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What Does My Child "Need" To Know?

One of the biggest questions in the mind of a new homeschooling parent is: “What does my child NEED to know?”

I’ve heard so many new homeschoolers these days ask what the public school requirements are for certain grade levels - so they are sure to teach the “right” things at home.

Guess what? You are a homeschooler now. YOU decide what your child needs to know.

The question of what our children need to know, and are we teaching them the right things looms large at different points in time for ALL homeschoolers. Don’t we all wonder if my child is “up to speed” with children their age? Will have the body of knowledge necessary for some magical assimilation into adulthood?

We’ve been conditioned by our society to believe teaching children - and deciding upon the body of knowledge they need to know - is best left to the experts.

We are used to looking to SOMEONE ELSE to tell us what our children need to know.

What Does My Child “Need” to Know? #homeschool #homeschooling

I understand if you are a person with traditional school experience (which is pretty much all of us) then this statement might be controversial.

But parents, the truth is this: YOU are the authority on your child. YOU get to decide what (and how) they learn.

Our family lives in Georgia, which is a homeschool friendly state. I realize other states may be more prescriptive about what children learn - but for the sake of argument I’m going to assume everyone reading this lives in my neighborhood.

Children Grow and Mature at Different Rates

Comparing your children to other children their age, or using resources that tell you what your “5th grader should know” is pointless.

Each child is a unique creation of God, and they will develop at their own pace.

One of my children read fluently in the second grade. The other read fluently by the time they turned five. Guess what? They are 19 and 15 now and I can tell you it all evens out in the wash!

I’ve been there, trust me. I tried to shove a requisite amount of sight words down my Kindergartener’s throat, and the only thing achieved was frustration and a wounded relationship.

Please honor your child by not holding them to any developmental benchmarks!

Each Child’s Life in the World Will Be Unique

Our children are God’s workmanship.

As with their development, there is also a unique plan for their life, and homeschooling allows us to listen to God’s voice and nurture that plan.

What does my homeschooled child “need” to know?


As a homeschooler you now have the world as your oyster - if you see a particular talent or passion your child possesses, you are free to go in that direction with your child.

Do you remember my 10 tips for homeschooling? Tip #4 encourages you to write your reasons for homeschooling to help you remember your WHY. One of our reasons for homeschooling is to nurture and support our children’s God-given gifts and abilities.


Don’t Sell Yourself Short

(but do your research)

YOU are the best authority when it comes to what your child should learn.

Trust yourself to make educational decisions for your children.

Research curricula, homeschool methods, and different methods of delivery (online classes, textbooks, interest-led learning).

Are you able to seek out a homeschool mentor that is farther along the journey than you? Are there particular online voices you trust (be careful here, because at this point in time there are MANY homeschool experts out there!) Feel free to join my private Facebook group, Equipping Homegrown Learners. This is a great place to ask questions and gain support.

God has given you these children to raise. You are an authority on what makes them tick. Now go homeschool them!


It’s Good To Look to Resources as a Guide

By all means, look to trusted resources as a guide. Gather information. Do research. Pursue your job as a home educator with excellence.

I have found some extremely helpful resources over the years:

Consider A Box Curriculum

Our first full year of homeschooling I was getting my feet wet. Even though I had been a public school teacher, I didn’t feel equipped to teach my OWN children. (Isn’t that sad? I know now how flawed that thinking was.)

One of the best decisions I made, however, was to purchase a box curriculum. While it did adhere to a particular grade level, the curriculum was full of beautiful living books, a solid math curriculum, and more.

If you want to have all of your boxes checked, this might be a great place to start:

I know there are more - but the three I recommended are solid Christian resources I am familiar with.


Over time, I’ve gained the confidence to piece together curriculum and branch out a lot more with my kids.

You will, too.

Remember - Rome wasn’t built in a day. And you aren’t going to become a homeschool expert in a day, either.

Give yourself (and your kiddos!) lots of grace, and enjoy this very precious time that’s been given to you.



Talk to me about your homeschool situation. Are you a new homeschooler? Veteran?

How do you decide what your kids need to know? Let me know in the comments below!

What Does My Homeschooler “Need” to Know?

July 2020 Reading Recap

We begin our homeschool schedule in August, which will bring LESS time for reading.

(I think I read a lot in July to make up for that!)

When people ask me how I can read so much I remember what I heard a few weeks on a podcast - you make time for what you love.

I love to read.

Not only have I been learning so much, but I’ve also been living the lives of other people - having a variety of human experiences. This month I also chose some books that would strengthen my faith and prepare me for what I suspect is going to be a more challenging time in general.

Our local library opened (squeal!) and I also had the opportunity to check out a few of my favorite thrift stores for books.

July 2020 Reading Recap @ Homegrown Learners

This month I decided to categorize the books for you - books to strengthen your faith, help you escape, learn about history, and read-alouds.

I love chatting books. Come follow me on Instagram @homegrownbookpicks, where I share what I’m reading on a regular basis.

Books to Strengthen Your Faith

I enjoyed each of these books very much!

If you’re not familiar with Sean Dietrich (Sean of the South), you should be! I have been listening to his podcast and following his Facebook page this month. His memoir, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, was one of my favorites!

Life Together - the classic by Dietrich Bonhoeffer - is a primer for living in Christian community.

Love Does, by Bob Goff is a funny, touching book that made me laugh out loud.

Finally, Eve’s Daughters - by Lynn Austin - will go own as one of my favorite works of Christian fiction. I will definitely be reading more by Lynn Austin in the future!

Books to Read for an Escape

These three books - all of them page turners - get high marks from me this month.

Susan Wiggs is one of my go to authors when I just need something light and romantic. Lakeside Cottage did not disappoint.

Friends and Strangers, a new release by J. Courtney Sullivan, was more intense, but still a quick read. It is a popular book right now - if you like stories about strong females struggling to find their place in the world you’ll like this book.

Finally, I read The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White. Wow! I would categorize this one as a mystery/thriller. It takes place in a fictitious suburb north of Atlanta and has so much that rings true if you’ve ever lived in the South. Super good!

Historical Fiction

This is my favorite genre by far. If I can learn something about history from a book I feel like it’s been time WELL spent.

The Last Train to Key West centers around the Flagler Railroad that ran to Key West. Because I grew up in SW Florida it was very interesting to me. Chanel Cleeton is one of my favorite writers, too.

I had to read another book by Julie Berry this month (I read one by her last month, too!) - The Passion of Dolssa took us all the way back to Medieval France and included mystery, romance, and more! This book is categorized Young Adult - I think it would be great for your high school girls.

I listened to Americanah and would highly recommend it on audio! This sweeping story takes us from Nigeria to the United States and back again. It taught me so much about life in Nigeria, life as an American African, and the perceptions we have of people - most of them often false.

Read-Alouds

We had one read-aloud this month.

In my son’s Challenge 2 curriculum this year we are focusing on British Literature. In order to prepare him we’ve been looking at some of the adaptations of assigned books.

Michael Morpurgo gives us a great retelling of Beowulf which I highly recommend. My son also read Sir Gawain & The Green Knight (also retold by Morpurgo) on his own this month.

What was your favorite book this month?

Share it with me in the comments below so I an add it to my list!

July 2020 Reading Recap @ Homegrown Learners