Curious what your child "should" know at every grade level?
While homeschoolers really don't need to keep to the standard scope and sequence lists that public schools follow, it can be helpful to see what's typically taught in each grade.
There are a number of great web sites and books that will go into detail about each year. Here are some of the best.
Education World has posted the objectives of the voluntary National Education Standards for the major subject areas on several of its pages:
- Fine Arts Standards
- Language Arts Standards
- Mathematics Standards
- Physical Education and Health Standards
- Science Standards
- Social Sciences Standards
- Technology Standards
- Standards Table of Contents
World Book's "Typical Course of Study" includes current general curriculum requirements in the United States for each grade:
Preschool
Kindergarten
Grade Level 1
Grade Level 2
Grade Level 3
Grade Level 4
Grade Level 5
Grade Level 6
Grade Level 7
Grade Level 8
Grade level 9
Grade Level 10
Grade Level 11
Grade Level 12
Thinkfinity has a tool that allows you to search by State, Grade Level and Subject to find specific standards here.
In Minnesota, you can view state standards by subject area here.
Rebecca Rupp's Home Learning Year by Year is an excellent resource for your homeschooling library, as well.
However....
Before getting too caught up in standards, scopes and sequences, I highly recommend taking a step back and putting them in perspective. These can be useful tools, but should never be rigid constraints. One of the best things about homeschooling, after all, is that it can be personalized to fit your child.
The Five J's has a wonderful article to put it in perspective for homeschoolers:
Curing Scope and Sequence Syndrome
Use these lists as guidelines, but remember that you and your children are the absolute experts on what they should learn and when.
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