Eschewing Common Core? Yes, It IS Possible!

As I've talked with literally hundreds of homeschoolers over the past two years, I've learned that they sometimes believe they have no choice but to use materials aligned with the Common Core Standards (CCS) – also known in some settings as the NextGeneration Science Standards (NexGen) and/or the College, Career, and Civic Life Framework (C3). They say they don't like the CCS and would prefer to find non-CCS material, but then they demur and claim they "have no choice." In fact, if I had a dollar for every time someone told me she "can't find anything" to replace a CCS-connected resource, my husband and I would have a very tidy retirement nest egg. 

However, in developing the SUBJECT AREA PROJECT for The Homeschool Resource Roadmap over the past several months, I've been able to demonstrate the fallacy of that belief. Specifically, I've learned that in nearly every conceivable sub-category for which homeschoolers use curricular resources, non-CCS materials do exist – often in great numbers. Thus, it's evident homeschoolers really can avoid CCS...if they are of a mind to do so. 

To help them see this reality, I compiled the following list. It shows every category and sub-category available via the Subject Area Project and also enumerates how many resources in each category are INDEPENDENT of the CCS. The two numerical columns indicate the following:

IND+ = the number of resources with some independence from the CCS but which also have some sort of connection to the initiative (i.e., coincidental connection, correlation, explicit alignment, awaiting a response, other)

ONLY IND = the number of resources that are wholly independent of the CCS (i.e., having no connection whatsoever to the initiative)

Interested parties may gain access to the complete listings for all categories – including names of resources, links to resource websites, and approximate relevant age ranges – by subscribing to the Subject Area Project here. But, clearly, even just this simple tally demonstrates that one may, indeed, eschew the CCS if that is one's stated desire. Doing so will require some time and effort and may necessitate a willingness to set aside the Golden Calf of a previously-loved resource. But with these numbers in hand, it's definitely no longer possible to claim there's "nothing available."

THE HOMESCHOOL RESOURCE ROADMAP

SUBJECT AREA PROJECT

INDEPENDENT ITEMS: Subject-Specific Tally

MAIN CATEGORY	SUB-CATEGORY	IND+	ONLY IND
Multi-Subject Packages	Traditional/Textbook	3	37
	Online/Video	5	23
	Bible-Based Unit Studies	0	18
	Geography-Based Unit Studies	0	11
	History-Based Unit Studies	1	32
	Literature-Based Unit Studies	0	18
	Math-Based Unit Studies	0	3
	Music-Based Unit Studies	0	4
	Thematic Unit Studies	2	33
	Delight-Directed/Guided Unschooling	0	10
	Living Books Approach	0	10
	Principle Approach	2	2
	Waldorf Approach	0	3
Academic Support	Brain Training	1	10
	Research Tools	0	6
	Standardized Test Prep	8	18
	Study Skills	6	15
	Tutoring	0	2
Art	Appreciation/History	4	44
	Filmmaking/Graphic Design/Photography	2	16
	Technique/Expression	6	60
Civics/Economics	Civics	9	79
	Economics	7	50
Community-Based Youth Organizations		0	27
Educational Games & Toys	Board/Card Games	0	28
	Digital Games	5	41
	Toys/Puzzles/Activity Books	0	19
Educational Media	Educational Magazines	0	23
	Audio Libraries	0	29
	Video Libraries	0	22
Foreign Language	English as a Second Language (ESL)	5	21
	French	9	40
	German	2	24
	Greek	1	27
	Hebrew	2	17
	Latin	5	35
	Sign Language	4	14
	Spanish	10	63
	Other (dozens of languages)	4	23
Geography	United States	5	32
	World	9	61
	Other	0	2
Health & Fitness	Integrated Health	5	25
	First Aid	0	2
	Growth & Development	2	11
	Hygiene/Personal Care	2	7
	Nutrition	4	20
	Physical Education	3	23
	Safety/Prevention	4	11
History	American	10	104
	World	11	97
	Other	5	42
Language Arts	Integrated Language Arts	13	72
	Composition (Creative & Expository)	15	110
	Drama/Theater	3	8
	Elocution/Speech	5	30
	Grammar	12	55
	Literary Analysis	10	85
	Penmanship	3	63
	Reading/Phonics	10	101
	Speed Reading	1	1
	Spelling	7	51
	Vocabulary	8	35
Life Skills	Character/Manners	4	37
	Driver Education	1	7
	Entrepreneurship	4	29
	Home Management	3	38
	Keyboarding/Office Skills	3	27
	Personal Finance	5	38
Math	Elementary (Ages 5-11/12)	20	148
	Secondary (Ages 11/12-18)	21	108
Music	Listening/Appreciation	5	45
	Composition	1	2
	Theory	3	21
	Guitar/Bass Technique	0	18
	Piano Technique	1	25
	Voice Technique	1	16
	Other Technique (nearly 20 instruments)	0	22
Religious Education	Bible Study/Theology	1	114
	Devotional	0	43
	Scripture Memory	0	12
	Christian Living	1	48
	Apologetics/Worldview	0	67
	Creation Science	1	24
	Denomination-Specific	0	25
	Sunday School/Vacation Bible School	0	29
Science	Elementary (Ages 5-14)	10	143
	Secondary Astronomy (Ages 14-18)	9	38
	Secondary Biology	12	84
	Secondary Chemistry	12	75
	Secondary Earth Science	9	59
	Secondary Physical Science & Physics	10	79
	Secondary S.T.E.M.	4	6
	Secondary History of Science	0	7
Technology	AutoCAD/Engineering	1	9
	Computer Programming	7	28
	Electronics	1	5
	Web Design	1	17
Worksheets/Printables		5	27
Literature/Texts	Primary (Ages 5-9)	4	59
	Intermediate (Ages 9-14)	4	84
	Youth (Ages 14-18)	3	61
Special Subjects	Parent Resources	3	57
	Logic	3	14
	Psychology/Sociology/Criminal Justice	5	16
	Advanced Placement (AP)	?	0
	Dual Enrollment	0	6
	MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)	1	6
Special Needs	ADD/ADHD	1	23
	Autism/Aspergers	1	20
	Cognitive Disabilities/Differences	1	29
	Physical Impairments	2	6
	Sensory Disorders	2	23
	Speech & Language Disabilities	2	13
	Gifted & Talented	2	7
Preschool (Ages 0-5)	Multi-Subject Packages	4	57
	Integrated Language Arts	1	10
	Reading/Phonics	3	39
	Penmanship	0	17
	Math	4	30
	Bible/Character/Manners	1	19
	Art	1	18
	Music	0	8
	Drama/Theater	0	2
	Science	1	16
	History & Geography	0	5
	Health & Fitness	4	20
	Foreign Language (dozens of languages)	1	10
	English as a Second Language (ESL)	0	5
	Sign Language	1	3
	Worksheets/Printables	5	25
	Special Needs	2	18
	Literature – Texts: Baby/Toddler (Ages 0-2)	2	28
	Literature – Texts: Preschool (Ages 3-5)	3	41
	Educational Magazines	0	3
	Educational Games & Toys	1	24
	Educational Media	0	2
	Community-Based Youth Organizations	0	13

BMN