Standard Subject Curriculum Evaluations
Ad-Duha Institute does not offer standard subject curriculum as part of our program* (i.e. Math, Science, Reading, etc.). However, many parents contact us seeking advice on how to choose a standard subject curriculum.
We cannot tell parents which program is best for their specific needs, but we have evaluated the the following standard subject curriculum providers and programs. The details of each evaluation may be helpful in researching the available options, and Allah knows best.
*The Ad-Duha ALP Program does include both Islamic and Standard subjects at the Preschool level.
Evaluation Scope
There are hundreds of home school curricula available on the market for parents to choose from. We have chosen to evaluate only the ones which are most commonly used by Muslims families or which our customers have asked us about. The following aspects of each program have been evaluated:
- Cost (i.e. total cost including fees, books, and materials)
- Secular Content (i.e. whether or not the curriculum is religiously based)
- Customer Service
- Parent Satisfaction (based on feedback from Muslim families using the program)
- Accreditation (i.e. recognized transcript transferable to other institutions)
- Respectful inclusion of Islaam and Islamic History
- Transparency (i.e. the ease with which customers can obtain detailed information on the program, textbooks, materials, etc.)
- Interactive or online content
- Sample lesson plans
- Curriculum Scope Overview (i.e. are the topics covered in the program up to standard)
- Textbook and Material Content (i.e. what is included in the program)
Evaluation Process
Ad-Duha only includes information that it has confirmed independently to be true (i.e. we do not depend on brochures or statements from the school alone). Our evaluation process includes the following:
- Review of the school’s web site
- Phone, mail, and or e-mail contact with the school staff
- Review of the textbooks and materials used in each program
- Review of sample lesson plans
- Review of online content (i.e. how lesson material will be presented to students online)
- Review of curriculum by grade level
- Parent feedback
If a curriculum that you are interested in using is not listed here, or you have a correction/update, please contact us about it. We are always interested in keeping our list current and comprehensive.
Different Types of Home Schooling
These recommendations are for families who are looking to purchase “curriculum packages” that have all needed textbooks, lesson manuals, enrichment materials, and support services needed for the academic year. If you are interested in unschooling, eclectic, unit studies, or other forms of homeschooling, these recommendations may not fit your needs.
If you are unsure of which form of homeschooling you would like to use, we recommend doing some research on the different options available. Homeschool.com is a good place to start (click on “New to homeschooling?”), they have a variety of articles, interviews and links that will help you learn more about how to homeschool, and which methods might be best for you and your family.
Disclaimer: Homeschool.com does not specifically represent the views of Ad-Duha or Muslim homeschoolers. Ad-Duha does not make any guarantees regarding Homeschool.com products and or services. The link to their site has been included for the sole purpose of providing additional resources to parents. No other endorsement is inferred or implied.
Dealing with Objectionable Content
Most standard subject curricula currently available on the market for purchase contain some material that Muslim families may find objectionable, for example:
- Pictures of humans and/or animals
- Stories about pigs, dogs, etc.
- Music or songs
- Mythology (teaching about Greek and Roman gods/godessess)
- Art projects (i.e. sculpture, self-portraits, etc.)
- References to holidays
However, for the most part, schools are flexible and you can work with them to find alternative assignments or skip objectionable content altogether. The main thing to keep in mind is that you have to communicate your opinions to the school and seek permission to make changes (this only applies to curricula that are accredited and which have assignments that are graded by the school, if you choose a program that does not include teacher evaluations or grading, you may make your own decisions as to what content to omit).
Ad-Duha Recommendations
In the charts there are some curricula that we have recommended and others that we have not. Keep in mind the following points when considering our recommendations
- A recommendation means that a school has a good quality program, materials, and services. It does not mean they are perfect, or that there is nothing in the program that Muslim families might object to.
- Schools that are not recommended are not necessarily “bad”, rather they have not met the criteria set by Ad-Duha.
- Schools that are being evaluated, or are not listed on the chart may be very good programs, but we simply do not have enough information at this time to give a recommendation. If you have information on these schools please contact us, your opinion counts and will be added to the evaluation of the school insha-Allah.
Finally, Ad-Duha’s intention in providing this information is to assist parents in making an educated decision about the type of program they would like for their child in a concise format that makes it easy to compare options. However, you may not be looking for the same things in a curriculum as Ad-Duha. Therefor, these charts are tools that should be used in conjunction with your own research and contact with schools in order to make a well informed decision, and Allah knows best.
*All information and prices are accurate at the time of evaluation, however, changes may occur so check with the school to confirm all information.
Click on the type of evaluation chart you would like to see.
Standard Subject Curriculum Packages
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