For the Primary and Grammar School Years
This page is a work in progress, and will be updated as often as possible. If you know of secular resources that work well within a Classical framework that I have not listed here, please inform me.
Latin
You can read reviews of most of these Latin programs at Paula’s Archives, at HomeschoolReviews, and at HomeschoolChristian (just click on the title of the program at the top of the chart to read the full review).
Minimus is an introductory Latin course designed for 7 – 10 year olds, and Minimus Secundus follows up with up-to-thirteen year olds. It teaches both language and culture, using a comic strip format, and the story of a little mouse named Minimus. Available through major booksellers such as Barnes and Noble and through Cambridge University Press. There is also a minimus2006 Yahoo! Group.
Latin’s Not So Tough! is secular through Level Four. Level One is intended for very young students, and simply introduces the Latin alphabet. Older students can skip this, as it is reviewed in Level Two.
First Latin teaches both Latin language and culture to 3rd – 6th Graders.
Latin Prep and So You Really Want to Learn Latin seem to be well regarded abroad, but little known here in the US. Both are introductory courses, but Latin Prep is geared for younger students. Both also have three levels, plus a Translation book for the latter.
Power-Glide has a Latin course for grades K – 3rd. While this uses an inductive approach (not the method of choice for most Classical educators) it might make a fun introduction or supplement.
Greek
I’m not aware of any secular Greek language programs at the elementary level. If you are, PLEASE tell me about it!
Mathematics
Math programs that use a traditional methodology, and are thus popular with Classical homeschoolers, such as Ray’s or Rod and Staff, are often Christian as well. That’s alright with me, because Math is one area that I don’t really go for the traditional approach — or make that, I don’t go for the traditional Western approach. I think we have a lot to learn from Asian methods of teaching math, and for that reason I recommend:
RightStart Math is a very hands-on Math program that begins the student with concrete representations (beads on an abacus) and transitions to abstract (numerals on paper). It gives students a firm grasp of place value, and emphasizes visualizing quantities rather than counting units. It also employs games to reinforce math facts, rather than pages of drill. Levels A through E roughly correspond to Kindergarten through 4th. There is also a Geometry program for the Middle School years, and Fractions and Pre-Algebra programs are also in the works. As of this time, the author has no plans to develop a high school program.
Singapore Math on the other hand can take your student from Pre-K all the way through 12th Grade and even beyond. This program gained international attention because Singapore students scored highest in the world in mathematics on standardized tests. It is a very thorough program. I have heard several adults who took high school and even college math say that they scored in 5th grade on the Singapore placement exam! You can read lots of information and reviews about Singapore here and a fascinating comparison of Singapore’s word problems to those in Saxon and A Beka here.
Geography
Evan-Moor has lots of Geography products, including Beginning Geography Series for the youngest students, Geography Units, Daily Geography Practice, and Take It To Your Seat Geography Centers. Designed for the classroom but great for homeschools as well.
National Geographic has a Map Essentials program for Grades 1 – 8. This program was designed for public schools, so it’s a bit pricey, and apparently the student books are only available in packs of 5 (might be useful in a co-op?). You can purchase it through a local representative or certain components of it through Great Books Academy.
Phonics and Reading
The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading
Teach a Child to Read with Children’s Books (chapter at the end addressed to Christian parents, but otherwise secular).
The Writing Road to Reading a.k.a. the Spalding Method. You can use Reading Works as a practical guide to help you implement this method.
More to come.
Handwriting
SmithHand Writing Methods will appeal to Classical educators, because it is a Spencerian (pre-Palmer) method. Also, there are not workbooks to purchase for every grade level, simply one manuscript book and one cursive book per student, so it’s a very affordable program. Their practice paper is the best I’ve seen!
Grammar and Composition
More Coming Soon.
Science
Please see The Denim Jumper’s secular science program list and How to Teach Science.
General/Overview/Theory
I’m not aware of any strictly secular guides to Classical Homeschooling, but I know of two Christian authors who have done an excellent job of writing their books for a broader audience. These books do recommend some Christian curriculum but they recommend secular ones as well, and have a lot of good information in them.
The Well-Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer
This widely popular homeschooling book has introduced many to the concept of Classical Education. It is very useful to have on hand for its resource recommendations for a broad range of subjects from Kindergarten through 12th grade. I feel compelled to point out, however, that the authors use a highly modified definition of the concept of “Classical” education. For one thing, they view the Trivium as stages. I don’t point this out to say that it is “bad” or “wrong”, merely that it is not the traditional way the Trivium was viewed. This view was invented by Dorothy Sayers in 1947 in her speech entitled “The Lost Tools of Learning”. It is, therefore, a 20th century invention, not a Classical one. But more than that, it is the fact that The Well-Trained Mind puts the study of History at the center of the curriculum, and the study of Classical languages and cultures at the periphery. In fact, the author even states “As you’ve no doubt noticed, Latin is not the defining element of a classical education.” Well, to me, the study of the languages, literature, history, and culture of ancient Rome and Greece most certainly IS the defining element, and in fact the very heart and soul, of a Classical education! And that is why, while I recommend this book as a fantastic guide to a liberal arts education, for a Classical education I most heartily endorse . . .
The Latin-Centered Curriculum by Andrew Campbell
This book takes us back to a more traditional view of Classical Education, but one that is still infinitely useful in the modern world. In the first part of the book, Campbell both defines and defends Classical education, explaining that it is built upon the principle of multum non multa, or “not many, but much”. This means that a Classical education is “simple, but deep”. It does not attempt to superficially cover a broad range of topics and subjects, but to deeply explore a few. The second part of the book is a guide to specific curricula and resources by subject area for grades K through 12.
Climbing Parnassus by Tracey Lee Simmons
This book is not written specifically for homeschoolers, but I mention it anyway as a wonderful secular introduction to the theory behind and history of Classical Education. It won’t tell you exactly how to Classically educate. It will tell you why you should!
Resources on the Web
There is a Yahoo! Group specifically for those using The Well-Trained Mind with secular resources.
There’s also a very active Yahoo! Group and a website with forums for those using a Latin-Centered approach to Classical. But these are not strictly secular, they are inclusive of all religions and world views.
Doc has a much more extensive secular curriculum list on her blog, as well as an entire series of articles on Classical Unschooling (the list is viewable and clickable from her main page).
The Denim Jumper is a great place to meet other secular homeschoolers, many of them Classical, but many not.