ADVICE AND QUESTIONS FROM A HOME SCHOOLER
Before you start writing your exemption you need to consider the following:
Educational Philosophy/Approach
Which of the above home schooling approaches do you think will suit you best? Consider the following:
- Do you want to use a formal curriculum with prescribed content and lessons to follow within all or any subjects?
- Do you want to follow the NZ Curriculum?
- Do you want to follow your child’s interests and allow them to determine the content of their education/curriculum?
- Do you want to use unit studies or a topical approach within any subjects?
- Do you want to use workbooks or apps to teach specific subjects?
- Do you want to combine a mix of different approaches and resources to be determined by the subject being taught and your child’s needs?
- Do you want to use Christian, or secular homeschool resources?
Long Term Goals
- Do you plan for your child to eventually work towards a high school qualification?
- If so, which one, what do you know about it and how will you plan for this within your curriculum and lesson content?
- If you have a teen, do they have any specific goals for their future that you want to help them reach? How will you do this?
- If university entrance is a goal for your teen, do you know what options are available to home schoolers for them to obtain this? Have you research each option and selected one that will suit the needs of your child? Do you have a plan for working towards this?
All these things, at the very least, should be taken into consideration and parents should actively undertake research to inform themselves fully in each area in order to facilitate their child’s learning and goals. With home schooling it is on you to be fully informed because no teacher or governing body will be telling you or your child what to do or how to do it or how to achieve any long-term goals.
Your Curriculum
Within the NZ Curriculum seven learning areas are specified. If you are writing an exemption for a child who by age would typically be in years 1 – 8, then you will need to explain in detail in your exemption application how you will cater for and teach your child within these learning areas. However, you do not need to follow the NZ Curriculum or use NZ curricular resources. You do, however, need to explain what teaching and learning will look like in your home and specifically in your daily life. Therefore, you should be able to answer the following questions under each subject/learning area in detail with explanations and examples.
Years 1 – 8
Numeracy/Maths
- How will you be teaching this subject? (What methods? – describe in detail)
- What skills and concepts will you cover?
- What resources will you use to teach these?
- How will you use these resources?
- How will you know that your child has understood these concepts?
- What methods/resources will you use to assess this?
Literacy/English/Language Arts
- How will you be teaching this subject? (What methods? – describe in detail)
- What skills and concepts will you cover?
- What resources will you use to teach these?
- How will you use these resources?
- How will you know that your child has understood these concepts?
- What methods/resources will you use to assess this?
Social Studies
- How will you be teaching this subject? (What methods? – describe in detail)
- What skills and concepts will you cover?
- What resources will you use to teach these?
- How will you use these resources?
- How will you know that your child has understood these concepts?
- What methods/resources will you use to assess this?
Science
- How will you be teaching this subject? (What methods? – describe in detail)
- What skills and concepts will you cover?
- What resources will you use to teach these?
- How will you use these resources?
- How will you know that your child has understood these concepts?
- What methods/resources will you use to assess this?
Technology
- How will you be teaching this subject? (What methods? – describe in detail)
- What skills and concepts will you cover?
- What resources will you use to teach these?
- How will you use these resources?
- How will you know that your child has understood these concepts?
- What methods/resources will you use to assess this?
Health & Physical Education
- How will you be teaching this subject? (What methods? – Describe in detail)
- What skills and concepts will you cover?
- What resources will you use to teach these?
- How will you use these resources?
- How will you know that your child has understood these concepts?
- What methods/resources will you use to assess this?
The Arts
- How will you be teaching this subject? (What methods? – describe in detail)
- What skills and concepts will you cover?
- What resources will you use to teach these?
- How will you use these resources?
- How will you know that your child has understood these concepts?
- What methods/resources will you use to assess this?
Years 9 Up
In Years 9 up, things change a little and the Ministry of Education will be looking for specific information to assure them that your teen will be taught at least as regularly as they would be within their year level at school. There is no requirement on home schoolers to work towards or earn and specific qualification in the high school years, but there are options for you to do so that should be taken into consideration. This is because they will want to see that you have thought beyond their current level and have a plan or at least some possible goals for their future. They will also want to see that your child’s goals and interests have been taken into consideration.
You can, in Years 9 up, still cater for the above learning areas but you should consider more specifically what your child is interested in and how you will cater for this. English and Maths are areas that the Ministry of Education will definitely want to see that you are catering for in some manner but there are multiple other subjects and learning areas that you could include in some way.
For example, would your young person be interested in Design and Visual Communication, Digital Technology, Art, or Geography? If yes, how will you cater for them? Just as with the previous learning areas, you should be able to answer the following questions in detail with explanations and examples with regards to each subject or learning area.
- How will you be teaching this subject? (What methods? – describe in detail)
- What skills and concepts will you cover?
- What resources will you use to teach these?
- How will you use these resources?
- How will you know that your child has understood these concepts?
- What methods/resources will you use to assess this?
At all levels you may well have lots of additional natural learning and life learning and interest driven learning happening that does not specifically fall under a subject or learning areas. You should include a description of this type of learning too.
Once again, your chosen approach, philosophy or home schooling style will determine what and how your child is educated in their teen years. There is no requirement for you to follow any prescribed curriculum or to work towards a high school qualification, but many prefer to do so in the high school years.
For those following the NZ Curriculum or a more formal home schooling approach, in Years 9 – 10, it would be appropriate to pick up to 7 learning areas or subjects but no more. In years 11 up, you would narrow these down to 4 – 6 subjects or learning areas.
For those who intend for their child to do NCEA, many home schoolers do this by enrolling their young adult at Te Kura when they turn 16. The subjects available through Te Kura can found here
Thank You
The deb would like to thank Nina Longstocking, a long time home schooler for allowing us to post the information she provides to home schoolers looking for support with their exemptions. Nina is a Mum of 5, who is in her 20th year of home schooling. She is passionate about seeing kids thrive and tailoring learning to the needs of the child. She has a particular passion for Art, Literature and History .