What Is A Christian Homeschool Curriculum?
Christian homeschooling is the most widespread type of homeschooling, especially in Christian families. As a result, there are numerous resources and programs available.
There are many varied beliefs, religions, and methods of teaching when it comes to homeschooling with a Christian focus, so it can be hard to determine what would be classified as a Christian homeschool curriculum, and what would not.
This demonstrates that there are distinctions between programs that have a religious basis compared to their secular and non-biased alternatives. This can help classify them more easily.
In contrast to secular homeschooling or common public schooling, a Christian curriculum will bring up references related to God, faith, and the Bible, and will attempt to link its educational material to Christian values to some degree.
Moreover, if a Christian based home education program needs to address potentially disputable issues, like the theory of evolution, they insist on a scripture-based outlook.
What Subjects Do Christian Homeschooling Curricula Cover?
Having faith can be a key factor in schooling philosophies, therefore it isn’t shocking that Christian homeschoolers would want their educational material to demonstrate this as much as possible.
Some might be surprised to discover that there are educational programs rooted in faith for almost every subject from kindergarten to 12th grade, even for those who are new to homeschooling and are familiar with Christian science education.
Examples include Christian language arts, social studies, history, economics, and other educational programs.
There are curricula in math that are both thorough and demanding and take a spiritual perspective. They demonstrate how skills for the subject relate to problems based on religious beliefs and utilize conventional principles of teaching, value traditional beliefs, discuss God’s purpose, and how the magnificence of His world can be understood through math.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Christian Homeschool Curriculum
Denominations
There are numerous divisions of Christianity, the most prominent being Protestantism, Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy.
There is a wide spectrum of Protestant denominations, such as Baptist, Methodist, Adventist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian, just to name a few.
Equivalently, a great many Christian homeschooling curriculums fit into certain frameworks, allowing moms and dads to match their kid’s educational plan precisely with the core convictions and standards of their family and community.
Many homeschooling programs exist that offer a more general outlook on Christianity which do not concentrate on any one specific doctrine, but instead incorporate core Christian ethics, faith in God, belief in Jesus, and include the Bible.
Parents ought to reflect on how their spiritual requirements and tastes fit with the teachings of any Christian educational program they might be considering.
Parents must contemplate if they would rather employ an educational program with an exact Christian belief, which could increase comprehension and correspond to their own faith, but decrease the choices of programs, or a more extensive Christian outlook, which could broaden the options but may necessitate making certain modifications.
Curriculum Style and Approach
It is usually assumed that a Christian home-schooling program involves utilizing a more time-honored, Classical style of instruction.
Though this holds certainty for certain families, these days parents have the ability to locate Christian based homeschooling programs that employ an array of approaches to educate kids.
An example of Christian educational programming is the Charlotte Mason approach, which includes utilizing living books, narrating exercises, nature studies, narrating/copywriting, and other methods of teaching.
Montessori curricula combine Christian principles as well as experiential learning, group exercises, and student autonomy in their educational programs.
Christian Unit studies are also available, allowing students to invest a few hours studying topics that all relate to each other in one way or another across several different classes.
Christians who homeschool can pick eclectic programs which blend elements from diverse approaches to meet the needs and objectives of an individual student.
In conclusion, Christian parents may select math curricula that vary in their methods and approaches. There are programs that place an emphasis on quick and precise computation, incorporating drills and math facts to achieve this, while other curricula focus more on helping student comprehend why mathematics operates the way it does, while developing their evaluative and strategic math abilities.
Parents should consider the various approaches when judging a homeschool program.
The techniques that a particular program uses can have a remarkable effect on the job of the guardian, the student, and the entire layout of lessons during the year, and may not be all that convenient or accustomed to for a family to experience.
Degree or Depth of Biblical Integration
It has been pointed out that it is often unclear what constitutes a Christian homeschool program.
Although various learning programs talk about God, the Bible, and Christian principles, the amount in which they discuss these matters may be quite different.
Some programs merge and incorporate Christian perspectives and beliefs throughout their teaching area, taking the time to examine the ideas and directly tying them together with the Bible or Christian beliefs and ideas.
In contrast, there are some who might instead concentrate on the matter at hand and make only slight or incidental allusions to God, Jesus or the Scriptures.
It ultimately comes down to personal preference in regards to which type of homeschooling is best.
Christian Light Education has been present for more than half a century, providing numerous schools and homeschools with its curriculum. When I was a kid, I applied this educational program in my homeschooling. It sends out gospel-related packages that come directly to your home. The spiral curriculum adopts the use of compact booklets, called ‘paces’, to be finished in the span of two weeks. Completing the task gives them a feeling of achievement.
What is unique about this program?
CLE provides a biblically based homeschooling program, which is not similar to the non-religious homeschooling curriculum suppliers.
The curriculum is distinct from other programs due to the fact that it relies entirely on printed materials. The curriculum providers think that limiting screen time is advantageous for kids since an excess of it could be harmful to their educational advancement and general growth.
Christian Light Education strives to make students feel proud and satisfied when they complete a workbook in a span of 15-17 days.
A kid’s regular instruction provides fresh ideas in small, easily understandable pieces for a greater understanding. They utilize a cyclical education strategy that regularly reviews concepts already taught.
Starting in grade 2, instruction is provided in a fashion that encourages students to be self-motivated and work on their own. This can be beneficial for parents and will help kids learn how to complete tasks independently.
Why did the Christian Light Education curriculum begin?
The founders of Christian Light Education realized there were hardly any Christian curriculum providers who had a conservative point of view and gave a high standard of education, which ultimately formed the basis of the organization. They wanted to fill this gap.
In the past half century, countless books and pamphlets have been produced for Christian schools and those who choose to teach their children at home.
How many years has this program been running?
Christian Light Education has been publishing curriculum since 1980. Christian Light initiated the printing of their first educational series, Light Units, in 1980 with the permission from Alpha Omega Publications to amend and publish certain sections fromAlpha Omega.
Christian Light later began writing its own curriculum. The new classes were referred to as the Sunrise Edition to distinguish them from preceding ones. Since that point in time, CLE has put in a lot of effort to devise a new program, bringing out fresh courses on a regular basis. The following courses are not yet available in Sunrise Edition:
Bible: Grades 10-12
Math: Grades 10-12
Science: Grades 3, 4, 7-12
Social Studies: Grades 9-12
The courses that were released a while ago are just printed with one color, they have no daily sections, and they do not employ the Sunrise Edition system of gradual teaching and consistent reviewing.
Does the Christian Light Education curriculum cater to special needs?
The curriculum is not specifically created to target any certain type of learning struggle, however the continual review system of reinforcing learned material can be beneficial for students who have difficulty with learning.
A lot of pupils who have issues with learning or are slower than average have determined that the Christian Light educational program is the ideal solution for them because they can work at a more relaxed speed without having to worry about missing any review material.
Gifted learners have the option to move through our courses at a quicker pace than expected.
Is the curriculum aimed more towards any particular learning style?
This curriculum is not novel or new, but it still has advantages for those with a visual style of learning.
What format does the Christian Light Education curriculum take?
CLE produces a hard copy curriculum exclusively. Its material is not online. Instead of going to a store to buy the item, it can be bought from a list or directory and then sent to your residence.
Which homeschool method does the Christian Light Education curriculum most closely follow?
This program is designed to work in both school and homeschool environments, so it has a more conventional approach.
How much time does a parent have to spend in hands-on teaching (or supervised teaching) with children?
This depends largely on the grade level. First graders need to be taught in a more hands-on environment, whereas older students can work independently with parental supervision.
Typically, from 3rd grade and above, students can complete a large part of their work self-initiated, as the parent introduces newly learnt topics each day and assists with queries and troubles when necessary.
Do parents need to purchase any extras, supplements, or additional books?
Christian Light Education provides a full set of materials needed for teaching.
For younger grades, there are different educational resources including flashcards, reference sheets, and wall decorations. A few of these products are viewed as critical while the rest are not required.
Print-outs are accessible for all our elementary Language Arts classes.
Does the CLE curriculum work well for teaching multiple ages?
Christian Light curriculum is geared towards allowing students to glean knowledge and understanding with less parental support, allowing parents to be present for all of their children without burning out from over exertion.
Homeschool Plus is a supplementary benefiting service that is open to those who desire it that can lend a hand in organizing and handling homeschool documents.
Is the curriculum flexible? In what way?
It is suggested that learners begin with whatever academic level they feel they can successfully manage, instead of trying to keep up with their standard grade. To assist with student positioning, particularly for those who are moving into Christian Light from other programs, they provide a complimentary diagnostics assessment for Math and Language Arts.
If a student is performing below their usual academic standard, it is advisable to begin working at that level. When a student is prepared for more demanding information than the one that they are currently being taught, it is possible for them to progress faster than one lesson a day by completing the component of the lesson focusing on the new concept and lowering the number of problems done in the review portion.
Does Christian Light Education curriculum come with multiple schedules?
No. However, it is a quick course to complete.
That means, typically the curricula consists of 10 workbooks and each day can be devoted to a different topic. These Five-LightUnit courses are designed to be completed within one semester, or be utilised for 2-3 days a week across the whole year.
Is it hard to catch up if you miss a day?
A typical course requires about 170 lessons to fulfill the academic requirements for a 180-day school year with a bit of leeway for family scheduling.
How much planning (prep work like cutting, preparing or copying) is required before you begin?
Prior to giving the LightUnit to the learner, the student must take out both quizzes and the test contained in the LightUnit workbook. This is as easy as getting out two sheets with holes in them and taking out the quiz that is stayed together in the middle of the exercise book.
Certain educational activities – particularly at the elementary school level – require some preparation. Optional activities require more preparation time.
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