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**Thunderzee** · 06-27-2012, 01:07 AM

Salaam Pouring Rain:

Mathematics can be taught with curriculum that is already available on the market. When choosing math curriculum, I stayed away from abeka and saxon math. What Christian curriculum offers parents is structure and ease and a sense of belonging to a wider community rather than tackling homeschooling alone. I know homeschooling in the US has undergone some important shifts where the landscape is no longer just about homeschooler (read Christian) vs. non-homeschooler/state but there are groups now within the homeschooling community that are strengthened by money and resources that aren't as available for those outside the fold and in this landscape one sees the more established (and in a sense older) Christian groups on one side and the rest of us on the other. The downside to all of this is that where homeschooling was (and still is to some degree) a push against state mandated curriculum, we now have groups who push curriculum within the homeschool community, driving a wedge between them and others. They lobby for their interests and help make curriculum that fits their worldview but this does not solve the problem for the rest of the homeschoolers. Those of us who homeschool may be familiar with curriculum fairs and all sorts of bells and whistles (curriculum and tools) to help educate our children and it adds up $$$$. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Christian groups need less state funding than other groups who piece together their curriculum which not only adds to frustration (sometimes) but also can add up ($) quite quickly. Homeschoolers need to stay on top of their state/provincial legislation relating to education. Homeschoolers need to keep it simple and not be taken in by all the fancy, colourful gadgets out there. Homeschoolers need to get in touch with others and form communities where they can exchange tools/curriculum and even help each other teach various skills they have. It would be nice to have affordable Islamic curriculum (especially since state funding can be $0 or, like my province, up to $1500 per school year)... but I still don't think math is the area where Islamic curriculum is needed.

06-27-2012, 01:07 AM	#7
Thunderzee Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 421 Senior Member	Salaam Pouring Rain: Mathematics can be taught with curriculum that is already available on the market. When choosing math curriculum, I stayed away from abeka and saxon math. What Christian curriculum offers parents is structure and ease and a sense of belonging to a wider community rather than tackling homeschooling alone. I know homeschooling in the US has undergone some important shifts where the landscape is no longer just about homeschooler (read Christian) vs. non-homeschooler/state but there are groups now within the homeschooling community that are strengthened by money and resources that aren't as available for those outside the fold and in this landscape one sees the more established (and in a sense older) Christian groups on one side and the rest of us on the other. The downside to all of this is that where homeschooling was (and still is to some degree) a push against state mandated curriculum, we now have groups who push curriculum within the homeschool community, driving a wedge between them and others. They lobby for their interests and help make curriculum that fits their worldview but this does not solve the problem for the rest of the homeschoolers. Those of us who homeschool may be familiar with curriculum fairs and all sorts of bells and whistles (curriculum and tools) to help educate our children and it adds up $$$$. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Christian groups need less state funding than other groups who piece together their curriculum which not only adds to frustration (sometimes) but also can add up ($) quite quickly. Homeschoolers need to stay on top of their state/provincial legislation relating to education. Homeschoolers need to keep it simple and not be taken in by all the fancy, colourful gadgets out there. Homeschoolers need to get in touch with others and form communities where they can exchange tools/curriculum and even help each other teach various skills they have. It would be nice to have affordable Islamic curriculum (especially since state funding can be $0 or, like my province, up to $1500 per school year)... but I still don't think math is the area where Islamic curriculum is needed.
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