Do we really need biology, chemistry, algebra, geometry, french and ancient history?

Question

I hear the arguement against homeschooling. And one of the reasons a person gives is that kids need to learn biology, chemistry, algebra, geometry, french and ancient history, and that the average parent couldn't possibly teach all of those. Do you think that maybe the reason the average parent couldn't teach all of those is because the average person doesn't use all of those? If a child was interested in one of those fields wouldn't it make more sense to concentrate on that which the child is interested in and will use in their life, rather than trying to learn a whole lot of irrelevant information?

Just wondering?

Answer 1

only if you want to know something about this world in which we live.  there's a reason for this curriculum and it's not just about picking up a paycheck when we're grown up.

Answer 2

Yes they need to be exposed to it.   The more knowledge you equip them with the easier it is for them to handle the choices and situations they will someday face...  It may not be used for anything other than ideal conversation, but it may open the door to something more... The exposure gives a broader understanding.

I thing the purpose of education is to equip one with the ability to adapt and grow independently.  The more they know, the easier it is to do that. If they learn these early they will be a breeze in college.  But no matter how much they learn, they may and can still choose to be a cashier... but if you limit them, you may limit their future choices...

Answer 3

Why can't we teach those things? With the program we use we started in first grade with ancient world history for 2 years and now we are working on American history for 2 years. We teach science part of teaching biology is by beginning with  the basics and moving steadily onward. No we can't dissect a frog, or a pig fetus, a cows eye or any of the other disgusting things I did in high school. At least not physically but we can do those things on line. There are programs in which we can do that. Algebra is taught as a matter of course. The math books eventually get into those topics. We can also teach Trig, Calculus and more. Heck some of us parents don't even have to open the books to teach those. There are wonderful programs like Math U See and Teaching Textbooks that teach them for us. The same goes for geometry. Foreign languages are also very easily taught. Heck, Mom can learn them with the child using programs such as Rosetta Stone.

As for teaching them relevant skills to what they want that is only part of it. Even a cashier needs basic algebra sometimes. A cashier needs to be able to figure out percentages here and there. You can't say they don't I've been in that position and have done those basic functions. I would hope children have higher aspirations than that. I have also had times in which a foreign language would have been helpful.

To give an education is a huge gift. If you are going to give it why short change the child by teaching them only what you think they need? Don't you think it's would be a credit to them to give them more than they need? If you short change the education will that open up any door they choose to knock on or limit their opportunities? Kids deserve the world that is why we home school. To give more than what the public system can give!  

Answer 4

I think exposure to most of these subjects is very important. Even in high school, it's rare for the average person to truly have a hold on what they want to do in life. A well-rounded education helps them see the world as a whole and gives them insight into things that they might not otherwise be interested in. Languages (not just French) are also good for brain development, and can possibly be important in this ever-increasing global community we all share.

And while the average parent may not be able to fully teach all of these subject, any average involved parent can make sure that their child learns these subjects, whether the parent teaches or you try tutors, dual enrollment (college) or other methods of getting a handle on these classes. Anyone can learn all these and more in a homeschool environment, it just takes commitment.

Answer 5

As a history teacher I want to explain why it is important to learn even ancient history.  My first lesson discusses the three reasons we study history: (1) To learn where we came from; (2) to learn who we are; (3) to learn where we are going.  

I then draw a timeline covering the last 2000 years and hold up a picture of Julius Caesar.  I describe his crossing the Rubicon River to conquer Rome, a move that eventually led to the Roman Empire.  I then tell the students that had Caesar not done this none of them would be around today.  

After the usual student reactions of bewilderment to this idea, I explain:

--If Caesar had not crossed the Rubicon, his adopted son Augustus (Octavian) would not have founded the Empire

--If the Empire had not been founded, it would have never crumbled, since something that does not exist cannot be destroyed

--If the Empire had not been destroyed the countries born in the centuries after its destruction--England, France, Spain, etc.--would not have come into existence

--If Spain had not come into existence Columbus could not have used its support for his voyage

--If Columbus had not done his voyage both Spain and England would have had no American colonies

--If Spain and England had no American colonies the countries of Mexico and the United States would never have come into being

--If Mexico and the United States had not come into being then the State of California (for the case of my students) would not be here

--If California wasn't here the city of Los Angeles would not be here

--If Los Angeles weren't here LAUSD and the students' school would not be here

I then ask the students what their favorite interests are.  Baseball?  It comes from cricket, an English sport.  Gone because there wasn't any England.  Football?  An American sport, yes, but there wasn't any United States.  Music?  Yes, music would exist, but not their type.  No rock, no rap, nothing that would be familiar to us today.  

What about their parents and siblings?  Gone.  Their grandparents and other relatives?  Gone.  Their friends?  Gone.  Yes, the students might have still come into this world, like maybe as a Mongolian nomad.  But their lives as they know it would cease to exist.  

Of course, all of this is done with the Socratic method, creating the timeline by asking questions at each point.  But then I erase all but the end points, saying we should just simplify it.  What is left is Caesar and us.  Had Caesar not crossed the Rubicon none of us would be alive.  We study him because, in doing so, we study ourselves.  

An awesome thought isn't it, that your children's existence will likely impact lives 2000 years from now?  They don't have to become famous to do that.  If they have kids and those kids have kids it will happen.  That's the most amazing thing about history.  It is the thread of time upon which all of humanity walks.  

Answer 6

Deb S--

Okay, I'm a homeschool mom getting ready to teach highschool. Yes, I think my kids need those challenging subjects. Most kids should be exposed to difficult academic matters in school, unless they really truly have mental powers that would relegate them to pushing a broom for life. Even then, they should be presented with a variety of challenging brain-training material at whatever level they can handle.

The information may be irrelevant in its particulars, but the manner of learning is anything but. Grammar requires rules and structure, and it trains the brain in logic. Same thing with higher math.

I can't imagine skipping finding out about the order and wonder of biology and chemistry. I'm a mom--I don't need much of that day to day. But it makes me appreciate my world. And I know that there are answers to questions like "how can I figure out how tall that mountain is?" or "What's the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen in water?" Studying those subjects equips the student to go find answers, where they might not even ask the questions if they didn't have a fundamental knowledge.

Studying a foreign language cracks open the self-centered teens' world just a tiny bit to let them see directly that there is a whole world of people out there that thinks differently, believes differently and responds differently than they do. Learning a language helps you step out of your culture in a significant and worthwhile way.

You aren't making a cashier. You are making a person. This person needs to understand their world and their place in it.

If you are a homeschool parent intimidated by difficult subjects, or if you are butting heads with a reticent learner, I encourage you to finish this race. Put your child in contact with difficult material--with depth and breadth. Being challenged is not irrelevent.  

Answer 7

My opinion is that if a kid has a clear goal in life and wants to work specifically toward that goal, the parent should cooperate.  So if the child's goal in life is to become a dog groomer, after investigating the job, perhaps interning with a local groomer to make sure that is what they want to do, the parent should feel free to let the child gear their education in that direction.  That job would not require algebra, geometry, etc.  So if the kid is sure that is what they want, why take all of that?

However, if the kid is like many, and has NO IDEA what they want to do for the rest of their life, my opinion is that the parent should gear their education in such a way as to prepare them for college entry in case that is what they end up choosing.

However, I don't feel that is a reason to avoid homeschooling.  I am homeschooling my daughter.  I don't know algebra, but she is using a curriculum that allows for independent learning, and she is doing quite well in algebra.

I am rusty on biology, but again, the curriculum is well suited to self study, and I bought all the lab equipment we'll need for it.  She will also be able to do labs at a homeschool co-op.

I don't know French, but its my husbands first language.  My daughter studies independently on-line for free.  Once in awhile she needs help and my husband is able to help.  Even if he didn't speak French, she could probably learn the language fairly well on-line, and then perhaps arrange for one or two sessions with a tutor to fill in any gaps.  (Incidentally, it isn't really necessary to study French, colleges are open to any foreign language.  There is actually quite a bit of demand for less common languages, like the various Asian and African languages that are not often studied by American students)

My daughter will take chemistry, the same as she has taken other subjects.  At home study and co-op classes if they are available.

What is so hard about ancient History?  The classical Greek period is one of my favorite periods of History.  I absolutely LOVE history, it is the most interesting subject aside from literature!  I relish the opportunity to pour over the past with my kids!

So, I see no reason why these subjects should hinder anyone from homeschooling.

Answer 8

I understand what you are saying, but to not teach these subjects is totally wrong. Lets further discuss this dilemma you are having.

We have become a lazy society who admires the smart person over the hard worker. We believe the surest way to achieve accolades is to outsmart the competition, not to out--work your rival. We want the quick fix.

You don't like these subjects because the all require hard work to learn. A child who  believes that they are smart usaully fails at these subjects. They don't come easy and make them feel like a failure because of it, so they just give up. A child who knows they are a hard worker will excel in these areas. They know that yes the work is hard today but if i keep at it i will get it.

Growing up, I was an average student. I was also the product of, to be honest, white trash. However, today I hold a masters degree in Enviromental Sciences. How did I get here---hard work. I'm no genius, not by a long shot. I was just lucky enough to stumble into the subjects of Math and Science because I liked the feeling it gave me to be focused on a task, and to recieve attention for the highest grades in these classes. Honestly, in high school I loved pulverizing the grading curve for the rich kids---both parents doctors or professionals of some sort who already had there college educations paid for-- while I was dressed in my rags and eating my free lunch (my only meal for the day).

Struggle builds character. Thats why you teach these subjects. If you want your grown kids to think that everything in life is easy and should be given to them without any regard. Then go right ahead, raise your little princes and princesses to just call any challenge put before them as irrelavent or unneccessary. How dare anyone question your kids abilities and make them work toward a goal.

Hapiness doesn't come from living and working on improving the life you are actually dealt. You can always get good feelings from a bottle of Prozac or Zannox if life gets to hard . There is no reason to ever make things work. If a spouse isn't putting you on a pedistal and ever challenges you to grow as a person--well, you just get rid of them--you don't need to work for anything--you are just perfect like you are. Why save your money for your future needs, that pair of $200.00 jeans at the mall is calling your name. And we all know we must answer the call for immediate gratification.

So my final thought to you is go right ahead and choose to be a failure in these subjects. You have agreed to homeschool your kids and be with them all the time isn't that enough. Why should you have to find a few minutes everyday and educate yourself about any topic? You finished school.

You just go right ahead and turn your kids into cashiers because you know that they must never be made to feel bad about themselves. Everything in their future will just come to them like magic on a silver platter. Those jobs are so well paying and have so much room for advancement. And the benifits a cashier has attatched to the position. To give a kid a good foundation in all areas just requires to much effort why bother.

Did I hit the nail on the head about what your saying?

Answer 9

No, you don't need all those but you need to know how to learn.  Practicing the  learning  is the important element.  

If you learn how to learn, you have an education.

  Many of the subjects taught in public school are taught to make a well rounded education as perceived by the government.  Most of the information is learned for the test.  Colleges teach the fundamentals in their classes because most of the high school graduates did not actually learn the material.  It was stored in their short term memory and not available when they need it for college classes.

An average parent cannot teach the advanced classes, but any parent can find resources and guide their child through the study. We, as parents, can learn with our children.   Education is available for all of us and we do not need a certificate to show that we have learned.  It will show in our lives and personal success.

Answer 10

Does the average person need to know these things?  Not particularly.

Do homeschool kids learn these subjects?  You betcha.

Answer 11

Does the average person need to be fluent in these things?  No.  Do they need to have a working understanding of them?  Yes.

I am certainly not a science or math oriented person, but I have a child who is...and while I don't remember the difference between a cosine and a tangent, I know where to get him the information - and I know how to look it over quickly to give him a basic explanation.  I'm not fluent in French (though my mother is), but I have a working knowledge of it - and when I come across a French phrase in a piece of literature, I can pretty easily understand the gist of it.  I really do enjoy history and am asked all the time (by friends who don't) to explain it to their kids, because they're curious.

I think the point that's often made about parents not being able to teach those things is moot, though...like we teach things that we're not strong in?  Please.  I'm strong in languages and history, so I teach those, and I love it.  I'm not strong in math or science, so I find outside instructors for my son.  

I think it's good for a child to have a wide base of knowledge, but it's ridiculous to think that such knowledge can *only* come from a public school classroom.  I definitely agree that they should *specialize* in what is most important to them and have a basic foundational knowledge of the rest.

Answer 12

if you want your child to be a cashier instead of a doctor.. i guess those subjects really won't matter.

without exposure to the entire spectrum of subjects, how will he know what he is interested in?