Homeschooling 101

Lesson 2: Choosing your Curriculum

Content Standards- What are they, and should I pay attention to them?

The Content Standards articulate an essential core of knowledge and skills that the state as a whole wants students to master. Standards clarify what students are expected to know and be able to do at various points in their K-12 academic career.

Content standards are a guideline only, and should not “set in stone, what you must know by this time” rules to homeschooling. Parents who are planning to homeschool for a short time might choose to follow the standards of their state as closely as possible, to make the transition back to school an easy one.

Just be warned: you will probably get pretty bored, pretty fast. Standards are designed for classrooms of 30+ students, being taught by one teacher, who has to stop on average of every 3.2 minutes because Little Johnny can’t keep his hands to himself and Little Susie has to go the bathroom for the umpteenth time that hour.

Believe it or not, Content Standards are a relatively new idea. They were designed out of the need for reform. Unfortunately, in order for the standards to be accepted by the community, they must reflect shared values and commitments. In order for change to occur the standards need to do more than just reflect current practice. The fact that no two states can decide on the same set of standards should tell you how much faith to place in them. On the other hand, they can be a valuable tool. If you are truly concerned that your children aren’t “doing enough” take a look at your states content standards. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

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