Help! Should I care about what my children WOULD learn in Public School?

I am asked all the time for advice on what children “should learn and when”. I am also asked if children should learn the same things that they would learn in school and if they should follow common core standards in education. Hopefully this article will help those asking these questions.

What Children “Should” Learn and When?

The response will vary per family and even per student.

If you are a traditional homeschooler, with grade levels, then your child will learn standard things at standard times. For example, a third grader will follow a “third grade” curriculum for math that would include multiplication and division facts. If you are an unschooled, your child will learn things that line up with their interests. For example, your “third grade” child might learn a lot about astronomy if that’s their interest, and focus very little on third grade level math and grammar.

It’s important to recognize that as a homeschool family, you have freedom to navigate what your children learn in ways that are not traditional. For example, my children learn eclectic history that is often at a college level. We gather loads of library books and watch plenty of documentaries and videos. Their geography is likewise eclectic and involves them drawing the world and different regions on the map, as opposed to only learning latitude and longitude. I also make sure that for math they learn the subject matter before moving on from the subject material. So, my fourth grader is still working on multiplication facts from “second grade”, however he is also doing some fourth grade math material at the same time. His grammar is on the “fourth grade” level, however his spelling is at the “Sixth grade” level. See how the education levels have become blurred, and are more focused on his ability and strengths, and at the same time his weaknesses.

If you are interested in knowing what your children “should” learn at different grade levels, here are some suggestions:

1. Go to the library and check out books such as Home Learning Year By Year by Rebecca Rupp. This book in particular is an excellent resource. I used it when I first started homeschooling. It is definitely an advanced l earner curriculum. 
2. Do a simple google search on the subject. You can break it down to find out what spelling words your third grader should know, for example.
3. Buy curriculum and work books that have grade levels on them. This is the easiest way to make sure your child is working on material that is appropriate for their grade level! It is simple to find these type of resources on christianbook.com. I can’t say enough for this website! They have reasonable prices, reviews, and sizeable samples to help you make decisions!
4. Website curriculums such as k12reader.com, education.com, khanacademy.org, etc actually have free curriculum that you can use BY GRADE LEVEL. These are excellent ways to ensure that your child is working on material at their grade level.
5. Standardized tests can help you compare your children to other children in their grade levels that attend public/private schools. It is important to remember that if you are following a nonstandard education for your children, that you are comparing them with standard educated children on these exams!

Why Is It Important for Some Homeschoolers to Know What Kids Are Learning In School?

It may be important to actually care about what school kids are learning if you plan to put them back in school, or are unsure if you may put them back in school. Obviously, it would be stressful for a child to be put into school not on par with the other children. For example, no one would care if your child can wire a house, or have extensive programming knowledge, or are expert pianists if they can’t write a sixth grade level essay for their sixth grade English class!

T.E.A. 2018