Are you a secular or Christian homeschooler?

[dcurry]

I was interested in finding out what kinds of homeschoolers made up this classical education board. Please choose the option that best describes your family. (Choices to follow).

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I chose strictly Christian. We do some secular supplements when needed (because there are a ton of good secular supplements), but our curriculum is Creation based, Christian worldview. We would not do a charter school though (if we were to do that, IMO I might as well have them in PS)

 

Just our views!

Edited August 28, 2010 by wy_kid_wrangler04

[dcurry]

The poll is out now. (It takes time to type in the poll options...)

[HRAAB]

This seems to happen too frequently. Why are Catholics, Mormons and now even the Amish separated from the Christian category?

[Wheres Toto]

I put Secular, some religious materials acceptable because I plan to teach about all religions at some point. I don't plan to use any Christian homeschooling materials (Science, History, Math, etc.) but I will at some point use Religious materials of various denominations to teach about those religions.

[Mom in High Heels]

We are secular, but we do discuss religions. All religions and beliefs, not just Christian.

[NanceXToo]

Well, my family is Jewish, but not very religious. We do celebrate basically two holidays (Passover and Hanukkah). More for a sense of tradition and heritage than for true religious purposes.

 

I homeschool secularly and do not buy religious curriculum. For that reason I chose the first option (though maybe you would have wanted me to pick the second, I don't know) :D

[sbgrace]

This seems to happen too frequently. Why are Catholics, Mormons and now even the Amish separated from the Christian category?

I took it as using materials/curriculum from that perspective exclusively? I know you can do that for Mennonite/Amish anyway (CLE).

[lllll]

...

[HRAAB]

I took it as using materials/curriculum from that perspective exclusively? I know you can do that for Mennonite/Amish anyway (CLE).

 

I thought about that after I posted. Catholics and Amish do have their own materials, but I'm pretty sure Mormons don't.

[mmasmommy]

I put Secular, some religious materials acceptable because I plan to teach about all religions at some point. I don't plan to use any Christian homeschooling materials (Science, History, Math, etc.) but I will at some point use Religious materials of various denominations to teach about those religions.

 

This :)

[dcurry]

This seems to happen too frequently. Why are Catholics, Mormons and now even the Amish separated from the Christian category?

 

 

I wasn't saying that Catholic, Mormon & Amish were not Christian, I was just trying to be more specific w/i the Christian community. I know there are separate Catholic & Amish curriculum, and if one was STRICTLY using those and not other Christian curriculum, it would be interesting to know. But if one is Catholic but uses any Christian curriculum, you could choose the Christian options....

 

I'm not trying to be divisive, but rather interested in what this group's general beliefs were. I know everyone has their own beliefs & styles of homeschooling, as well as what curriculum is acceptable to use.

[sassenach]

I voted Christian/secular stuff ok, but in reality we use mostly Christian based materials. We have been a part of a charter (although we are not currently) and I am not opposed to using some secular material. I don't think I would ever solely use secular materials.

[nmoira]

*sigh* There are people of faith on this board who are not Christian, and who might not appreciate being thrown into the equivalent of "other" when you've chosen to break down flavours of Christianity to such a degree. "Religious" doesn't necessarily mean "Christian."

 

We are atheist and homeschool secularly.

 

ETA: I don't know how to answer the poll, because I don't know what is meant by "religious materials." Learning about different faiths is part of our homeschooling experience. Using, say, Rod & Staff math is not.

Edited August 29, 2010 by nmoira
typo

[Carrie12345]

I put Secular, some religious materials acceptable because I plan to teach about all religions at some point. I don't plan to use any Christian homeschooling materials (Science, History, Math, etc.) but I will at some point use Religious materials of various denominations to teach about those religions.

 

:iagree:

We actually do a lot of religious education, but from an academic/social perspective, not as our personal belief.

[MeaganS]

I'm Mormon, but I plan on homeschooling mostly secularly, using whatever materials fit the best scholastically, whether that is secular or Christian or something else all together. I have a feeling I'd probably fit in better with secular homeschoolers, for the most part.

[Ester Maria]

I voted the second option (secular, some religious materials acceptable).

 

We DO NOT teach any of the classes - especially not sciences - through the strict prism of a religious worldview. Because of that, we are highly unlikely to choose any curriculum which is based on that, let alone which preselects which content may be studied based on what the prism lets pass.

 

On the other hand, we do study Judaics on a regular basis (Hebrew language and literature; Jewish Bible; some Rabbinical scholarship, theology and philosophy) as well as expand our History studies to include specifically Jewish history, genesis of current religious trends and migrations, etc. We treat it as an academic rather than a religious field, since our basic orientation is secular, but there remains a strong national duty to inform our daughters of those things.

 

Being that we opted for a classical education, and being that education necessarily entails a worldview and cultural context, as well as that there is a vast scholarship in classical languages that pertains specifically to non-Jewish religious matters, we often include these things as well to see the whole picture. Also, a basic study of world religions is a must at some point for the sake of cultural literacy. Therefore, one cannot say that our schooling is "religion free" - but it certainly does not dictate how we approach other subjects, and we do actively try to stay away from homeschool materials with a religious agenda for other subjects, and again I emphasize, particularly sciences.

[meet me in paris]

This seems to happen too frequently. Why are Catholics, Mormons and now even the Amish separated from the Christian category?

Because on hs boards, Christian = Evangelical... didn't you get the memo? ;)

[shannatheshedevil]

Secular all the way, but I wouldn't kick religious material out of bed if it were the right fit.

[regentrude]

I am a Christian who uses secular materials for homeschooling.

And who, btw, finds it offending that Catholics apparently aren't considered Christians anymore.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Because on hs boards, Christian = Evangelical... didn't you get the memo? ;)

 

And for this reason your poll results may be rather confusing. You might find that members of main stream denominations are unable to choose Christian even if they use religious homeschooling materials. Not to mention the plethora of religious practices not specified that have to choose other.

[Pretty in Pink]

We are Christian but prefer some secular materials (science, math).

[AMDG]

This seems to happen too frequently. Why are Catholics, Mormons and now even the Amish separated from the Christian category?

 

I don't know if this question has been answered yet, but there are many Christian curriculums that are considered to be Anti-Catholic (to Catholics). Also, while Catholics are Christians, using a solely Christian curriculum wouldn't be adequate for many Catholics because many aspects of the Catholic faith aren't touched.

[Amy in NH]

We are secular, but we do discuss religions. All religions and beliefs, not just Christian.

 

:iagree:

[Caitilin]

We're Episcopalian, and I said we school secularly, with some religious materials acceptable. Acceptable would not include science materials, and to a lesser extent, mathematics.

[justamouse]

Christian, with secular materials preferred. I hate having to comb through for doctrine. If I don't agree with the secular, it's much easier to pick out.

[HRAAB]

I don't know if this question has been answered yet, but there are many Christian curriculums that are considered to be Anti-Catholic (to Catholics). Also, while Catholics are Christians, using a solely Christian curriculum wouldn't be adequate for many Catholics because many aspects of the Catholic faith aren't touched.

 

Quite true. I think it can just be chalked up to the fact that I'm feeling a tad cranky today and should probably not be posting. My 'gripe' is that often in homeschooling communities Catholics, LDS, JW, and now Amish are not included in Christianity. It's an old gripe of mine. If one wants to separate different flavors of Christianity, why not say Catholic Christians, LDS Christians, etc.

 

Ever since I started homeschooling over 15 years ago, I have been trying to convince different people that Catholics are indeed Christians. Now I've taken on trying to convince them LDS and JWs are Chrsitian.

 

If I misread the OP's intent, I apologize. However, many times it is intentional.

[dcurry]

I am a Christian who uses secular materials for homeschooling.

And who, btw, finds it offending that Catholics apparently aren't considered Christians anymore.

 

I really wasn't intending to imply that Catholics weren't Christian. Maybe I should have left off the Catholic, Mormon, & Amish, but I was just curious if anyone had limited themselves to those particular beliefs and would use curriculum geared towards only that, not just generally Christian. If they were currently all with 0 replies, and if I could delete those options from the poll, I would. I really wasn't trying to offend anyone, but rather try to find out how people categorize themselves. Some people have strong opinions about it, and others, not so much.

 

Kind of like a poll on which kinds of drinks you like, and one of the choices was coffee and another mocha. It kind of implies that mocha isn't coffee, but rather it's just more specific. (btw, I like mochas, but not plain coffee so much). :-)

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Well, we are strictly secular during school hours as far as materials are concerned; however, we discuss our faith and pray throughout the day.

 

I guess we are secular homeschoolers. :seeya:

[dcurry]

And for this reason your poll results may be rather confusing. You might find that members of main stream denominations are unable to choose Christian even if they use religious homeschooling materials. Not to mention the plethora of religious practices not specified that have to choose other.

 

I actually didn't see a plethora of "other", but put it there in case someone really didn't feel that any of the categories fit them. I think the person who said "Christian = evangelical" was just having fun with the terms. I wasn't trying to limit it in any way, but rather just wanted an idea of what members of this board considered themselves (not what you thought other people would consider you to be). And again, "other" is quite an acceptable answer.

[Deeke]

Stricly Secular here.

[HRAAB]

I really wasn't intending to imply that Catholics weren't Christian. Maybe I should have left off the Catholic, Mormon, & Amish, but I was just curious if anyone had limited themselves to those particular beliefs and would use curriculum geared towards only that, not just generally Christian. If they were currently all with 0 replies, and if I could delete those options from the poll, I would. I really wasn't trying to offend anyone, but rather try to find out how people categorize themselves. Some people have strong opinions about it, and others, not so much.

 

Kind of like a poll on which kinds of drinks you like, and one of the choices was coffee and another mocha. It kind of implies that mocha isn't coffee, but rather it's just more specific. (btw, I like mochas, but not plain coffee so much). :-)

 

I'm sorry I assumed something that wasn't there. Mea culpa.

 

On my best days I'm agnostic, my dh is Catholic, children are being raised Catholic. I will only use secular materials for science. In other areas I'm open to using Christian materials, whether Protestant or Catholic. Just depends on whether they pass my standards. I have a collection of both Protestant and Catholic history materials since I like to see it from all sides. When it comes to math and English I prefer just the facts without any preaching of any kind. I use Catholic materials for catechesis; however, I've used Protestant materials for things like teaching virtues and such. Just depends.

[dm379]

I chose option #2. I would prefer completely secular but it's so hard to find good stuff that I use some non-secular materials and edit out. Religion is a separate class and we don't favor one over the other.

[cjshima]

Christian, with secular materials preferred. I hate having to comb through for doctrine. If I don't agree with the secular, it's much easier to pick out.

 

I am Christian but the kids are part of a public charter school. I don't mind the secular material, and if I don't agree with it I teach my kids what we believe and why (opportunity to point out what the Bible teaches about that).

[Veritaserum]

Secular homeschooler here. It was an academic decision for us and we have no interest in infusing our religious beliefs into every lesson. We accept an old earth and evolution, so Christian science programs would not work for us.

 

My second dd uses CLE for math, LA, and reading. I feel conflicted about using a religious publisher because some of them tend to be very heavy-handed with doctrine and unkind toward other beliefs. CLE seems to be fine so far. It works for dd because it is gentle. If there were a secular option that worked the same way, I would use it.

 

As far as I'm aware no one publishes homeschooling materials specifically for my denomination. Homeschoolig is fairly uncommon within our church as a whole. I doubt I'd use a religious program even if it were specific to our church.

[celticmom]

I currently use secular materials but am not opposed to various Christian material except in the area of science especially biology.

[Heidi]

OOoops. I'm the one that voted strictly Mormon, but I'm not strictly Mormon at all. I'm doing ambleside & R&S, with other stuff...

 

I'm tired.

[patchfire]

Well, we are strictly secular during school hours

 

:iagree:

[MissKNG]

I'm strictly a Christian (and conservative and fundamental and Evangelical and a Zionist) but I do use secular materials. Unfortunately not all of the Christian materials fit my kiddos' needs.

[x02100sks]

I currently use secular materials but am not opposed to various Christian material except in the area of science especially biology.

 

:iagree:

[dangermom]

I'm Mormon, but I plan on homeschooling mostly secularly, using whatever materials fit the best scholastically, whether that is secular or Christian or something else all together. I have a feeling I'd probably fit in better with secular homeschoolers, for the most part.

 

I could have written that, so :iagree:. I'm not sure if there is such a thing as a "strictly Mormon homeschooling curriculum." I mostly use secular materials, but I also use R&S grammar, Latina Christiana, and Classical Writing. And I subscribe to Secular Homeschooling.

[Melissa in FL]

We are Christians. I consider us Secular homeschoolers because we don't homeschool for religious reasons. I do use R&S English because I really think it's the best out there. Other than that we don't use any religious material, although we do have conversations about religions all the time. I also belong to the local Secular homeschooling groups. Many of the people in those groups are Christian like we are, they just don't school for that reason.

Melissa

[Tree House Academy]

I am a Christian homeschooler, but I do not always choose Christian curriculum. I happen to be using a lot of it right now, but that doesn't mean I refused to use secular...just that I found something Christian that I really love. :)

[Perry]

I chose strictly secular, although we've used some Christian materials in the past. I used Rod and Staff English because it was the best I could find, although I wasn't especially happy about it. Once we found a secular curriculum (Hake, then MCT) we switched.

[leighp]

I couldn't decide which category we fit best in, so I voted other. We are using Winter Promise for our main core and language arts. I believe they are Baptist. We are Seventh-Day Adventist, so we are using an additional Bible curriculum that is taught in Adventist schools.

[Jen+4dc]

I'm Mormon, but I plan on homeschooling mostly secularly, using whatever materials fit the best scholastically, whether that is secular or Christian or something else all together. I have a feeling I'd probably fit in better with secular homeschoolers, for the most part.

:iagree:

 

We DO NOT teach any of the classes - especially not sciences - through the strict prism of a religious worldview. Because of that, we are highly unlikely to choose any curriculum which is based on that, let alone which preselects which content may be studied based on what the prism lets pass.

:iagree:

 

Secular homeschooler here. It was an academic decision for us and we have no interest in infusing our religious beliefs into every lesson.

As far as I'm aware no one publishes homeschooling materials specifically for my denomination. Homeschoolig is fairly uncommon within our church as a whole. I doubt I'd use a religious program even if it were specific to our church.

:iagree::iagree:

 

 

We are Christians. I consider us Secular homeschoolers because we don't homeschool for religious reasons.

:iagree:

 

Yup, that's me, too! I don't choose my materials based on religion, but based on my kids' needs and steer clear of religious science as much as I possibly can.:D

[Rhea]

When I'm choosing materials I'm looking for quality and that it be a "fit" for my child. We also use a charter school. But even though we're with a charter school, I often times buy materials and pay for classes that the charter school won't reimburse for, such as The Potter's School for Latin and CLE math.

 

Why were charters included like that? Do some people avoid them for religious reasons?

 

Anyhow, I seem to be an Other. Which I suppose is better than a bother, but not near as good as mother. ;)

[eclipse]

I voted other. We are an atheist/agnostic family. I'm not interested in using any religious based curriculum. However, we do study religion and Bible stories.

[nono]

Other too. I'm Roman Catholic (with Protestant and Jewish heritage). My husband is Taoist (Chinese). Our kids are being raised Episcopalian/Buddhist. I use some Roman Catholic materials, and have found WP's sciences for the littles fine. We use stories of Prince Siddhartha, along with the (Episcopalian) Book of Common Prayer and a Roman Catholic children's Bible for religious studies.

 

Is anyone's head bleeding yet? :D

[TN Mama]

I voted secular homeschooler with some Christian materials acceptable. We're using several Christian publishers this year, but I didn't select them because of that, and instead because they seem to be what best suits my children at this time.