Homeschool Community

I am looking for a non religion based curriculum ...my daughter is 10 and I pulled her out of 4th grade but she is somewhere between 5th and 6th is most subjects ( I have given her our state assesment tests for 4th and 5th and she passed both before the 4th graded even started with high A's) can you give me some ideas??

 

thank you

Hi, I too am teaching my son a secular curriculum,(7th grade) I pulled my son out of Private school (just this past Dec.) Only because the tuition had doubled and just couldn't stand the stress of trying to pay it every month. However I am going to go with The Calvert School for his 8th grade year, They are secular and so far have been very helpful with the loads of questions I have had so far, If you get the chance check out thier website at www.calvertschool.org , You can also do a search for secular homeschooling, just make sure you check the curriculum befor joining anything, If there is the mention of God anywhere other than a Religion course, in my expierience, this is not a secular curriculum. I liked Calvert the best, NJ is very laxed on the laws of homeschooling, and therefor when I send my son off to High School he would be tested, I don't think he needs the stress of this added on to starting high school. The calvert school offers a credited curriculum, and therefor would only be as simple as transferring him. I hope this helps you out, Good Luck! Andrea

WOW, God is stressful. Hmmm....I am a catholic h.s. of 5 children and I am not stressed at all.  My experience is Less Faith more stress.  In life we need somewhere to turn and someone to talk to.  That's all a good thing.  I'm not pushing my religion on you I just want you to know that my 7th grader is brilliant.  There is room for God and Knowledge.  He's doing his Algebra and all the other studies.  I homeschool because I don't believe in Institutionalizing children.  They should be free and learn willingly without the opression of secular pop culture which has gone rampid in both public and private, religious and non-religious schools.

Didn't say there wasn't room for God- Just would like to teach my son about God, the bible and different Religions -at that- seperately from Grammar, Math, History and so on. In all the Christian based on- line homeschools that I saw so far, had quotes from the bible, sentences about God, and so on in different areas of the curriculum, like Grammar. I was also worried about the science in these homeschools, I don't want to teach my son about Creationalism, and that is my right as his mom! I feel that I can teach him what I believe, and as he gets older he can choose for himself what he wants to believe in! I too was born and raised a Catholic, went to 12 years of Catholic school, pulled my son out of Catholic school, and that was only because of the hike in tuition, and paying $500.00 a month WAS STRESSFULL! My son is brilliant also and has never been happier!

I personaly will never understand people who post things in a post that have nothing to do with them...I asked a question and you came into the post with nothing positive to add only a negative comment to the kind woman who answered my question... no one here said anything bad or negative about God, religion or church.... so there was no reason to set on an attack and be ugly.... just because I or anyone else for that matter choosed to educate my child with curriculum that is not slanted in religion dosnt make me a bad mom or my child any less smart... Tonbert didnt say that God was stressful but that paying for a private school was!

so im just asking that in my posts that we all be postive and helpful and lets reach back to our childrens kinder year and ...if we dont have anything nice to say lets just not say anything at all

thank you for your support and advice in this matter.....I found www.homeschoolstockroom.com my husband and I are looking into what they have to offer...

HI, Just wanted to say THANK YOU!!!!!!!! Thank you for the support! And to think- I thought I was the only secular teaching mom out there- And you are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO right our kids aren't any less smart! Thank you for another web site to check out! Andrea ( Tonbert)

Calvert is a strong choice if you want an all-in-one package.  You can buy their math curriculum separately, and the folks I know who use it really like it.

I use a mishmash of things: Singapore for Math, Junior Great Books series (http://store.greatbooks.org/index.php?cPath=1) for Language arts, "Brighter Child Spanish" for a second language, and "MacMillan McGraw Hill Science" textbook supplemented with "WonderScience" 1 & 2 and "Inquiry in Action" (which are both from the American Chemical Society -- acs.org) for science. I figure Phys. Ed is covered by swimming and Karate lessons, and  Music by Piano Lessons.

We haven't worried about art past the how to draw dinosaurs, cars, insects, and whatever else books we're always picking up, plus free access to a massive craft supply box, though I might spring for the Art of Drawing for Kids kit from Renaissance Publications next year (http://www.renaissancepublications.com/).

 If Tom Morrow is reading, here's a great opportunity. Make your curriculum and products list (and your review site)  searchable by Secular / Christian so that those who want one can eliminate the other from their view with a single click.

Wendy 

We agree that the ability to search by secular / faith-based is a good and valid one.  We will be including it later this year when we introduce the product lines we are developing with our partners.

 In the interim, if you are looking for good buys for curriculum, OUR store almost certainly has a better price, features both faith-based and secular curricula and it is just one short click away.....

Thanks for posting!

Thomas Morrow

Hi there! We have used Calvert in garde 3 and we found it too be too much work and we were stressed out. But yes, some people like it. It does end at grade 8 though. It is also about $1,000 and most of the stuff cannot be resold.

I highly recommend Oak Meadow at Oakmeadow.com. I only recommend it for grade 5 and above though. The lower grades are pretty fluffy and light and not alot of direction is provided. It's just kind of vague.

In grade 5 it gets more meaty. It is gentle, laid out well for the most part (grammar/composition is a bit of a pain, but we manage). Math is fantastic. There is not alot of busy work. It explains it VERY well and you do some practice and you move on. There is sufficient review throughout though.

It is basically written to the student so there is not alot of stress for the parent. Also, it is a homeschool curriculum, not a school curriculum that homeschoolers can use. I have found that trying to fit school curriculums into our lives was not working, so now I only buy things that are specifically written for homeschoolers.

Oak Meadow will be approx. $350.00 for a grade and can be resold on ebay. However, I am going to keep all of my Oak Meadow stuff because I love it so much!

Overall we really like it. We are currently doing grade 5 and will continue through grade 8. For high school we aren't sure yet.

There are MANY samples on Oak Meadows web site!

Good luck! I hope you find something that works for you.

 

with Oak Meadow is it just 350 for the package or do I have to enroll in there school? are there other fees?

 

again thanks for your help and info

You do not have to enroll in Oak Meadow but I think you can if you want to. I don't know alot about that since we don't enroll. There are no other fees if you just buy the curriculum.

Every spring they knock 20% off of their prices and they have just started having a winter sale where they knock 20% off as well. It was just last month. Their next sale should be in March or April.

If you sign up to get emails from them, they will send you an email when they have their sale.

Hi Andrea.  I once used Calvert.  I don't believe it is 'secular' 100%.  If you have the book "Children's History of the World" , and have read it, you will see that God is subtly woven in.  I chose this curriculum for it's 'Classical Education' style, however, my son did not respond well with this rigid curriculum. He is more eclectic style and is a different grade level for each subject.  Glad to hear you are having better luck.  Happy Homeschooling  ..oh...happy Darwin Day!

Wow...Less Faith , more stress..hmm..I am a product of Catholicism, but quickly changed all that once I had my own 'thinking'.  I have somewhere to turn and it's not a god or deity.  It starts with loving yourself and being honest with yourself.  I don't understand when you said that children should be free and learn willingly.. Did you teach them Catholicism or to go to church or do they 'freely and willingly' learn and do this?    You homeschool because you don't 'believe' in Institutionalizing children.  What does that mean?  I am a homeschool mom, but support the public schools 100%!  don't you mean 'Indoctrinating'?  Opression of secular pop culture??  Could you please explain? 

You don't seem like you have your own thoughts.  Don't be afraid.  Educate yourself. 

BTW....why are you on the 'secular curriculum' forum, anyway??  You are welcome, however, at your own risk..

Wouldn't come to your 'Catholic' forum and pick at other people's posts. Trust me...we secular homeschoolers rarely do this.