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Give Credit For Life SkillsNot all homeschoolers may agree with my proposition, but I think our homeschooled students should be given credit for Life Skills. Some moms call it Home-Economics, in my high school the boys enrolled in "Bachelor Know-How". But even in the primary and elementary years of school, Life Skills has a valid place in a homeschool curriculum.
I have included Individual Independence, Household Management, Keyboard Skills, Child Development and Community Service under the heading of our Life Skills courses. Every year the specific objectives and skills checklist changes, depending on the age of the child. The overall goal is always to make good habits which contribute to household management and/or prepare a child for independent living.
Grades K-3 : Dress self and make own bed Take a shower and shampoo hair independently Put away clean clothes Set table Load and empty dishwasher Feed pets Empty garbage Wipe bathroom sinks after use Put away groceries Make a sandwich Make emergency calls Vacuum and dust Learn to swim Check books out of the library Use small allowance for expenditures of choice Entertain younger children Deliver Meals on Wheels to the door of elderly Make friendly visits with elderly accompanied by mom
Grades 4-6: Clean own drawers and closets Fold clothes neatly without wrinkles Sort clothes by color, dirt, fabric content Operate washer and dryer Clean toilet and mop floors Know different uses of a variety of household cleaners Clean pet cages and bowls Wash car Weed garden Change bed linens Replace lightbulbs and understand wattage Read recipes and cook simple meals Boil and scramble eggs Bake cakes, cupcakes and cookies Pack a cold lunch with understanding of basic food groups Make change and count change Compare quality and prices including unit pricing Understand the concept of savings accounts, interest, tithing and taxes Clean interior of car Wash car properly Understand uses of medicine and seriousness of overuse Know emergency first aid procedures Sing in church choir Serve as altar servers at Mass Serve in the parish life community as requested Read to younger children Change diapers and feeding of toddler Proper keyboard finger placement and usage Create and print Word documents independently Understand weather categories and take proper shelter during Tornado Warnings Maintain orderliness of bookshelves and school desks Maintain a school notebook with proper sections for saved work
I give my kids a checklist of the skills we are working on that year. They have 2-3 daily assignments in household management skills. As I'm still refining our list for junior high and high school, I will make a separate entry. Are there specific skills I haven't thought of you'd like to suggest? Do you give credit for life skills in your homeschool?
Life Skills for Junior High Kids
6:20 PM - Jun. 27, 2006 - post comment
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