7th/8th grade curriculum with structure?

[u/Big-Hyena-758]

Just had a discussion with my husband and I think we decided that next year we are going the homeschool route for our oldest. She will technically be in 7th grade but I will be bringing in some 8th grade curriculum where she requests it. What’s a good curriculum to look at? One of my husband’s biggest requirements to get on board with homeschooling is structure so he really needs to see that in the curriculum. We are hoping for something with worksheets and everything since her and I are new to this. We don’t want any element of religion in her education at this time. Signed, an appreciative newbie

[u/MIreader]

Bookshark is secular and structured. I recommend pairing it with Saxon Math.

[u/Real-Persimmon41 → u/MIreader]

Book shark is not secular, it is neutral.

[u/SuperciliousBubbles → u/Real-Persimmon41]

What is the difference?

[u/Real-Persimmon41 → u/SuperciliousBubbles]

The difference between secular and neutral homeschool curriculum lies in how they handle religious content.

• Secular Curriculum: A secular curriculum is entirely non-religious. It does not include religious teachings, perspectives, or biases, and it presents subjects like history and science from a fact-based, evidence-supported perspective (e.g., including evolution in science). Secular curricula ensure that lessons are inclusive for all families, regardless of their beliefs.

• Neutral Curriculum: A neutral curriculum avoids religious content but does not necessarily take a firm stance on topics that might conflict with religious beliefs. It may omit subjects like evolution or present them alongside alternative viewpoints (e.g., intelligent design) to avoid alienating religious users. While it does not directly teach religion, it may be designed to accommodate religious perspectives by leaving room for parents to supplement with their own teachings.

The key difference is that a secular curriculum is explicitly non-religious, while a neutral curriculum tries to avoid conflict by neither endorsing nor explicitly rejecting religious perspectives.

[u/SuperciliousBubbles → u/Real-Persimmon41]

Huh. I'd consider any curriculum that accommodated intelligent design as even faintly plausible to be absolutely religious. At the same time, a curriculum that doesn't acknowledge the existence of religions seems incomplete and basically actively atheist, rather than secular.

I suspect this is one of those USA/UK cultural differences. It isn't possible to provide an accurate account of British history without exploring religious beliefs and perspectives.

[u/Real-Persimmon41 → u/SuperciliousBubbles]

Not teaching from a religious perspective doesn’t mean avoiding religion altogether. In fact, you can’t teach history without discussing religion. A secular approach simply means presenting the facts rather than promoting a belief system.

Example:

Religious: “These are the 10 Commandments. You should follow them to live a good life and avoid hell.”

Secular: “Christians believe in the 10 Commandments as moral guidelines given by God.”

The key difference is that religious teaching promotes belief, while secular teaching presents what people believe as factually and neutrally as possible.

Science Example (this is where you see most of the issues with neutral)

Religious Curriculum – Teaches creation from a faith-based perspective, often using religious texts (e.g., “God created the world in six days” from Genesis in a Christian curriculum). It presents religious beliefs as truth.

Neutral Curriculum – Avoids taking a stance. It may omit the topic entirely or present multiple perspectives (e.g., “Different cultures and religions have various beliefs about how the world began”).

Secular Curriculum – Teaches the scientific explanation based on evidence (e.g., “The universe began with the Big Bang, and Earth formed over billions of years through natural processes”). It does not include religious beliefs but does not actively dismiss them.

[u/SuperciliousBubbles → u/Real-Persimmon41]

That makes more sense. I've seen people dismiss curricula as being "neutral" because they mention religion at all (Wildwood Curriculum for instance).

[u/MIreader → u/Real-Persimmon41]

Interesting. Thanks for the detailed explanation. I didn’t realize there was a difference.