What subjects, or rather, skills do you consider consider electives and which do you consider core subjects in your HomeSchool? For me, true core subjects--things that I would teach if I could ONLY teach 3-4 things for ALL their primary years--are: Reading (phonics + comprehension) Mathematics Writing (basic grammar rules, spelling) Manners (basic etiquette) However, I cant rest well thinking that basic drawing, painting are never learned. That computer skills, handwriting, PE, cooking, crafts, civics, and games aren't taught, played and enjoyed regularly through out their early and upper education makes me feel...sad . The only subjects I could actually neglect to teach and not feel any loss over would be history and the subjects typically thought of as "social studies". I'm not saying they are unimportant, but I can sleep well knowing I have no intention to ever offer any form or directed instruction in these subjects. (Does that make me a horrible person?) Simply because I trust that if I lead them to all the right books and series, they will learn the basics of these subjects without my direct involvement. If not, then they can always learn what is absolutely needed of these subjects in college, when they have to take it for one requirement or another anyway.
I consider my state required subjects our core. Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. Everything else I consider an elective...
okay, imagine there were NO state Reqs. If you could only teach your kids what you felt they really needed to know, the bare necessities of education, what would you teach them?
If I could only teach them the very basics, it would be the 3 R's. From that, I wouldn't need to "teach" them anything else, they could learn whatever they wanted on their own. Thankfully, we are not tied to teaching only those 3 things. I will say if we have to cut back for a day or week or even two due to scheduling, math is the last thing to go. When I was teaching 1st grade in public school, all we had time for were the 3 R's ~ science and social studies always took a back burner and that made me sad. It's one reason I wanted to homeschool. We had no art teach, music once a month, and they could get ONE book from the library every week. You say, if you had to, your choice would be to neglect would be history or "social studies"...the opposite is true in our family. It's our favorite subject (and I hated history in school.) Isn't it nice that homeschoolers can do what is important to their family?
My state doesn't have requirements, but to me, 3Rs, science, social studies, health, and Bible are core. Art, music, and foreign language are elective.
Then I would consider reading, language arts, math, science, social studies, PE/Health and Bible core. Arts and crafts would be worked into the core subjects. Everything else would be electives.
I do have state requirements, but thinking beyond those.... I can't rest well knowing I'm neglecting ANYTHING from my child's education. I feel that teaching them to cook is just as important as teaching them to read. I was never taught to cook and am still lousy at it because it's not something you can really, fully learn from a book. The same with personal finance.... life skills must be taught. I think art and music are just as necessary as math and science. But I'm fully focused on raising well-rounded kids. And by the time they are older, our focus will change to primarily whatever they are drawn to. I have one who will, I believe, always want to learn cooking skills. He wants to be a pastry chef. And I have one who I will have to force to get through the basics of scrambling an egg. I don't intend to shove cooking intracacies down his throat until he graduates. Does that make sense? But if I don't at least introduce the basics of as many concepts as possible, then how on Earth can I expect them to really know what the Lord wants them to do? This, however, is how homeschooling is a lifestyle. For instance, I don't think I need to teach cooking as part of our 'school day.' I just have them help me when it's meal time.
I disagree with history. To me, that is ABSOLUTELY a core subject. It is essential to understanding who we are and where we come from. I consider it more important in some ways that teaching English. Science, too, is essential, as much as I hate it!
Agreed. 'If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development.' Aristotle You can't truly understand where we are, how we got here, why we are here and where we are going without knowing where we have been.
I would consider most all of what we do core. Everything has a purpose, but the depth at which we approach things may be something I would consider an elective. We don't have to spend time making an ancient Mesopotamian house out of cake or reading biographies of missionaries. But it is my opinion that the depth (electives) are what make school more interesting.
Most likely I would still teach as I do now. However, I believe reading is the most important. If a person can read, they can learn to do so many things in life and learn about so many things.
Yes, I would agree with that, Patty. But I think so much of reading is actually "picked up" in a natural way. I think we put too much emphasis on the TEACHING of reading. To me, one learns to read much the same way one learns to talk. If a young child lives in an environment where he is constantly being read to, where he sees the parents and older siblings reading, where the printed word is a natural part of his surroundings, he will learn to read more or less on his own. If the environment isn't there, it won't happen, just like a child raised in a more-or-less silent world (language wise) will have speech/language delays.
I can attest to that. I have two readers who, essentially, taught themselves to read. I mean, they came to me and asked for help from time to time, but that's it. I didn't set about to teach them to read. My 7yo is a pro and by 5yo is catching up rather quickly. And the best part is that they are both already 'helping' my 4yo begin the decoding process. I've largely been left out of the whole process. I read to them and help them when asked, but that's it. They see me read. They are surrounded by books. The library is part of our weekly routine.
I also agree! Sure, there are kids out there who won't learn to read until they're 8 no matter what you do, but IME, it works. We read a lot. Our house is overrun with books. Both of my kids are/were reading before 2. I went through ETC with my older one very quickly last year to make sure there were no gaps, but I didn't "teach" him to read. I expect I'll use ETC again with the younger in a year or two. He's already reading CVC words with short vowels, just like his big brother was (and doing it 4 months sooner... probably because big brother is "teaching" him ... which more or less usually means annoying him! :lol: ).
I consider for K-3, the essentials are reading/language arts, and math. I consider Bible to be core, too, for life, but it's really more of a lifestyle than a "subject" to be mastered. In K-3, some basics of social studies and science are good to have, but how those are covered would be elective, IMO. From 4th and up, the essentials begin to include literature and composition, math, and social studies and science. Again Bible is more of a lifestyle but how to study it, and some specifics about what the Bible says about how to live that lifestyle, can be approached more as a subject. Arts, music, languages, sports skills, are all nice to have if you can swing it, but while they are quite fun and life-enriching, they are not essential skills. IMO, "social studies" is not a misapplied or too-generalized term, although I know that the term is looked on with disfavor among many homeschoolers. I don't see a way that history can be studied fully without including some learning about geography, cultures and religions, economics, sociology, anthropology, governments, arts/humanities, etc., along the way. Much simpler to say "social studies" than to name each separate "study"!
I consider math,reading,spelling,language arts, and writing to be the core subjects. These are done daily in our home. History,Geography,and science along with keyboarding and foreign language are electives but I think they are equally important. I must admit that science is usually the first thing skipped though. I know, that it's just as important as the rest of the subjects but I really HATE it so much!!! Next year I'm going to try and fit it into our schedule more regularly. Angie
Yeah, I feel this way as well. History is so important. You have to learn the past so you don't make the same mistakes over and over again. I think CORE for us is pretty much everything. I have slowed down in spelling and grammar as he's gotten older - but in my opinion I think history becomes more important as they get older and is maybe not so much when they are young.
we just did what I did in school, reading writing arithmatic, science, art, ( primary art mind you nothing techical) computer games that went with all those and h/g and Bible were added in to. Its your home school teach what you want!
You know, you make an excellent point in that the CORE should change with each stage of education. I guess because all my students are young, I only ever think about Pre-K - 3. But you're right. The CORE will, naturally, change with each level of your students abilities. Gah! I'm so short-sighted! Gotta think long term.... I :love: this forum.
