How to Homeschool with a Focus on Culture

“You’re nice and big,” the young man said to my teammate with a smile on his face.  My whole mission team was a bit taken aback for a moment.  That’s totally not cool to say that to someone, right?  Well, it turns out that’s not always right!  Our fabulous guide quickly explained that in the Dominican Republic, comments like that would not be seen as an insult like they typically are in the United States.  They were meant as a compliment.  She taught us about the country we were in so that a simple cultural difference didn’t lead to offense.  As parents we can help our kids to avoid potential problems like this by homeschooling with a focus on culture. 

What is culture?

Think of culture as a jigsaw puzzle. There are different pieces that all come together to form the big picture. In culture these pieces form the picture of how people in a particular place and time live. So, what are these pieces of the culture puzzle?

Culture Puzzle Pieces

• Food
• Holidays
• Language
• History
• Religion
• Ecosystem
• Economy
• Government
• Migration

Want to learn more about culture? Buy my brand new culture-focused geography curriculum for middle school students!

Why You Should Focus on Culture

Is it really that important to focus on culture? Yes! I firmly believe that it’s a vital aspect of every child’s education for a few reasons.

For understanding – Not understanding other people’s cultures has caused many problems throughout history. Think of all the wars and conflicts that have happened due to lack of understanding of and/or caring about other cultures.

To connect emotionally – Learning about other people’s cultures helps to build empathy and compassion. We are far more likely to choose to care for our fellow man if we understand them.

For communication – Getting to know other people’s cultures helps us to better connect and communicate with them. That can help with ministering to others, getting a job, and even making new friends.

How to Focus on Culture

It’s all well and good to know you should focus on culture, but how exactly do you do that? There are a few simple steps you can take to easily focus on culture in your school days. To get even more help adding a culture focus to your school days, check out my brand new middle school curriculum, Journey Through the USA!

Music

Every country, and even each region within a country, has a unique style of music. Use sources like YouTube to find traditional songs or even pop music. Listen to it together. Find out what instruments are used there and most of all just enjoy some great music together.

Stories

One of the best ways to learn the values of a culture is to read their folktales and fairy tales. A great way to combine social studies and language arts is to use historical fiction books set in other places, which is precisely what kids do in Journey Through the USA!

Connections

Find people from other cultures for your family to connect with. This could be online or in person. You could find pen pals, host an exchange student, or attend local cultural festivals. However you do it, get to know other people and connect with them.

Food

Food is by far the most fun way to get to know a culture. The food of a culture tells us what grows and lives there, whether they live in abundance or make do with what they can find, and even sometimes about their religious beliefs! Look for international supermarkets in your area. Google recipes from other places and cook them together. Eat your way around the country (and the planet)!

Focus on Culture

Focusing on culture is going to help your children connect with people from different places. It will help them to make friends, find work, and minister to others. The best part is that it’s really easy to do! With a few small adjustments you can easily homeschool with a focus on culture.