Homeschooling with Dads

(or how to effectively involve your husband in your son’s studies!)

”Dad, can I PUH-LEEZ have this video game for Christmas?” My thirteen year old son plaintively begged his Dad for the millionth time. Over the last couple of years, my son had really developed an affinity for video games.

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If my memory is correct, my son was ten years old when he was introduced to electronic games at a friend’s house. Before we purchased his first game system, we discussed the pros and cons; my husband and I are so old that we remember playing the old Atari game system twenty years ago, and we always had fun playing with friends. We agreed to limit his playing time and monitor the content. We started with games that were rated “E” which meant the content was suitable for “Everyone,”and as he matured we allowed “T” or “Teen” games.

His first real passion was fueled by Nintendo GameCube. I can’t tell you how many times over the years he played and mastered The Legend of Zelda and Super Smash Brothers; I have heard the theme music so often that I can recall it on a moment’s prompt! Next, he became absorbed in Microsoft xbox games like Star Wars Battlefront II and Knights of the Old Republic.

Recently, my son began to yearn for games that imitated battles like Call of Duty III which is a “T” game that is based on World War II battles in France. We were concerned about the possibility of realistic battle scenes, but my husband came up with a creative way to capitalize on my son’s passion for the game by incorporating some learning in history and science.

Since most of the battles take place in a real geographical place and revolve around real battles, my husband decided to use my son’s interest in the game to advance his knowledge and understanding of military and political history. Periodically, he has my son research one of the historical events like the battle of Normandy, write an essay, and then discuss it. Future plans include some physical scientific study by assigning some of the weapons and munitions for research and discussion.

Why is this method so effective for both my son and husband? Well, my very astute husband has chosen to teach what my son is already passionate about: war and weapons! Instead of reading a dry, boring textbook on World War II, my son gets to choose multiple texts from which to learn (by the way, even at 13, he chooses books from the library or bookshelf with lots of glossy photos!) My husband also benefits from this teaching method because he gets to draw from his own extensive interest in the subject and teach something he knows alot about. It’s a win-win situation for both my boys.

How can you use similar teaching techniques in your home school? First, pay close attention to your children’s interests. How do they spend their free time? Does your daughter like to write or cook or collect earthworms in her spare time? Does your son collect baseball cards, build with legos, or meticulously paint car and airplane models? Make a short list of their interests, abilities, and blossoming gifts.

Next, make a short list of what interests, gifts, and abilities you and your husband have. You may be an avid chef while he knows how to deconstruct a car engine. Find the intersections of your children’s interests and your interests, then use those strengths as starting points for launching studies. Craft a learning plan that is tailored to both child and parent, and be flexible with the type of content. Vary the materials: use books, photos, and DVDs for the initial research, and be sure to incorporate lots of hands-on experience so that the child begins to really master the subject matter. Learning will be fun for the entire family!

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Diane Lockman is the author of The Classical Scholar, a blog full of teaching tips and encouragement for Christian parents who are home schooling their children using a classical Christian approach. She lives in the Indianapolis area with her husband of 28 years and her two delightful teenagers. If you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing to receive her posts in your email inbox. As an added bonus for subscribing, you’ll receive a link to download her latest 27 page (pdf) book entitled “The World Is Waiting…A Brief History Of Classical Christian Education From Ancient Israel To Contemporary America.