No, we don’t. There’s no requirement for homeschoolers in Alberta to do so, and given the number of pages to wade through I am grateful—the Kindergarten to Grade 6 Math Program of Studies alone is 51 pages, to say nothing of other years or other subjects! I do peek at the official curriculum from time to time, to get a general idea of what kids of certain ages are typically doing, but I don’t worry much about it. An awful lot, especially in subject areas like science and social studies, is unnecessarily specific. Trust me, your kid can turn out just fine without studying magnets in grade 2, an African country in grade 3, or Greek mythology, well…ever, really.

How do I know this?—From my own personal experiences growing up. We moved around a lot during my childhood (4 elementary schools; 5 if you include Jr. Kindergarten; and 2 high schools lasting a total of 6 years…missed middle school / junior high all together), and curriculum was not standardized across regions. I hit some subjects several times (studied Japan 4 years running in elementary school!), missed others completely (Greek mythology, WWII, and, somewhat amusingly, high school sex ed.) Sometimes I arrived at a new school and found myself way ahead or way behind in various subjects—returning to Ontario from B.C. I found myself far behind in French. I remember asking several friends, “What’s ‘oublier’ mean?” and receiving the answer “I forget” and saying back, “Oh, don’t worry about it. Thanks anyways.” Turns out ‘oublier’ means ‘to forget’! LOL! But the end result was I learned how to learn—the how is far more important than the what, IMHO—and did just fine in school and university.

There are nonetheless guidelines for us “traditional” (don’t follow the provincial curriculum) homeschoolers to follow. Here’s what we are to achieve:

 http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca/documents/Regs/2006_145.cfm?frm_isbn=0779748387:

Learning Outcomes for Students Receiving Home Education Programs That Do Not Follow the Alberta Programs of Study

1   A basic education must provide students with a solid core program including language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.

2   Students are expected to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will prepare them for life after high school. A basic education will allow students to

(a) read for information, understanding and enjoyment,

(b) write and speak clearly, accurately and appropriately for the context,

(c) use mathematics to solve problems in business, science and daily life situations,

(d) understand the physical world, ecology and the diversity of life,

(e) understand the scientific method, the nature of science and technology and their application to daily life,

(f) know the history and geography of Canada and have a general understanding of world history and geography,

(g) understand Canada’s political, social and economic systems within a global context,

(h) respect the cultural diversity, the religious diversity and the common values of Canada,

(i) demonstrate desirable personal characteristics such as respect, responsibility, fairness, honesty, caring, loyalty and commitment to democratic ideals,

(j) recognize the importance of personal well‑being and appreciate how family and others contribute to that well‑being,

(k) know the basic requirements of an active, healthful lifestyle,

(l) understand and appreciate literature, the arts and the creative process,

(m) research an issue thoroughly and evaluate the credibility and reliability of information sources,

(n) demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills in problem solving and decision making,

(o) demonstrate competence in using information technologies,

(p) know how to work independently and as part of a team,

(q) manage time and other resources needed to complete a task,

(r) demonstrate initiative, leadership, flexibility and persistence,

(s) evaluate their own endeavours and continually strive to improve, and

(t) have the desire and realize the need for life‑long learning.

I personally find it amusing—especially since I did a B.Ed and had to spend hours poring over the countless pages of the official curriculum—that what we want our kids to achieve by the end of high school can be summed up in one page.