Do you feel homeschool curriculum often lacks basic skills?

[Miss Sherry]

So I am preparing my kids for our (required) standardized testing. I am amazed at all the things in there that we have never taught. I am beginning to think there are some major skills ignored in much of the curriculum I have used. Take history curricula--I have used MANY. But we have never really taught how to use maps/geography skills. Basic stuff that I somehow ignored or missed. They can tell you all about mapping Egypt, Sumeria, etc, but not basic mapping.(by this I mean, get from here to there, which highways do you use, how many miles is it, go north then east and where do you end up). I am beginning to see why people like Bob Jones and A Beka. At least you know they are getting all those basic skills each year!

In math, I am seeing we haven't covered time, money, graphing, measuring or fractions very much. We are now using TT, so I think this stuff will be covered well.

I am taking the next 2 weeks just to teach all this stuff we missed. I plan to continue reviewing this stuf through the year. It really has me thinking about how I want to approach schooling next year. It isn't that I want to teach to the test, but these are things I really think a 3rd grader SHOULD know.

Has anyone else realized that in their quest for the most exciting, wonderful homeschool curriculum, you are missing some basic stuff? Or is it just me? Maybe I have just picked all the wrong curricula!

I know there are a lot of OTHER neat things about curriculum I have used. But I guess I am just thinking this basic stuff should be included in more curriculum. Just wondering out loud.

This is why I like to refer to "The Home Education Guide" periodically that Hewitt Homeschooling Resources has published. I've been using it for many years. It has a "learning objectives" section which can be purchased separately if that is the only information you would like to have.

http://www.hewitthomeschooling.com/book/bsingle.asp?i=1023

 

The "Home Education Guide" is $25. The "Learning Objectives for K-8" which is included in the guide, can be purchased separately for $11.95

Edited October 16, 2010 by Miss Sherry

[2squared]

No. I haven't taken the time to read all the posts, so forgive me if I'm repeating. I have found I tend to stop teaching as the "school day" is over and I am guilty of missing many Parent Taught skills. We get all the teacher stuff in!

 

Hmmmm. Maybe this is why we do better with a relaxed style and why workbooks create stress for me. I think I teach better and my dc learn more when I wear my Mom hat and I put away my teacher hat. Thanks for giving me a nugget to mull over.