So you’ve decided to homeschool. You have researched the pros and cons, you know what style you fit into, and you have filed the appropriate paperwork in your state.

Now what subjects do you teach?

It’s a common question when you are just getting started, but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. What you need to teach will somewhat depend on the method you are using, the state you live in, and the grade level of your kids.

A tempting but inadvisable course is just to teach the same subjects your child would be learning in public school. But unless you plan to return to public school soon, you should take the opportunity to do what interests you and your children! Most situations do not limit you to a specific set of coursework, so you can customize your learning to your heart’s content.

Note that in charter schools or other situations where you are reporting progress to someone, you will usually need work samples in the four main subject areas: math, language arts, science, and social studies. P.E. time can also be a requirement.

Make a list of what you wish your kids studied. Include the essentials. What are their strengths and weaknesses? Do they have special interests that they haven’t had time to pursue? Create a list of subjects you want to learn. (Because we are learning right along with our kids!)

So what exactly do you need to teach? Let’s break it down by grade level.

Preschool / Pre-Kindergarten

You may not think there is a need to homeschool preschool, or you might think there needs to be something very formal. In reality, children generally learn through play and don’t need much formal teaching at this age. They can sit with you while you read stories. Or help you in the kitchen. They learn through helping with household chores. You can use your everyday activities to build vocabulary and fine motor skills.

When your child is ready and shows some interest, you can introduce letters and numbers. At this age, children love to learn through play and activity, and we parents should foster that while refraining from pressing academic knowledge too hard, before they are ready. The key is to keep the love of learning alive – don’t stifle it with required tasks and workbooks. Being physically active helps those little bodies grow and prepare for more focused learning later on. And this is the perfect time to associate learning with excitement!

Elementary

When you are looking for homeschool curriculum, you will find resources on every subject imaginable. Science? Check. Latin? All ages. Shakespeare? Got it. Coding? Of course. The development and history of book binding? Well, you get the idea.

It can be downright overwhelming to sift through the options. And all too tempting to join the book binding class – you’d never get that opportunity in public school, right? Let me just say that in the elementary grades, less is more. You need to focus on reading well, understanding math well, and penmanship.

Reading opens the doors to every other subject, and math builds throughout the school years so your child needs time to master both. Do you have to go through a 4th grade math book if your child struggled through 3rd. No! Most curriculum authors provide placement tests. Take them! It is better to be a little “behind” according to public school progression and understand concepts well, than to trudge along building confusion upon confusion.

Penmanship is the art of handwriting – both manuscript and cursive. A child that is expected to write answers to questions or compose paragraphs may struggle tremendously if the physical act of writing doesn’t come naturally! It can be hard to assess understanding if your child can’t get thoughts on paper. So take the time now to master penmanship, and it won’t be a barrier later.

Other Homeschool Subjects for Elementary

Reading, math, and penmanship are key, especially in the younger years. But what about everything else? I have found that other subjects will grow as your child grows. Science can begin with studies of nature – being outside is perfect at this age! But it can slowly develop into more depth with Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. But remember – all of these subjects are studied deeply once (sometimes twice) through the middle and high school years. It can be tempting to make your child a Chemistry master right now – but all you really need is a dabbling in the subject, some familiarity with terms and fundamentals, and satisfying lots of curiosity.

Social studies is the next focus – and it really covers quite a range. Patriotism, holidays, maps, pioneering, national symbols, geography – the list goes on. For the youngest kids keep it simple and dive into curiosities. For the older ones, get into some American History and geography. They should leave Elementary with a good understanding of countries and continents, your culture and history, and how to read maps. (Some programs even teach how to make your own maps of the world – from memory).

Beyond that – the choice is yours! Formal grammar is especially useful to help with learning sentence structure. At about 3rd grade a formal writing/composition program will get you started on basic paragraphs and short stories. A foreign language is fun and oddly enough helps us learn our own language better. You might focus heavily on family read-alouds of Greek myths or fairy tales. Just remember to keep it simple, especially when you are just starting out. It’s easy to add another subject if you find yourself craving more, but hard to weed one out after you’ve become overwhelmed but invested in it.

To sum up – reading, math, and penmanship are top homeschool subjects for this age. Science and social studies should be enjoyed and give children a good understanding of the world. Other subjects can be brought in as time an interest allows.

Middle School

Middle school is a great time of transition. By now you have hopefully laid a solid foundation for reading, math, and penmanship. But if not, or if you are just transitioning to homeschool and are discovering some weaknesses, take the time now to work on them! You’ve got a great opportunity to nail down the basics before high school.

Science and Social Studies should become more prominent now. Depending on the path you took in elementary, you might be doing an in-depth study such as Anatomy, or you might be doing a General Science overview to cover any gaps from previous years.

Children should be writing longer pieces and reading literature. A good amount of time can be spent on learning to write well, so that in high school they can focus on the content and feel comfortable with getting their learning down on paper. Kids this age are developing interests and can work more independently, so find an interest or two to pursue more deeply. It could be marine biology or piano or rock climbing – or anything in between.

If you started a foreign language in elementary, continue it! Grammar continues to be important so integrate that into your Language Arts studies.

In summary, middle schoolers should be nailing down the art of writing and composing, and become familiar with reading books deeply. Science, social studies, and personal interest studies help to broaden their understanding of the world. Math continues to be important – and mastery is king! Don’t move forward before they really understand it. Remember – you’ve got 4 more years of working on all of these subjects again!

High School

Homeschool subjects for high school can be a little more rigid, depending on your goals. Generally, to earn a high school diploma you need to complete a certain number of credits in several subjects. It’s best to consult your state’s Department of Education website to be sure you are meeting all the requirements.

The Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has some great resources for high schoolers that can help you plan your curriculum.

Science and Social Studies at the high school level tend to follow a sequence – they build on each other. You’ll also get into much more depth now that they are ready for it academically. Continue with math and literature. If you haven’t already started a foreign language, you’ll most likely need to do it now.

Much of the details you need for high school will based on your diploma requirements, so I’m going to encourage you to start there. There are quite a few all-in-one packages out there for high schoolers, or you can pick and choose different subjects from different providers. You will also find more plenty of online options to teach those harder subjects like Algebra and Chemistry.

Don’t forget to reserve time for special interests and skills. High school kids can pursue photography, sewing, baking, automotive work, construction, and many other skills that can translate to future jobs (or just enjoyment as a hobby!).

Wrapping up

In short, if you are starting in the younger years, resist the temptation to do everything! Do a few things and do them well. Keep the joy in learning. As you progress through the years you will add a few more subjects and go into more depth. By the time your child reaches high school they should be able read and write well, understand arithmetic in and out, and have some fundamental knowledge of the sciences and history. Our hope is that they have been able to retain a love of learning and desire to know more.

While it can be overwhelming to choose the homeschool subjects we teach, it can be helpful to remember that less is more. After all, learning happens over a lifetime, not just 13 years of formal schooling.