What If I Don’t Know How to Teach It? A Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Learning Alongside Your Child

There comes a moment in almost every homeschool journey when you open the curriculum, look at the lesson, and think, “I have absolutely no idea how to teach this.”

Maybe it’s algebra.

Maybe it’s chemistry.

Maybe it’s a history period you somehow avoided in school.

Or perhaps your child has suddenly become fascinated by a subject you’ve never studied in your life.

Take a deep breath. You do not have to know everything to homeschool well.

In fact, one of the beautiful things about homeschooling is that you can learn alongside your child. You aren't required to be the expert in every subject. Your job is to help your child learn how to learn—and sometimes that means figuring things out together.

You Don't Have to Be the Expert

One of the biggest myths about homeschooling is that parents need to be experts in every subject they teach.

They don't.

Think about it this way: A good guide doesn't necessarily know every detail about the destination. They know how to find the map, ask questions, recognize when they're off track, and find help when needed.

That's a pretty good description of a homeschool parent.

When you encounter something you don't know, you can say:

“I don't know. Let's figure it out together.”

That's not an admission of failure. It's modeling lifelong learning.

Your child gets to see that adults don't magically know everything—and that not knowing something is simply the beginning of the learning process.

Start by Figuring Out What You Actually Need to Know

When a subject feels intimidating, it's easy to assume you need to learn the entire subject before you can teach the first lesson.

You don't.

Start with the specific concept your child needs to understand.

For example, if you're struggling with a math lesson, don't think, “I need to relearn all of high school math.”

Instead ask:

• What skill is this lesson teaching?

• What does my child already understand?

• What part is confusing?

• What do I need to learn so I can help with this particular lesson?

This approach keeps the mountain from becoming overwhelming.

Learning research emphasizes the importance of building on existing knowledge and developing understanding progressively rather than simply piling new information on top of gaps.¹

In other words, you don't have to climb the entire mountain today. You just need to find the next step.

Become a Student Alongside Your Student

One of the easiest ways to teach a subject you don't know is to temporarily become a student yourself.

Read the chapter before your child does.

Watch the instructional video.

Work through a few practice problems.

Look up unfamiliar vocabulary.

Try the experiment yourself.

Then sit down together.

You don't necessarily have to stay one chapter ahead. Sometimes you can learn the material at the same time.

This can actually create a wonderful homeschool dynamic. Instead of:

“I am the teacher. You are the student.”

your relationship becomes:

“We're learning this together, and I'm helping you navigate it.”

That doesn't mean you give up your role as the parent or educator. It simply means you're comfortable saying, “Let's investigate that.”

Use the Curriculum as Your Starting Point

If you don't know a subject, resist the temptation to immediately gather 47 books, 12 websites, six podcasts, and an online course.

More resources don't always make teaching easier.

Start with the curriculum you already have.

Look at:

1. The lesson objective.

2. The vocabulary.

3. The examples.

4. The practice problems.

5. The suggested activities.

6. The assessment or review.

Your goal is to understand what your child is supposed to learn, not necessarily become an expert in the entire field.

This distinction can make a huge difference.

For example, if your child's lesson is about the causes of the American Revolution, you don't need to become a professional historian. You need enough understanding to guide a meaningful conversation, answer reasonable questions, and help your child investigate the topic.

Don't Be Afraid to Find Outside Help

Sometimes the best way to teach something you don't know is to not teach it entirely by yourself.

Homeschooling doesn't mean you have to do everything alone.

Depending on the subject and your child's age, you might use:

• Online courses

• Educational videos

• Tutors

• Co-ops

• Community classes

• Library programs

• Local experts

• Dual-enrollment classes

• Subject-specific curricula

• Educational websites

Technology can also make independent and self-paced learning much easier. For example, mastery-based resources can allow students to practice a skill, receive feedback, and continue working until they understand it rather than simply moving on because the calendar says it's time.²

And that's particularly helpful when you aren't confident in the subject yourself.

Instead of pretending you know the answer, you can become the coach.

Let Your Child See You Struggle

This may be one of the most valuable lessons you can give your child.

If you breeze through everything, your child may unconsciously conclude that smart people simply understand things immediately.

But that's not how learning works.

Let them see you work through a difficult problem.

Say, “I'm not sure why that happened. Let's go back and look at the example.”

Make mistakes.

Change your answer.

Look something up.

Try again.

Research on learning consistently emphasizes the value of practice, feedback, and working toward mastery rather than simply rushing through material.³

Your child is learning the subject—but they're also learning how to respond when something is hard.

That's a skill they'll use for the rest of their life.

Know When You Need to Stop and Back Up

Sometimes the reason you don't understand the current lesson has nothing to do with the lesson itself.

There may be a missing foundational skill.

This happens frequently in subjects like math. A child may appear to be struggling with fractions, for example, when the real problem is an earlier concept they never fully mastered.

The same thing can happen to us as parents.

Maybe you don't understand algebra because you never really understood the foundational math that came before it.

That's okay.

Go backward.

Find the missing piece.

Review it.

Then come forward again.

A mastery-based approach encourages learners to identify gaps, strengthen foundational skills, and move forward when they're ready rather than simply pushing through because the next chapter is waiting.⁴

Going backward isn't falling behind. Sometimes it's exactly how you move forward.

Turn “I Don't Know” Into a Question

One of the easiest ways to change your mindset is to stop treating “I don't know” as the end of the conversation.

Instead, turn it into a question.

“I don't know yet. What could we find out?”

Suddenly, you've created a learning opportunity.

If your child asks why volcanoes erupt and you don't know, you can investigate together.

If they ask how the electoral college works and you're fuzzy on the details, grab a reliable resource.

If they ask why a chemical reaction behaves a certain way, learn the answer with them.

Your child doesn't need you to have every answer.

They need you to show them how to find good answers.

Give Yourself Permission to Learn

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is this:

You are allowed to be new at this.

You don't have to walk into every homeschool year feeling completely prepared.

You may learn alongside your child.

You may change curriculum.

You may hire help.

You may discover that you actually enjoy a subject you once dreaded.

And you may discover that your child eventually knows more about a particular topic than you do.

That's not a problem.

That's success.

The goal of homeschooling isn't to raise children who always need Mom or Dad to know the answer.

It's to raise children who become increasingly confident, curious, capable learners.

So the next time you open a lesson and think, “I have no idea how I'm going to teach this,” don't panic.

Pull up a chair.

Open the book.

Ask questions.

Learn the first step.

And then take it together.

You don't have to know everything to teach your child. Sometimes, you just have to be willing to learn with them.

Sources

1. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures. National Academies Press, 2018.

2. Khan Academy. “What is self-paced Mastery?” Khan Academy Help Center, updated October 1, 2024.

3. Khan Academy. “An Introduction to Learning Science at Khan Academy.” Khan Academy Blog.

4. Khan Academy. “Why Mastery Learning, by Sal Khan.” Khan Academy Help Center, updated August 9, 2023.