Choosing Resources

Curriculum & Resources

I make every effort to recommend only the best in Catholic and Catholic-friendly curriucla and resources. While not an exhaustive list, I feel confident in recommending the resources listed on the following pages, - since I have either used them myself or researched each.

Catholic homeschooling resources have really come into their own over the past several years, with providers offering complete curriculum packages from Pre-K through High School. In my view, Catholic curriculum must uphold the basic tenets and Catechism of Our Church. Protestant resources must be Catholic-friendly; and secular resources must be free from the current social norms of society.

Accreditation

I do not believe accreditation is necessary for K-12 curricula, nor is it necessarily needed for acceptance to colleges - and at least not necessary for admission to a Newman Guide college. As I review the 30-year history of Mantellum Matris Academy, we have always worked with colleges if there was any question as to the "validity" of a student's transcript. I also look at "accredited" curriculum and question which agency has accredited and what exactly have they accredited. These are questions you should ask of your own curriculum provider - and be detailed in your questioning....Is it their entire curriculum that's accredited? Only their online coursework? Ask the same of a college.....is their summer coursework for college credit actually accredited??

Catholic Home Education

Mantellum Matris Academy subscribes to our common-sensical Catholic standards and principles which have distinguished our education for centuries. As parents who answer Our Lord's call to educate our children, we strive to keep Him and His Greatness at the center of our daily lives. We raise our children according to the teachings of our Church and ensure they are properly formed in our Faith and receive the Sacraments. We are trying to raise new saints for Heaven!

It stands to reason, therefore, that all we do - the subjects we study, the curriculum we use, the resources we employ, the social interactions we expose our children to, the daily habits we practice - should all keep Our Lord at the forefront.

It should also stand to reason that we take time to educate ourselves on all things of this world, good and bad, so that we can best guide and support our children as they discern their path in life. We must encourage discernment of religious vocations, married life, sound careers, military service, or attendance at good, faithful Catholic colleges. We must raise knowledgeable, responsible voters and participants in our communities.

We must also never forget to encourage our children (and ourselves!) to experience and fully partake of the many, many blessings and opportunities that Our Lord gives to us!

We know that as Catholics we should strive to keep daily prayer at the center of our lives. It should be something we put first rather than "try to remember" to do. Prayer should mark the beginning and ending to each day and should be the center from which we plan our days, decide our curriculum, setup our school area, and guide how we handle the inevitable daily challenges that come our way. Prayer guides us in how we accept all that life brings to us and to our children.

Catholic parents/home educators are called to educate the full person - body, mind, and soul. Taking on this great and joyful responsibility means that:

WE are in charge of our children's complete education.

WE set the standards for their education.

WE decide the structure and pace for our learning.

WE decide which curricula and resources work best for our children.

WE raise our own children!

My favorite saying is that "life can get in the way of life". We experience births and illnesses and deaths, special occasions, vacations, celebrations, family crises and more. Learning can happen anywhere - in the car, at the store, in the morning, in the evening, on weekends. If you have weeks or months or a year during which it's impossible for you to meet your goals, that's okay: you will make up the work at a later time.

Pray to Our Blessed Mother. Pick a patron saint for your own homeschool and start every day by praying to and learning about that saint. Pick a different saint each year; or, have each of your children pick their own personal saint. We need the intercession of all our saints and angels to prop us up, push us through, and keep our eye on our one, true goal: raising our children and caring for our families, to His Glory.