Teaching science at home
Observation before vocabulary, kitchen and backyard experiments, and a plan for the later grades.
The Next Generation Science Standards frame science as practices like asking questions, planning investigations and explaining results, along with big ideas across life, earth and physical science. At home that means observing, trying things and talking about what happened, with books, nature walks and kitchen experiments before textbooks.
Checked October 29, 2026.
This is a plain-words summary, not legal advice. Laws change: check your state's current law and its education department before you act.
A way to start
- Ask one question a week and test it (Does warm water dissolve sugar faster?).
- Keep a notebook: draw it, write what you saw, write what surprised you.
- Read one short science book a week.
- Go outside and name three living things.
The free path
Curriculum, if you want one
Science curricula compared. They are listed side by side with no ranking, and each one carries a one-word faith-based or secular label.
You don't have to be good at this to teach it
Saying "I don't know, let's find out" is how scientists work. You are allowed to be wrong in front of your child.
Check your state
Some states list the subjects a homeschool must cover. See the law page for your state.
Sources
- Next Generation Science Standards (checked October 29, 2026)