Secular Home Schooling?

Question

I know the majority of home school curriculum are religious or "faith-based" but are there any that are free of that and totally secular? I've got an accelerated child and I don't want him in a religious private school so I thought I could augment his public school education with a once or twice a week home school experience to keep him learning.

Any good programs?

Answer 1

Yes, there are plenty of secular homeschooling resources.  This site has literally thousands of resources, almost all of which are at a discount.  Some are Christian while others are secular. http://rainbowresource.com/index.php  You can order a free catalog from them - it's literally the size of a phone book - that could give you just about everything you could want, any age group, any subject.

Even though we are Christian, we use several secular materials.  Literature, language arts, math, history, geography...all of these are pretty much middle of the road. Science is really the only area where you will find a marked distinction between worldviews, with creation and evolution, and there are great resources on both sides.

Hope that helps!

Edit...I agree with Glee.  Ignore Flyboy.  Your question is fine :-)

Answer 2

Homeschooling is more of a lifestyle than something one does a couple of hours a day... but there are lots of ways to supplement your child's education.

Spectrum workbooks, available in most major bookstore chains, are great for skills practice. They are not religious based and come for all subjects and grade levels.

There are also computer programs such as the "Advantage" series (Elementary Advantage, Middle School Advantage, etc.) that are great for computer learning, along with Jumpstart series which are fun.

I would probably not seek to supplement with more bookwork/skills practice, however, if my child were in school... I would probably seek more hands-on and experiential opportunities in order to transfer learning-- volunteering, chess clubs, joining a class or group at a hands-on museum or nature preserve, working on various projects, performing arts classes or just going to theaters, getting into politics or the stock market together and having lively discussions-- things that really help develop and put basic skills  to use.

Good luck to you.

Answer 3

Saxon math is great.  Google it and it will provide you with placement tests.  " Easy  Grammar" and   "Easy Writing" are great workbooks by Wanda Philips.  It can be difficult to find a secular curriculum.

Answer 4

There are pre-packaged curriculum's available to you that are secular. I don't use pre-packed curriculum, though. Check out your local teaching supply store, Amazon.com or Google secular or Humanist homeschool. There is also a book called Guerrilla Schooling that you might enjoy. I put my own together and have had no trouble finding secular materials. Good luck!

EDIT: Ignore Flyboy. Your question is completely reasonable and the hostility was ridiculous.

Answer 5

You'd probably be better off not going with a structured program but just adding to whatever he's doing or loves. Go to the library and find books on things he's interested in--science, ewngineering, anything--and do projects together. Buy him a math workbook that is at his level rather than what the school is having him do (or even talk to his teacher about working ahead in his school text and moving up a math grade before everyone else).

Enrichment classes for gifted kids often just provide them with time to explore personal interests rather than accelerating their knowledge. Just expose him to lots and work with him on challenging things.

Answer 6

Saxon Math is an excellent program.  

We are a secular family and use Sonlight (which has a definite evangenlical Christian tilt).  It isn't so hard to modify to suit your beliefs, and I like the fact it opens up discussion angles for me.  

E.D. Hirsch has written a whole series on "What Your __grader Should Know" which are interesting and secular.

Good luck with your "after-schooling" !

Answer 7

Here's a page where a lady answers the same question, recommending non-religious curriculum: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Home-Schoolin...

Answer 8

Since you are only looking to supplement, you can probably find all you need at the library or on-line for free.

You didn't indicate what grade level the child is performing at.. or the age of the child.. so its hard to recommend specific sites.. but you might try some of these, they range from preschool level on up.  Some of them are free sites and some are selling supplies... I think I weeded out all of the christian ones from the list, but if one or two got missed feel free to ignore those and make use of the others.

http://www.starfall.com

http://www.handwritingforkids.com

http://www.enchantedlearning.com

http://www.abcteach.com

http://www.homeschooldiscount.com

http://www.homeschoolstockroom.com

http://www.rocksolidinc.com

http://www.earlychildhoodlinks.com

http://www.kn.att.com

http://www.first-school.ws

http://www.wxdude.com

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/star

http://www.members.aol.com/don

http://about.com/education

http://www.freeworksheets.com

http://teacher.scholastic.com

http://www.tisbooks.com

http://www.mathsisfun.com

http://www.coolmath.com

http://www.dltk-kids.com

http://www.auntlee.com

http://www.funbrain.com

http://www.brainpopjr.com

http://www.iknowthat.com

http://kidsites.com

http://www.spelltime.com

http://www.eclectichomeschool.org

http://www.rainbowresource.com

http://www.donnayoung.org

http://alphaphonics.com

http://www.triviumpursuit.com

http://themathworksheetsite.com

http://startwrite.com

Answer 9

Try this web site:

http://www.angelfire.com/or/mtdewbydo/se...

Answer 10

of course there are!!!

i get so tired of EVERYONE assuming that all homeschoolers are home-schooled because of religion!!

this is firkin retarded man, "www.google.com" its a wonderful place with a little searchbox that only those bible-bomping home-schooled losers know how to use, because--you know we cant be exposed to the outside world for fear of being tainted by the mortal sin of the public schoolers!!

                                                     **NOT**

so we stay locked up in our house all the time learning not "things" but how to LEARN so tat we will not be pimple on the *** of society!! unlike the youth of America ho will all end up agnostic emo kids with no purpose but to work at the fruit of the loom factory making underwear for the rich doctors who were made fun of in high-school for being "that kid who never come too school"

dude, think for yourself--just do it.

Answer 11

As a Muslim my answer would be simple. If we don't like anything to do with faith (i.e beleiving God), then we simply don't belong  to this God-created world. Please find other world for you and your children if you wish.