When deciding to homeschool, choosing curriculum seems to be at the top of the to-dos. Although you can absolutely write your own curriculum, this post is for those of us who want some help. We want to know what to teach and how to teach it. Choosing curriculum doesn’t have to be complicated. While time and energy will definitely be spent deciding on curriculum, utilizing a step by step process will enable you to make decisions efficiently and get you closer to A Simpler Homeschool.
When we first began our homeschooling journey, I labored over curriculum choices and wanted the best of the best. While the curriculum we used the first few years was good, it was overwhelming for my type A personality because it was so much and I wanted to check it all off. This past year, I switched curriculums and we all are much happier.
It is easy to choose a great curriculum, but it takes a whole lot of intentionality to choose one that fits your personality, your kids, your lifestyle.
My hope is that by taking these steps you will be able to choose the best curriculum for your family and be closer to A Simpler Homeschool.
Steps to Choosing Curriculum
1)Set your budget.
Money matters. What do you have to spend on curriculum? $50? $200? $600? $1000? Curriculums come at all price points, so nail down how much you’re able to spend.
Good Options for All Price Points
$0-$100
Language Arts
We use The Good and the Beautiful for Language Arts and Science. The Language Arts curriculum for grades 1-5 is available to download for free. If you want the printed version, it’s a little under $60. Their History, Science, Math, and Handwriting curriculum has the affordable option of downloaded versions from $9-$30. You can also purchase the hard copies. We have enjoyed the quality and simplicity of this curriculum.
Note: This curriculum is created by a woman who is Mormon. While many different denominations of Christians were brought in to create The Good and the Beautiful, I think it’s important to note this. We haven’t found any issues when it comes to beliefs from this curriculum, as we are from a Christian perspective and not LDS/Mormon. There is some controversy on this and wanted to be sure to note it.
I used Handwriting without Tears when I taught first grade and have always thought it was thorough and easy to understand for young writers. A workbook costs anywhere from $8-$14 and the teacher’s manual, which is not completely necessary, runs about $18. There are extra manipulatives and tools you can buy, but we have never purchased these and it still works great.
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
We use this book to teach phonics and reading. Luke learned to read pretty quickly with this book at around age 5 and Lily is currently working through it. It costs about $17. It takes some reading beforehand to understand the format. Once you understand the process and how it’s laid out, each lesson is completely scripted and easy to follow.
My Story and the World Around Me
This is a social studies curriculum that introduces students to history, politics, geography, economics from a Christian perspective. The level one book is set up into four quests, which any adventure loving kid will love. One book is around $30.
A Child’s First Book of American History
If you’re looking to teach history through stories, this book will provide a look at American History through 50 illustrated stories. This book is a little under $40 and would be a good introduction to history for young learners.
This phonics based program is research based and systematic. While I have never used Explode the Code, I have heard great things about it. A workbook runs around $10. There is also the option for an online subscription that costs $65 for a 12 month subscription.
Math
Jump Math is a workbook that relies on the common core math standards. I personally have not used these books. If you are a parent that is going to homeschool for a short while, this could be a good option for you. Each workbook costs about $16.
Life of Fred Math is a series that uses humorous stories to teach math. This isn’t a typical workbook with problems to solve, it’s more like puzzles to solve. We have never used this series, but have been contemplating them, as I have a reluctant math learner. The series seems to be fun and keeps the attention of the learner. A set runs about $60.
If you are a parent planning on sending your kids back to public school after this year, Singapore Math could be a good option for you. The Common Core seems to use similar strategies as the Singapore Math model. Student workbooks run a little over $14 and the home instructor’s guide runs $19.
All in One
Ambleside Online is a Charlotte Mason based free Christian curriculum. While this is more of a way to teach, it offers great resources and a weekly schedule of what books to read and what to teach. It is literature heavy with classic and engaging books to be read at each age level.
$100-$500
Math-U-See uses a video format to teach each lesson and then workbook pages to complete subsequent days. This is the math curriculum we use. The first time you buy, it runs about $140 because the integer block kit is included. If you already have the integer block kit, it costs around $70 for the new DVD, workbook, and teachers manual.
With a strong Christian perspective, My Father’s World is set up to be a complete curriculum from History to Language Arts. The curriculum is rich with literature and uses Charlotte Mason and classical education philosophies. The full History package runs $280-$410. Language Arts and Math separately are more reasonable.
If you are looking for an online learning program, Time4Learning is an option. It’s $19.95/month per student, which is about $180 a year per student. It covers language arts, math, science, and social studies. A perk of this curriculum is students can work at different grade levels for different subjects since it is customizable.
$500+
If you are looking for a curriculum taught from a Biblical perspective that covers everything, even the books, Sonlight is it. You can choose from a four or five week schedule and it includes Math-U-See for Math and Handwriting without Tears for handwriting. It runs about $670-$760 for the entire program, but you are able to purchase specific subjects for much less.
Bookshark is similar to Sonlight in that it is literature based, but without the Christian perspective. It’s around $760 for all the curriculum for the year. They use levels instead of grades and utilize a four day school week.
Although I have never used Abeka, I have heard from many homeschoolers who like it. Abeka is taught from a Biblical perspective. An entire Child Kit, including all subjects, runs about $350 and the parent kit runs from $260 for the Essential Parent Kit to $570 for the Complete Parent Kit. The total comes to $610 to $920 including everything you need for the year.
They also have an option for Abeka Academy, which utilizes video ‘teachers’ to teach your kids at home. Tuition and books run $959 for the entire year or $695 for one semester for elementary.
These are not all the choices out there, simply a place to begin.
2)Decide if you want to choose one curriculum for all subjects or many.
It is far easier to choose one curriculum that covers all the core subjects. Decide if you want to go this route or look at individual curriculum for each individual subject. Sonlight, Bookshark, Time4Learning, The Good and the Beautiful, and Abeka are all curriculums that include all subjects.
3)Choose 2-3 options for each subject or 2-3 options for an all in one curriculum.
There is a simpler way! By choosing just 2-3 options, you can focus on those options, what they offer, and make an informed choice. You can research and get a good handle on how to use the curriculum.
Our Current Curriculum Choices
Language Arts: The Good and the Beautiful
Reading: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Handwriting: Handwriting without Tears
Math: Math-U-See
History/Social Studies: My Story and the World Around Me and A Child’s First Book of American History
Science: The Good and the Beautiful
Curriculum Options I have considered:
4)Research the options!
This is the real legwork of the process. If you do the legwork now, you are taking one giant step towards A Simpler Homeschool. Seek out reviews on YouTube and blogs to get a handle on how the curriculum is laid out and works. A question to ask yourself as you are researching:
Will this curriculum work for me and my family? Not the other way around. I have learned the hard way that curriculum is a tool. I don’t want to be a slave to it. Be sure to look at sample pages as you ask this question and determine if the format works for you and your family.
Curriculum Reviewers
These are reviewers I have used in the past. They have their hands on lots of curriculum.
5)Decide.
After researching, decide which curriculum will work best for your family and feel good about it. Use what you’ve learned and make the most informed decision possible. There will always be ‘what ifs’, but you can feel good about the decision because of the research you did on the front end.
Choosing curriculum is a necessary step towards A Simpler Homeschool. With a little intentionality and small steps, it can be a decision you feel good about.
Tell me, what curriculum will you be researching or using this school year?
Thank you again for sharing! This is a great conversation.While this is all different than normal, I can’t help but reflect and think how blessed we are to have so many options.
For those moms and families that are truly struggling to make sure their kids are fed and safe, I hope we don’t loose them from our view or our prayers. If you know of families who are truly suffering and having to choose between meals and safety – how can we help?
We are still waiting to hear what our distance learning options for the fall will be, but it’s been very interesting to learn about other resources. In the spring, I decided to opt out of the district’s voluntary preschool material and used the Kindergarten Prep from http://www.keepingmykiddobusy.com She offers some free material and great offers for those that sign-up for her emails. I found the prep material easy to follow and she offers curriculum packs (single subject to complete) available for sale. Depending on the district’s offerings I may use this as a supplement because it is very targeted, organized, and fun (lots of stuff to color).
I’m still researching 2nd Grade as she doesn’t have an offering for that grade. These are great resources to learn more about.
Thanks for your comment, Hillary! I agree, the options truly are endless. While it can be overwhelming at times, it’s a blessing there is something for everyone!
You bring up such a good point. Our church community has been partnering with another church to pass out meals to families who are food insecure since the shutdown began this spring. The hardest part is identifying families that need help and gathering resources to support them. I will be thinking more on this and how we can use resources to support those families. Thank you!
That’s wonderful you found something that worked for you and your preschooler! Thanks for sharing.
I am not a curriculum expert, but Cathy Duffy Reviews is a great resource to find curriculum that fits your child and your needs. Good luck as you navigate school steps this next month!