What Must I Cover in Elementary School?
The law lists subjects that must be covered:
- English, to include spelling, reading, and writing
- Arithmetic
- Science
- Geography
- History of the United States and Pennsylvania
- Civics
- Safety Education, including regular and continuous instruction in the dangers and prevention of fires
- Health and Physiology
- Physical Education
- Music
- Art
The following is the definition of elementary requirements listed in the PA Homeschool Law:
(c) A child who is enrolled in a home education program and whose education is therefore under the direct supervision of his parent, guardian or other person having legal custody shall be deemed to have met the requirements of section 1327 if that home education program provides a minimum of one hundred eighty (180) days of instruction or nine hundred (900) hours of instruction per year at the elementary level, or nine hundred ninety (990) hours per year at the secondary level:
(1) At the elementary school level, the following courses shall be taught: English, to include spelling, reading and writing; arithmetic; science; geography; history of the United States and Pennsylvania; civics; safety education, including regular and continuous instruction in the dangers and prevention of fires; health and physiology; physical education; music; and art.
Please take note that the law does not require you to cover all these subjects every year. It does require that they are covered at some point during the elementary years which include K-6th grades. Many still interpret the law as stating that fire safety should be covered every year.
These videos give suggestions on what to do with your 1st & 2nd grade students and your 3rd-6th grade students: