Christian Homeschool Curriculum: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents
Introduction to Christian Homeschool Curriculum
Are you considering home education for your family? If so, we are excited for you to begin this adventure of a lifetime. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide for parents to help in this transition. We know it can be overwhelming, so we’ve compiled a list of key factors to consider when choosing a Christian curriculum, a list of lesser-known Apologia offerings, some ideas for integrating Christan values into your homeschool, and a list of resources for a “living” Christian homeschool education.
Benefits of Christian Homeschooling
There is no shortage of benefits of Christian Homeschooling. A few of the many benefits include:
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- Having the freedom to educate your children using a faith-based curriculum
- Having a flexible schedule to focus on what is important to your family (i.e., faith, family, rest, etc.)
- Having the ability to cater your homeschool to your children’s learning style, topics of interest and talent, etc.
- Having the ability to build family closeness by spending your days together instead of going separate ways
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Christian Curriculum
Once you’ve decided to homeschool, you still have many choices to make, one of which is what curriculum to use. Some key factors to consider when choosing a Christian curriculum include the homeschooling method, the learning style, the overall content quality and layout, and the requirements in your state.
Method
It can take some time to narrow down the homeschool method that best works for your family, and that’s okay! The fact that you are going to tailor your student’s education to them will make all the difference in their continued love of learning and their level of retention. Some popular homeschool methods include:
- Charlotte Mason
- Eclectic
- Traditional
- Classical homeschooling
- Montessori
- Unit Study
- Unschooling
Here’s a great resource for more information on the most popular methods.
Learning Style
Consider the way the information in the curriculum is presented. If your student learns best by listening, you will want to make sure there are audio or video components. If your student is a kinesthetic learner, you will want to make sure there are lots of hands-on activities.
Content
Make sure that the curriculum is presented from a Biblical worldview (for example, Evolution vs. Creationism). You may also want to assess the level of difficulty of the course. If your student is strong in the subject, look for a more rigorous program, but if they struggle in that area, look for one that will allow them to learn at a slower pace.
State Requirements
Finally, be sure to check your state’s homeschool requirements before making your purchase. Don’t find out at the end of the school year that your curriculum did not meet your state’s requirements or find out that your student is behind because they needed to complete a prerequisite for a credited course. Keeping meticulous records is also helpful in case there is ever any question about your student completing the required courses. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association is a great resource for this.
Other Apologia Homeschool Curriculum Offerings
Apologia offers a great selection of award-winning science, math, and Bible courses for your homeschool, but did you know we also offer a variety of English, history, math, and foreign language online courses for your middle and high school students? Some of our brand-new Apologia Live Classes course offerings for the 2024 school year are listed below.
In Apologia’s Live Class, English Grammar: God’s Gift of the Written Word, students will develop their skills in basic grammar by surveying significant concepts of the English language, such as punctuation, formatting, and traditional sentence diagramming (which trains students to quickly analyze any sentence’s purpose and structure).
The text and the course will use excerpts from Scripture and great English literature to provide meaningful examples and exercises. This helps students learn and apply the given skills to their writing and gain a firm grasp of English.
As Christians, we should be students of the Word, and to do so, we must have a basic understanding of English. These skills will be used throughout your student’s education and everyday communication.
In Apologia’s Live Class, Global Affairs: Diplomacy and World Geography, students will do a deep dive into global affairs, diplomacy, and world geography through the lens of biblical principles. Students will embark on a journey through various regions of the world, exploring their geography, history, and diplomatic relations. From North America to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, each region will be studied in detail.
Additionally, students will analyze the role of international organizations, global issues such as human rights and economic diplomacy, and the significance of biblical ethics in modern diplomacy. Through interactive sessions, mapping exercises, and research projects, students will gain a holistic understanding of global affairs and be equipped with valuable skills for future careers in international relations and diplomacy. The course culminates in reflecting on the learnings and achievements, celebrating the completion of this enriching educational journey.
In Apologia’s Live Class, World Religions and Refuting Cults, students will survey world religions, major cults, and other deviant doctrines that challenge the historic Christian Faith. They will learn the characteristics of a cult and discover what makes Christianity unique, true, and the only rational worldview. Finally, students will be trained in how to defend the exclusive truth of Christianity.
In Apologia’s Live Class, Advanced Latin, students will learn to read Latin by working through texts of varying and gradual complexity. Students will be guided through the readings, learning vocabulary, and reviewing grammar and syntax.
Integrating Christian Values into Homeschool Education
The curriculum you choose will make all the difference when it comes to providing your children with a Biblical worldview and a well-rounded education. Education is not separate from God. It can’t be—He created it. Teaching anything from the season changes to the Roman Empire is going to require including God in the discussion in order to help your children see the full picture of Creation.
Every piece of content is written by someone with their own worldview, and no matter what, some of that worldview will bleed over into their writing. Protect your children by providing them with a curriculum that aligns with your family’s values and draws them closer to the Lord.
Values to Instill in Your Children
While curriculum is important, homeschooling is about so much more than the choice of textbook. It’s about teaching your children through your family’s day-to-day life experiences. It’s about raising your children to be productive members of society and a light in this dark world. Some of the many values to instill in your children include:
Hard Work & Diligence
Challenge and encourage your children to work to their potential. God expects us to do our best, and He will fill in the rest. This life lesson is invaluable.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. – Colossians 3:23
Honesty & Integrity
Ensure that your children are honest, not only in their school work but in all areas of their lives. God calls us to be like Him. Cutting corners, be it by cheating or only doing their chores halfway through, is a trait you don’t want your children to pick up and carry into adulthood.
for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man. – 2. Corinthians 8:21
Obedience, Respect, Discipline, and Self-Control
We all answer to someone, even as adults. Maybe it’s your boss or church elders, but certainly to God. Learning to obey God starts with making sure your children do as they are told the first time and without questions. Learning this skill will make following God’s direction much easier as they approach their teen and adult years.
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. – Colossians 3:20
A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. – Proverbs 25:28
Kindness, Gentleness, Love, and Forgiveness
One of the best ways to keep your testimony is through your actions in everyday life. Teach your children to be kind, not just to one another but to strangers and even those who’ve wronged them, just as Jesus did.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34-35
Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. – Proverbs14:29
Right & Wrong
In a world full of moral relativism, it’s important to bring our children up with the knowledge of what is right and wrong according to God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. -Ephesians 5:6-11
Stewardship
Teach your children how to responsibly handle blessings from the Lord—finances, time, or talents—according to Scripture.
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. –Romans 13:8-10
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. –1 Peter 4:20
Resources for a Living Christian Homeschool Education
Apologia publishes Charlotte Mason-inspired curricula. This means that our textbooks are considered “living books” because they are written in a conversational tone and from a Biblical worldview, as well as include a lot of hands-on activities. But we know that sometimes students respond well to a fully immersive style of learning, where they are reading additional books that are related to their topics of study. If that’s something you’re looking for, we’ve got you covered. Check out the list below of several children’s books that tie in with the content of each of our Young Explorer series titles.
Exploring Creation with Chemistry & Physics
Who Was Marie Curie? by Megan Stine
The Periodic Kingdom: Journey into the Land of Chemical Elements by P.W. Atkins
Elements of Faith by Richard Duncan
Find more books related to Exploring Creation with Chemistry & Physics on our blog.
Exploring Creation with Anatomy & Physiology
The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body by David Macaulay
Heart and Soul: The Story of Florence Nightingale by Gena K. Gorrell
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Philip Yancey
Find more books related to Exploring Creation with Anatomy & Physiology on our blog.
Exploring Creation with Earth Science
Drop: An Adventure Through the Water Cycle by Emily Kate Moon
Home on the Earth: A Song About Earth’s Layers by Laura Purdie Salas
Our Planet! There’s No Place Like Earth by Stacy McAnulty
Find more books related to Exploring Creation with Earth Science on our blog.
Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day
Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
Find more books related to Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day on our blog.
Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
City Under the Sea: Life in the Coral Reef by Norbert Wu
The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs: The Story of Ken Nedimyer and the Coral Restoration Foundation by Kate Messner
Find more books related to Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day on our blog.
Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
Honeybee: the Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming
A Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle
Find more books related to Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day on our blog.
Exploring Creation with Botany
Planting a Wild Garden by Kathryn Osebold Galbraith
The Golden Glow by Benjamin Flouw
Planting Peace: the Story of Wangari Maathai by Gwendolyn Hooks
Find more books related to Exploring Creation with Botany on our blog.
Exploring Creation with Astronomy
Mission to Mars by Franklyn M. Branley
Look to the Stars by Buzz Aldrin
Pluto’s Secret by Margaret A. Weitekamp with David DeVorkin
Find more books related to Exploring Creation with Astronomy on our blog.