MomtoCandJ Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Are there any secular curriculum packages? If so what do you think of them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 k12 Calvert Oak Meadow Sonlight has a contingent that use the program secularly---there's a yahoo group for it. My biggest issue with all the curriculum packages is price and that I can't resist tweaking :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 There are threads discussing each of the programs already listed. In addition, although I don't have a direct link to information, I have read more than once that there is a secular version of the Alpha-Omega [Christian] homeschool program. A special needs school in Austin, Texas was using it. Several of the public universities have programs for homeschoolers. Texas Tech, for example. These, of course, are secular programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 We have tried to Moving Beyond the Page and Calvert. Calvert is okay, we found it a little dry and boring. It uses textbooks and reading anthologies. It's very much "school at home," but it is accredited (as is Oak Meadow, which I've looked at but not used) if that is important to you. Moving Beyond the Page is a project-based, unit-study curriculum that's based on public school scope & sequence. We have been using the 5-7 level since January and it has been engaging and fits well with our main curricula (I chose to use it as a supplement this year, I'm trying to decide if I want to use the next level as our main curriculum next year or not), but I wish the topics/concepts didn't jump around so much. (For example, the main themes for the ~K-1st grade level (ages 5-7 package) are Environment, Similarities & Differences, Patterns and Change. Within the major concepts are smaller 2-3 week units. For example, Environment includes Habitats and Homes, Weather and Community. I like how the units fit into the theme, and the program demonstrates the interconnectedness of the ideas well. My only concern is that it doesn't approach history chronologically, so if I do choose to use it next year, we will still likely do SOTW alongside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 thanks, seeing the prices for these curriculum is making my bank account sick, any suggestions for secular individual materials on the cheap, mainly looking at prek and k for now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyWifeandMommy Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 SingaporeMath Modern Curriculum Press Any science experiment book from the library or book store same with history or social studies go to teh library or book store. Explode the code i think is secular Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 (edited) Total packages are always going to be expensive. Five in a Row (ages 4-8) for science, social studies, art and language arts. You might want to cut out a couple of titles, but you will have more than enough to do for Pre-K & K. They have a nice nature study supplement, too. Miquon math - if you have a fairly mathy child, she could do the orange and red books as a kindergartener Math-U-See Primer Right Start Math level A Funtastic Frogs (math) Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, Sid the Science Kid videos (Ariel loves these), books from the library for science Unit studies are good at that age. Currclick has quite a few you can download and print at reasonable prices. (Some are free!) You can get just the workbooks for Handwriting Without Tears or Zaner-Bloser and be fine. You could also look into Accelerated Achievement. I'm not sure it's entirely secular, but it's only ~$100 for K-12th grades, as long as you print out everything or are comfortable reading off the computer. Edited September 14, 2009 by Aurelia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 thanks, if it's not all secular that's fine, as long as the science part is, that is my main concern because they teach evolution in college, not creationism although I plan on explaining all the theories to her, I want to focus on evolution Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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