Moving Beyond the Page is a secular homeschool curriculum. Our motivation is to provide a curriculum that meets the needs of hands-on, creative, and gifted learners. We are not affiliated with any religious groups, and we don't teach religious doctrine. Any additional religious training, if desired, would be up to each individual family to provide. We are very proud to have a science program that teaches kids real science as it is understood by scientists.
We know through experience that our curriculum is welcome in both
secular and religious homes — anywhere there are gifted, creative, or
hands-on learners. For some religious families, the word "secular" can
have a bad connotation, but you don't need to worry about Moving Beyond
the Page. Religious and non-religious families will find our curriculum
to be open and welcoming to all.
Even though Moving Beyond the Page does not teach from a
religious perspective, students in our program will be introduced to
different religions at various times during the study of history, social
studies, and literature. Religion has often played a significant role
in history, and there are frequent allusions to religious themes in
literature. When we discuss these elements of religious belief in both
history and literature, they will be addressed solely on a historical or literary basis.
We are very proud of the character education that students
receive within Moving Beyond the Page. Throughout our curriculum we
encourage character development, respect for others, good citizenship,
and care for the environment.
Also, because our curriculum is secular, families that
homeschool through a Distance Learning School may be eligible to use
their funds for Moving Beyond the Page curriculum. Distance Learning
Schools are all different. Sometimes they are called charter schools,
online schools, or distance education academies. If you have questions
about whether you are allowed to use Moving Beyond the Page through your
Distance Learning School, please do feel free to contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do you teach evolution?
Yes. Moving Beyond the Page is committed to teaching
science, and evolution is an important part of the biological sciences.
In the Age 12-14 level, we offer a science unit called A Dynamic Planet
that fully addresses the topic of evolution. This is in keeping with
the standards of most states that introduce evolution in its entirety in
middle school. Evolution is a complicated process to understand. In the
elementary levels, while we don't teach evolution explicitly, we do lay
the groundwork by teaching about habitats, interdependence, animal
adaptations, geology, history, and change through time.
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What do you teach about the age of the earth?
All of our science books relate the age of the Earth as it is understood by science — about 4.5 billion years old.
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What is your stance on political issues?
Our curriculum is not a platform for current political topics.
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Why would a secular curriculum teach the literary device of the "Christ Figure?"
Western literature is replete with symbols and
references from Christianity and other religions. Any secular curriculum
worth using will teach your children to analyze literature and
understand the literary devices that are being used. As a secular
curriculum, it is important that we avoid teaching religious doctrine or
dogma, but it is also important that we teach children the how to
interpret and use literary symbols. These types of situations are rare
in our curriculum, but they will show up a handful of times during your
child's academic career with Moving Beyond the Page. This teaching of
literary symbols is by no means an endorsement of any religion or an
affirmation about the veracity of their truth claims.