knowledge and application of scripture is a must before all else.  Everyone needs to know how to read and write.  Everyone needs to be able to apply math to real life situations.  Everyone needs to have at least a basic understanding of science and history.

When it comes to the “extra” classes, we decide what will enhance our lives and help us to better get along in life.  Around here, Spanish is a very good language to understand as a large portion of the population speaks Spanish.  Home Economics is a no brainer for me as we all need those important life skills to be able to take care of ourselves and others.  The earlier a child learns the skills the better it is for them and for the family as a whole.  Art and Music add joy to our home.  Munchkin loves to be creative and both of these classes give her a creative outlet.

What needs to be taught will vary from family to family, student to student, day to day, and sometimes hour to hour.  Sometimes what needs to be taught isn’t even in the lesson plans.  Some days, character training is in order.  Other days, lessons in hospitality take priority.  Then there are those days where mommy is being taught lessons in patience and prayer!

No matter what is being taught during our homeschooling day, I am thankful that we have the freedom to homeschool. 

This post is part of the weekly TOS Crew Blog Cruise.  The topic this week: How do you know what to teach?  Next week, I’ll touch on the topic of knowing if your kids are keeping up with their peers.