Guide for Homeschooling Parents

What is the curriculum? The curriculum is the entire group of subjects and materials which educators are expected to teach in their classrooms. Curricula vary by state. A state may have Science, Language Arts, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, and Social Studies in a seventh-grade curriculum.

The curriculum will further specify what topics, themes, objectives, etc., must be covered within each subject.

For seventh-grade Music, the state curriculum might say that students must learn about the major composers and the various genres of music, as well as learn to play the recorder.

Click here for curriculum guidelines by state.

Currently, there is a nationwide effort to utilize the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) throughout the United States. And not surprisingly, there are plenty of people arguing for and against them.

What am I expected to teach? In a nutshell, the CCSS are designed to incorporate nonfiction and "facts" in the teaching of reading and math. Scientific research has shown that while reading skills are important, they do not translate into true literacy (and learning power) later in life. What's needed is background information to enhance reading comprehension.

For example, most people have the reading skills to read an advanced physics book. We can read along, pronouncing most of the words aloud or in our heads. We see terms like "quasar" and if we don't know what the word means, we try to figure it out in context, or look it up in a dictionary or encyclopedia. But does this mean that we truly comprehend the text? Could we put it into our own words? Could we turn around and explain what we've just read to someone else? For most of us, the answer is no. We are reading, but we are not comprehending what we are reading.

Despite what you may have read in the media or from a publisher peddling textbooks, at their core, the CCSS are the standards established by the Core Knowledge Foundation. This agency's goal is essentially to equip each student, upon graduation from high school, with the cultural literacy needed to navigate in the modern United States, either in a career or at a university. This cultural literacy is the background knowledge and corresponding reading skills needed to understand news articles, etc., and to make informed decisions.

In classrooms, this means that teachers are no longer reading 90% fiction. Teachers are instead now making certain that at least 50% of the texts read in the classroom are nonfiction, covering the history of the world and United States, etc. Will every high school graduate be expected to understand an advanced physics book? No, that was just an example to illustrate how most of us lack reading comprehension skills in one way or another. But students will be able to read an article on filibustering in Congress in the New York Times, for example, with an understanding of the three branches of the federal government, legislative procedures, etc.

How can I teach the curriculum? You can acquire a copy of your area's curriculum by contacting your local district. Additionally, most state education departments have their curricular standards available online (try searching for "*MY STATE* EDUCATION DEPARTMENT STANDARDS"). State guidelines, however, can be confusing, even for trained teachers. A better way to get a grasp of your local curriculum is to look at the textbooks your district is using. Even if you choose not to rely on these textbooks for your own teaching, they can tell you what material you are expected to cover. Publishers create textbooks around curricular standards, which partly explains why it seems like every district uses a different textbook.

Geography and map skills can be learned every time the child walks somewhere or climbs into the family car. Pick up a local road atlas (most major cities have street guides, and if not, it can be a fun project to create one). Name streets to your children as you drive along them.

Another area of concern is a parent's teaching qualifications. On the surface, it seems as if all parents are capable of teaching, especially when they are as caring and devoted as homeschoolers. We all went to grade school, didn't we? Yet teaching involves so much more than just the content. Teachers attend college to learn everything from subject matter to child psychology to teaching strategies.

Also, ask other homeschooling parents for advice and tips. If you feel that you are not able to teach a certain subject, you may consider enrolling your child in school for that particular class. Groups of homeschooling parents have been known to collectively hire a teacher to work with their children. College newspapers are a great place to advertise for tutors.