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Did you know that there were about 3.7 million homeschool students in 2020-2021 in grades K-12 in the United States? Homeschooling is a common practice in the USA. It may be astounding, but homeschoolers perform 15%-30% better on tests. These stats show how well a good homeschool curriculum can affect a child’s performance. Children often take the teachings till high school.
Many parents seek resources for homeschooling for undivided attention and economic benefits. Finding reliable sources and learning aid can be hard find. Finding the best secular homeschool curriculum is common amongst homeschool families. This piece will answer many of your queries related to concerns about homeschooling.
What Does a Secular Homeschool Curriculum mean?
A secular curriculum is one that is not a religion-based curriculum. The following four points completely encompass what a secular curriculum is:
- The curriculum does not include religious quotes or references.
- The Science curriculum is not defended or challenged against religious norms.
- Secular language arts, math, history, and science are not based on a religious standpoint.
- Everyone can use such resources, be it religious differences or cultural.
Why Do Many Parents Seek a Secular Homeschool Curriculum?
Kids in lower grades are often unaware of differences in religion and sects. It is best to design their lessons according to a secular curriculum. Below is a list of other advantages that curriculum secular homeschooling provides.
Special needs require special treatment
Special children need to start with a secular homeschool curriculum to catch up with the rest. In a classroom environment, the child is often cared for as it should. Homeschool families take it into their hands to train the child so that later they can adjust in a public school.
Religious freedom
The concept of a secular curriculum makes learning free from social constraints and limitations. Learning and education should be free from implications and partiality. Secular homeschooling ensures that non-religious people educate their children on similar standards.
Not all are Christians
Almost all faith-based curriculum are Evangelical. This can be problematic for non-Christian religious families. Islamic, Jewish, Jehovah, or Hindu parents can benefit from the homeschool curriculum secular.
Subjecting children to a traditional school environment
Many schools and universities do not teach religion. Kids must learn to segregate religion and studies. This can help them adjust to a traditional public school environment. Many religious homeschooling families teach religion separately.
Academia is priority
Bringing religious differences into academics can cultivate a biased standpoint for the child. Academic knowledge should be universal and applicable in all fields. For this reason, homeschool families prioritize academia over the effect of one’s religion. Books written from a religious point of view often have knowledge that does not satisfy universal statements.
Keeping the Young Earth Theory Aside
This theory, according to the Bible, states that the world is 6000 to 10000 years old. This information conflicts with the scientific fact that the world is 4.5 billion years old. This example highlights how facts can differ from a conflicting or biased standpoint.
Surveying the best secular Homeschool Curriculums
Discovery K12 *FREE*
This online secular curriculum offers a plethora of courses for free. There are unlimited benefits you can leverage without spending a penny. You can find courses covering various fields ranging from language arts and math to science, social studies, and history.
The library is full of curriculum that students can access for free. This includes 17,000 assignments and over 800 quizzes and tests. You can complete the experience with the e-books available online and the 36 weeks of STEM activities.
However, the paid curriculum makes education official. That way, you can also receive a diploma and certificates. Also, the Scope and Sequence of this secular curriculum ensure that education is aligned with the school standards. With these benefits, you also get answer keys, teacher guides, and other resources.
Overall, k 12 has an edge because of its frequent testing criteria and free options. Even the premium is affordable and requires annual charges.
Oak Meadow – Print-Based Curriculum
If you’re looking for distance learning for your child, Oak Meadow is an ideal option. You can enroll your kids in the program or buy the curriculum to use independently.
You have to register with the Department of Education before you homeschool your child. The curriculum and books are not very hard to find online. With minor extra charges, you can avail other resources as well. Most of all, the curriculum offers children an official school credit. You can also get guidance from experts, discussions, student collaboration, and teacher feedback.
Oak Meadow provides a complete secular homeschool curriculum, including
- Science
- Social studies.
- Math and Language arts,
It’s understandable, and its easy-to-use functionality makes it even better. Also, it is available internationally, so it maintains its secular curriculum criteria. However, this option can get a bit costly.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
HMH provides a curriculum for almost all subjects. It is considered one of the famous education publishing companies. Not only this, homeschooling has been made easy with the feature that allows you to use books at home as well.
The curriculum focuses both on e-learning and studying from textbooks. Often called hybrid learning. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt makes use of
- Interactive images,
- Graphs,
- Simulations, and
- Animations.
The tools and activities provide hands-on experience for students.
This online program offers a curriculum like:
- Language arts,
- Math,
- Social studies,
- Sciences, and
- World languages.
Many schools recognize Oak Meadow as a reliable platform. It has a variety of instruction methods. The textbooks they provide are comprehensive and organized.
Khan Academy *FREE*
The online resources by Khan Academy cover a vast curriculum. Khan Academy is a non-profit organization. It provides quality education free of cost and caters to all those in search of knowledge. This curriculum is not for students only. Even teachers and parents can revise their concepts so that they can assist their kids.
Khan Academy offers secular curricula related to various fields like
- Electrical engineering,
- Health and medicine,
- Sciences,
- Computing,
- Arts and humanities,
- Finance,
- Math,
- History, and
- Grammar.
The teaching method features a comprehensive instructional and visual video. There are practice tests too, for you to assess yourself. Khan Academy provides math education with Common Core standards. The SAT preparation is also college board-approved.
Build Your Library – Charlotte Mason
Build Your Library is a majorly literature-based program. It provides secular curricula from grades k 12. This includes language arts, science, arts, and history. Amongst the few secular programs, Build Your Library is a Charlotte Mason-based curriculum. Also, it is one of those that have a complete curriculum library and up-to-date resources.
Clonlara School
Clonlara is an ideal option for a special need-based secular curriculum. When homeschooling your child, you can draft your own program according to your child’s interests and family’s budget. You can find everything from online learning to counseling.
You can avail in-person classes and distance learning. You can access all kinds of guidance that you need for a perfect secular homeschool experience. Clonlara provides programs from grades k 12. However, individualized programs and distance learning are majorly for grades 6 – 12th-grade level.
CTC Math
CTC math ensures that your child grabs onto each concept firmly. The lectures are designed to match the child’s pace as secular homeschoolers. You can access material for all grades easily and find topics organized under sub-topics.
The lessons are short and to the point, so children don’t have to struggle or get bored. Also, you can access all grades curriculum. Children struggling with previous grade-level material can revise topics without having to buy the whole curriculum
Right Start Math
Right Start Math uses visual learning to cater to all students of math. It is a research-based program. The program is even more beneficial for struggling math students. They use repetition and memorization techniques, using tricky games and interactive tests.
This program offers maths for grades 1-8, high school algebra, and geometry online. You can also get spirals, printed material, online workbooks, and curriculum packs for each grade level.
Mystery Science
Teaching science as a homeschool program can be challenging. Mystery Science teachers plan the programs according to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
It is an ideal platform to get hands-on knowledge of science with low-prep requirements. If you need a free homeschool secular curriculum, Mystery Science can prove helpful.
THiNK OUTSiDE BOXES
The concept used in this program is creativity and critical thinking. The boxes and kits are interactive, thrilling, and informative. Suitable for ages seven and up. Also, the material is reusable. The homeschool curriculum includes STEM, strategic thinking, outdoor living skills, and many other activities. This makes homeschooling even more fun.
Grammar Galaxy by Fun To Learn
Homeschool your child with engaging and interactive programs like Grammar Galaxy. The programs are well designed. Such that even reluctant students enjoy and proactively study the course.
This online program contains stories, activities, and fun puzzles for grades 1-6. This is the best option for homeschooling families looking for a secular curriculum. You can use placement tests to see where your child stands. Otherwise, engage all your children in a general grammar activity.
All About Spelling By All About Learning Press
All About Spelling is a language arts-based secular curriculum. It caters to students from grades 1-7. You can use a placement test to know your level. You can then homeschool your child accordingly. The program uses letter tiles and mouse-click games. This is to make phonics and language even more interesting. Most importantly, the transition between levels is continuous. Many students, even in high school, struggle with linking phonics and spelling.
Reading Eggs – Reading Eggs Junior – Reading Eggspress
Homeschooling starts pretty early. It begins even when the child is unable to read or write. In those cases, Reading Eggs is the best online game program. It offers your kids a secular homeschool curriculum.
There are many interactive games, songs, activities, and secular homeschool e-books that can keep your child engaged all day. This platform is divided into three groups according to the age group. Junior is for ages 2-4. Reading Eggs is for ages 3-7. Eggspress is for ages 7-13.
A Teaching Textbook
A Teaching Textbook is a homeschool math curriculum based on around 700 pages of reading text and 120-160 hours of video lectures (on DVD). The lectures connect with the reading material and provide the child step-by-step instructions. The videos help build concepts that the child can test through practice. This is solely a self-learning secular curriculum aimed at children that need help with math. The curriculum covers topics such as:
- Pre-Algebra
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Pre-Calculus
They offer a large-family-discount-plan that accommodates families that have 4-8 children. For them, the annual cost is capped at $199.08. This allows them to enroll more of their children in this curriculum without having to pay the per child fee.
REAL Science Odyssey By Pandia Press
Real Science Odyssey is a secular science curriculum. It is based on 6 volumes and is divided into 2 levels. These are reading material suitable for children in grades K 10. The topics/volumes available are:
- Level one:
- Life Science (grade K/1-4)
- Earth and Environment (grade 1-4)
- Astronomy (grade 1-4)
- Chemistry (grade 2-5)
- Physics (grade 3-6)
- Level two:
- Biology (grade 6-10)
- Astronomy (grade 6-10)
These are interesting reading material that follows the secular curriculum and is one of the best out there. Each volume is a two-part package that has a Teacher’s Guide and a Student’s Guide. The Teacher’s Guide can help secular homeschoolers navigate through the provided material to help their child learn better. The Student’s Guide contains all the readings and activities required.
There is no denying that homeschooling is a cheaper and more effective alternative to public schools. However, it is important to select the secular homeschool curriculum that suits you and your child best. Homeschooling gives parents the flexibility to adapt the curriculum to their child’s needs. This means each curriculum requires some amount of time from the parent. Unlike public schools, parents need to put all the effort into educating their children. This is an important factor to remember while choosing a curriculum from the list above.