Can anyone help me find NON-Christian curriculum etc.

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Unlike so many homeschools we just aren't Christian based and all the catalogues and curriculum seem to be so. I am having a hard time finding good useful stuff (especially sciences and history) of a secular nature.....

-- Novina in ND (homespun@stellarnet.com), January 30, 2002

Answers

One option might be used public school textbooks (I think they sell them at certain times of the year). Contrary to what some people think, the books themselves aren't all bad. You might also be able to homeschool under what some places call "independent study" that is, you're teaching at home, but using the district's materials.

Even among the Christian-based religions there are differences that show up in the curricula(e?) you are referring to that can be offensive to those of different flavors of Christianity.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 30, 2002.


Have you looked at Calvert School? How old is your child/children?

www.calvertschool.org

Like you I don't want to use a religious based cirriculum. My son is 5. Last year I used the Kindergarten program from Calvert. This year we are just doing our own thing. I also like the Hirsch books "Everything Your First Grader Should Know" etc.... We also check books out of the library, they have lots of science books, easy readers, math books, history, most overything you can think of especially for the younger kids (elementary and midlle school).

-- Anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), January 30, 2002.


This site seems to cover everything, but no specific listing for non- Christian materials that I saw, however according to the site: I was once asked why I include info such as whether a particular site was Christian or non-Christian & why don't I just put up the "good ones." I set up this site to help EVERYONE. HomeSchool Chat, http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8259/webchats.html

-- BC (
desertdweller44@yahoo.com), January 30, 2002.

www.vegsource.com has homeschooler's forums and information. Any kind of homeschooling situation that you may have--nonchristian, christian, unschooling etc. Also, used books for sale.

-- vicki in NW OH (thga76@aol.com), January 30, 2002.

High school age kids? try www.americanschoolofcorr.com

We liked their program some years ago when we homeschooled our 3 kids.

Talk to you later.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), January 30, 2002.



oakmeadow school

still, what about unschooling?

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), January 30, 2002.


I am a Christian and eventually moved on to my own curriculum but in the beginning I used Calvert. Their academics are very good and they use secular books. They do not exclude God but they don't promote any particular denomination. They only go through the 8th grade though. But after that...hey you can just wing it. Artie Ann

-- Artie Ann Karns (rokarns@arkansas.net), February 01, 2002.

SO much stuff!!!!

Don't rule out the Christian distibutors, many of them have standard stuff, handwriting, etc, available that you may be interested in. Try the web sites of any publisher you can think of and you will find lots of neat stuff. Scholastic, Prentice Hall, etc. Our favorite distibutor is a small homschooling family owned business called Timberdoodle.com. For history get the Greenleaf Press catalog and just use the secular books, if you want.

Go to the library and see what they have. DK and Usborne are publishers with many many exciting science books. Brown Paper Bag (search this as a series at the library) books cover many areas and the kids will love them. G.A. Henty's fiction books for jr and sr history are good vocabulary builders as well as enjoyable reading. Email me if you want more ideas.

-- EBethH in PA (ehiggins@pct.edu), February 13, 2002.


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