Throughout the many years that we have homeschooled, I have tried SO many different curriculums and resources!  I’ve come to realize that there isn’t a holy grail of perfect homeschool curriculum (as much as I wish there was), but there are principles of education that if followed, will get us where we want to be.

Remember the goal of education is to be more fully human, as we nurture the innate sense of wonder and curiosity, cultivate habits, make connections, and find joy and beauty in the humbling journey of learning. Even if all you do is read classic books, spend time in nature, learn math, and enjoy poetry, music, and art together, talking often about what you notice and what it reminds you of, it will be enough. Be kind to yourself and learn and grow with your children.

One of my first pieces of advice for new homeschoolers is: don’t fall into the trap of trying to cover everything because it isn’t possible! Everyone has gaps in their learning and no one remembers everything from their school days, but if your children know how to learn, they will be able to fill any gaps. Learning is a life-long pursuit.

Take a deep breath, do your research on educational principles, then pick a curriculum, and just jump in. As you get more comfortable homeschooling and get to know your children’s learning styles, you will be able to adjust as needed.  Remember that curriculum is just a tool, it is not your master!  You have the stewardship over your children and as you connect with them you will see what’s working and what isn’t.  Feel free to adapt any curriculum to fit the needs of your child. Use what works, skip what doesn’t.  A teacher’s guide can’t know your child better than you do!

And please, resist the fear that is rampant in homeschooling circles and don’t allow yourself to be manipulated by anyone who claims that their curriculum is the thing that will form your children into virtuous world-changers. That’s not how education works. Children are born persons and will resist any efforts to be forced into any outcome. Outcomes are not our job anyway, and it is hubris to think that we, or any curriculum we employ, is the determining factor in the way our children “turn out.” This is such a freeing idea!

I have felt the pressure we put on ourselves as homeschoolers. It’s good to be aware of the responsibility, so that we will take our stewardship seriously, but we must resist fear because that clouds our decisions and makes it harder to think clearly. There is no need to fear! We show up for our children faithfully, provide the best resources we can, get help when needed, and then trust that education really happens between the child and God.

With those things in mind, I know it can be overwhelming to know where to start, so I’ve written up the favorite resources that we have used through the years. My main requirements for resources and curriculum are: we can learn together “family style” as much as possible, it is either free or low cost so it doesn’t break the bank, it is easy to implement (or, let’s be honest, it won’t happen), and it maximizes joy in learning. Okay, here we go! 

Start Here

• Morning Time: A Liturgy of Love by Cindy Rollins : Morning time is our favorite thing in homeschooling; it brings all of us together to enjoy poetry, stories, music, art, history, nature, and make beautiful memories. If you read the first 70 pages of Cindy’s book, then gather some classic books to read aloud (the foundation of learning), you can get started with your children right away, while you keep learning more to add to your homeschool. Cindy’s podcast, The New Mason Jar, and her website Morning Time for Moms, are an excellent way to learn about the Charlotte Mason method
• See how we do things in the post, Our Ideal Homeschool Day, and learn about the importance of story as the foundation of education in this post on Why Read Literature?
• Well-Educated Heart : WEH’s Libraries of Hope is full of completely FREE resources including literature, history, geography, nature study, art, music, poetry, and more. You could homeschool with just this website and a math program. The Catch the Vision course provides an introduction to the Well-Educated Heart philosophy and is where I recommend you start. The Well-Educated Heart Reference Library contains all Marlene’s writings, speeches, podcasts, Take 5 audios, and the wisdom of the Catch the Vision course, gathered together in 3 volumes. Marlene also has a more in-depth series called Mother’s University which is wonderful when you are ready for a more careful study on how and what to teach. She also has an inspiring podcast (start from the beginning), an app and a helpful Facebook group. 
• Teaching From Rest by Sarah Mackenzie : This book is a great way to help you quickly get started in homeschooling. She helps you understand that as a parent you are not alone in your God-given stewardship over your children, that you are uniquely capable to teach them. She gives you tools and ideas to make homeschooling a joy.
• For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay : This beautiful book explains how to create an atmosphere of learning in your home with the Charlotte Mason method: ideas, living books, character training, nature, music, art, poetry, short varied lessons, “education is the science of relations” and “an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life” I highly recommend it!!
• Your Morning Basket is a helpful website and podcast, full of ideas from Pam Barnhill. (we don’t purchase her guides, but they are an option if you need some extra hand-holding). My favorite YMB episode is the one with Angelina Stanford on the importance of fairy tales, don’t miss it!!

***IMPORTANT: Before you go any further, or buy any curriculum, make sure you check the up-to-date legal requirements for homeschooling. If you are in the United States you can check these requirements at HSLDA. You MUST comply with these, so that your homeschooling is legal.***

All-in-One Curriculum

• Ambleside Online : A FREE literature-based curriculum for every grade. The Ambleside Online advisory board has poured years and years into this website and it is a fantastic resource! This is a high-quality, Charlotte Mason curriculum that plans everything out for you and tells you exactly which books to read and when. It can be a lot to manage for those who have multiple children, but they now have a version of the curriculum, called Groups, with combined plans you can use to make it family-style. Totally genius!! We have used AO more as a resource for living books because I’m kind of a rebel and have to do things my own way 😉 But I have lots of friends who use it exclusively and absolutely love it! For an excellent interview with the creators of AO, check out this episode of The New Mason Jar.
• Well-Educated Heart : As mentioned above, WEH is way more than a curriculum, but you can successfully homeschool with just this FREE website (and adding in some kind of math program). Marlene has reprinted hundreds of books from the golden age of literature, in the Forgotten Classics series, that are all free to use online (or you can purchase the physical books). Then she has arranged a rotation schedule of history/geography and nature/science topics to help you have a little structure as you move through the year. It’s not a set plan of which exact books to read when, but each month you have a small buffet of choices from which your family can choose what to learn. In addition to the Forgotten Classics book series, there are other book lists for each topic, suggestions for art and music, enrichment ideas, etc. The rotation schedule is just an example of how you can move through the books and resources, and is meant to be your servant not your master. Tweak and change it as needed, and don’t try to “cover everything!” You will rotate through the schedule each year so you can come back and layer in more learning next time around. Enjoy the journey of discovery together. And there is the introductory Catch the Vision Course, to help you understand how to use all these resources effectively. So much goodness!!

Language Arts/Literature

• The Literary Life Podcast : I have absolutely loved this podcast (and Facebook group) for a deep dive into classic literature and the importance of stories. Along with her co-hosts Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks, Angelina Stanford freely shares her decades of research and learning about the literary tradition that came down through CS Lewis and Tolkien. The podcast is better than university classes, hundreds of hours worth of guidance in learning to read metaphorically as the Medievals and Ancients did. The podcast on fairytales and myths are essential listens, and I am completely convinced of her statement that, “stories will save the world” because they point us to the transcendent reality of divine truth. This podcast will feed your own heart and inspire you to sit and read stories with your children; fairy tales, fables, myths, Bible stories, and legends, to give them the best foundation for the rest of their life. In the high school section below you can read about her online classes which are incredible!! Her Fairy Tale class affected every part of my life and I cannot recommend it enough. It is the best thing I have ever done for my own education! In this world of high-priced yet next to zero meaningful content classes, it’s hard to trust a recommendation like this, but I promise that Angelina’s classes are power packed full of knowledge, firehose style, and they are worth every penny and more!
• Building Blocks of Story : As mentioned in my post about Our Ideal Day, stories in morning time is a vital part of our day. I share many of our favorite books there, but I will also mention a few here. For fairy tales we like Grimms’ fairy tales best (especially The Frog King, Bearskin, Briar Rose, Snow White and Rose Red, Cinderella, King Thrushbeard, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Rumplestiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and The Golden Bird); for myths we enjoy D’Aulaire’s Greek Myths and also Norse Myths, The Heroes by Kingsley, Heroes of Asgard by Keary, Myths of the Norsemen by Green, Myths Atlas by Moraes; for folk tales Chinese Fairy Tales and Legends by Wilhelm and Martens, Arabian Nights by Tenggren or One Thousand and One Arabian Nights by Macaughrean (make sure it’s a children’s version), Favorite Fairy Tales Told Around the World by Virginia Haviland; also Aesop’s Fables illustrated by Milo Winter; and for legends we loved Stories From the Faerie Queene by McLeod, King Arthur and His Knights by Green, The Adventures of Robin Hood by Green
• The Art of Writing : I highly recommend listening to these podcast episodes about writing, with Karen Glass, on the Literary Life Podcast. Karen’s book Know and Tell is invaluable as well, and teaches the power of narration. Speaking of narration, if you need extra help, Cindy Rollins has her narration classes on her Morning Time for Moms website that are so helpful for children who are reluctant to narrate, either orally or in written form.
• Brave Writer : Julie Bogart has a great podcast (I only recommend the beginning episodes, before things got kinda political) and website full of ideas and inspiration even if you don’t want to use her curriculum.  I especially love the concept of stages of growth in writing and her poetry teatime idea.
• Copycat Books : Quality printables for copywork to practice handwriting. I love that they have D’Nealian because it’s such a great preparation for cursive writing. Manuscript writing, D’Nealian, and Cursive are available. Some for free, more for purchase.
• The Forgotten Classics : Found at Well-Educated Heart, this collection of stories was gathered by Marlene Peterson from the best of the golden age of children’s literature.  Fairytales and folktales, epic and legendary heroes, beautiful classic literature, poetry, and much more! Marlene is passionate about sharing these with families everywhere and has graciously made them available in an online version for FREE, they can also be ordered if you want a physical copy.  For your own learning, check out the Building Blocks of Story episode on The New Mason Jar, or Why Read Fairy Tales on the Literary Life Podcast, which talk about the importance of stories.
• My Belmonde : Audiobooks gathered by Marlene Peterson, beautiful literature to use with Libraries of Hope. Another option for free audiobooks is Librivox and your local library if they use a system like OverDrive.
• Reshelving Alexandria : This is an incredible resource for finding quality literature and building a home library.  I have loved being a part of the super helpful Facebook group, it’s like having a bunch of super knowledgeable librarian friends!  Because of this group I have found out about so many wonderful books, series, and authors, for which I am profoundly grateful!
• This Reading Mama : Tons of FREE resources for teaching your children to read. Games, booklets, worksheets, how-to articles, etc. You could totally teach your children with just this website and lots of reading time together!
• The Well-Read Poem : On this podcast, Thomas Banks reads poems beautifully, and shares some background about the poet and the poem. These are short but excellent!
• Favorite Poems Old and New by Helen Ferris : This is a delightful compilation of poetry that is loved by many. Check out this post for a free printable of poems for children, and more book recommendations, and this post for how we do poetry with teens.
• BookFinder.com : My go-to site for finding used books, it searches multiple book sellers at once. I don’t like to buy new if I can help it, (or if they aren’t available anywhere else, like WEH books). A new $20 book could have been five $4 books! Buying used, especially at local thrift stores. has helped me build a substantial home library that has been a blessing to our family.

History/Geography

• The Forgotten Classics : (mentioned above under literature) This incredible collection of stories from the Well-Educated Heart, include book series of great lives, world history, American history, fairytales and folktales from all over the world, epic and legendary heroes, and more. We especially love the Book of Delights series which has paintings and poems to highlight countries around the world. Found at Well-Educated Heart, this collection was gathered by Marlene Peterson from the best of the golden age of children’s literature.  
• My America Storybook and My World Storybook : These FREE series of stories highlight great lives of American and world history. An audio (and transcript) will be available every day M-F, along with fine art to print, poetry and music, and ideas for making your own storybook (notebook/journal) from what you are learning. You can also view/print the (free) ebooks or purchase the physical copy of My America Storybook and the My World Storybook. “Men are not great or heroic because they are faultless; they are great and heroic because they dare, suffer, achieve, and serve.” –Hamilton Wright Mabie
• Beautiful Feet : Literature based history and geography with K-12 options, great book selection, and they have reprinted our favorite Genevieve Foster books and Holling C. Holling books.  We have mostly used their book selections, but we have loved the Around the World With Picture Books guides.
• Guest Hollow : We enjoyed these literature-based curriculums for science, and geography. She also has history available, including high school options.  There are many free resources also, and the website is in the process of being updated to make it easier to navigate.
• Homeschool in the Woods : I am a very visual person, and these beautiful hands-on history curriculums and gorgeous timeline figures make me happy!
• Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales : This series of graphic novels turned my two youngest boys (aged 8 and 12) into history buffs. Engaging, funny, and memorable, they have been a huge hit!
• Story of the World : This is the history we started out with 12 years ago when we did a year of ancient history.  There is a book, activity guide, and audios available for each of the four volumes.  One volume for each year of a four year history rotation; ancient, middle ages, early modern, modern age.
• The Story of Liberty by Charles Coffin : This is a big-picture flight through history, highlighting the progress of (and hindrances to) liberty. Coffin says the purpose of this book is “so you will comprehend what Liberty has cost, and what it is worth.”
• The 5000 Year Leap : A great explanation of the principles of freedom that the United States of America was built upon.
• Liberty Kids : Wonderful PBS show that makes American history come alive for children!  Currently it is available on YouTube.
• Children Just Like Me : Take a trip around the world and meet children from different countries. A sequel recently came out with more children/countries featured. There is also a Celebrations book that highlights holidays and festivals from cultures around the world.
• Prisoners of Geography : Super interesting book about how geography has affected the interactions, history and fate of nations (for high school and up). There is a beautiful children’s version too!
• Chinese Fairy Tales and Legends : One of the best ways to enjoy the culture of a people is to read their folk tales and get a glimpse into their imaginative understanding. We also love the Virginia Haviland books that have folktales from around the world. Really any book I find on folktales, we will give it a try, the older the book, the better.

Mindset/Character/Learning Challenges

• Big Life Journal : This website has powerful resources for teaching a growth mindset, also Big Life Kids podcast and the Facebook group, Raising Kids With a Growth Mindset, are wonderful!
• Character Education Heroes by Tamara Fackrell : I highly recommend these books and resources, they are great for teaching children conflict resolution styles and other crucial skills (I do edit the books on the fly to match the understanding and vocabulary of my children). She has a YouTube channel that explains some of the basic character education concepts, with free printables available too. The principles she shares have helped our whole family to better understand and relate to each other. Tamara is amazing and I also love her Mindful Marriage resources and retreats!
• Little Renegades : these cute cards are a fun way to bring some mindfulness practice into your days. My 6-9 yr olds love them!!
• Teaching Self-Government : Nicholeen Peck has great parenting tools and resources at her website, but my favorite are her books for children. They teach important principles of self-government in a fun way. The books are: “Londyn LaRae Says Okay!”  (Following Instructions), “Porter Earns A Quarter”  (Accepting “No” Answers), “Big Win for Quin”  (Accepting Consequences), “Paije Takes the Stage” (Disagreeing Appropriately)
• JustServe.org : This website is awesome! It lets you search for opportunities to volunteer and serve in your community, filtered by age/ability level, type of service, etc.
• Values Parenting :  My mother taught us Joy School over 30 years ago, and I have such fond memories of it!  This is the Eyre’s website where you can find How to Teach Your Children Values, Joy School, and Alexander’s Amazing Adventures.
• The Forgotten Classics : (mentioned above under literature) You will find a book in the Story Hour series full of stories that teach virtues, and many lessons on good character can be learned by reading the biographies of great people throughout history.  Found at Well-Educated Heart, this collection of stories was gathered by Marlene Peterson from the best of the golden age of children’s literature.  
• Dianne Craft : If your kids have any learning difficulties, she is an amazing wealth of information and help! She was a great resource for me in trying to navigate the dyslexia and auditory processing that several of my children deal with. A variety of programs are available on her website; both curriculum and at-home therapy you can do with your child, I highly recommend them!
• Curiosity Untamed : If your children need some kind of incentive to get excited about learning, check out Curiosity Untamed. They can earn badges for many different topics by choosing activities and experiences to complete. We used this for awhile back when my kids were younger. When they completed one, they designed their own badge on paper which we covered with a 1″ bubble sticker. We sewed these to a 8’x10′ felt shield/banner which the kids made. They were excited to complete the activities and earn something, and it sparked a lot of interests that they didn’t know they had.

Art

• Simple Joy Art : Marlene Peterson (WEH) has gathered beautiful fine art to go along with your studies.  These can even be printed in high resolution if desired.
• Enrichment Studies : Fine art and artist studies, including lesser-known artists, with a free set available each month. She also offers music appreciation. Check out artists like E. A. Hornel and Henry Ossawa Tanner for beautiful art that represents people of all colors.
• Let’s Make Art :  My girls love the fun watercolor lessons on this YouTube channel, there are also kits available on their website.
• Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards :  This is the book my mother used to teach us how to draw and I loved it and have used it with my own children.  There are also online lessons, and other resources using this book, available at the author’s website.
• Art for Kids Hub : My boys love the drawing/cartoon lessons on this YouTube channel.
• For art supplies and other homeschool supplies, Miller Pads and Paper is an excellent resource! They are a family owned business that has been hit hard by all the 2020 homeschool conventions being cancelled, so they appreciate your support!
• The Forgotten Classics : (mentioned above under literature) In the Story Hour series you will find a book on paintings, telling the story behind each one.  Found at Well-Educated Heart, this collection of stories was gathered by Marlene Peterson from the best of the golden age of children’s literature. 
• John Muir Laws : See below under Nature Study, he is also a wonderful art resource!

Music

• Hannah Fridenmaker’s Folks and Hymns : simple folksongs and hymns with guitar accompaniment. If you join her Patreon, she also shares the sheet music and downloadable mp3s, which are super helpful.
• Prodigies Music : My kids love these fun videos that teach solfege (do-re-mi with hand signs, also called sol-fa) and rhythm, with voice, hand bells, ukulele, recorder and piano (they are just starting to make the piano videos). Requires a membership that allows access to all the 400 plus videos, free trial available.
• Simply Music :  Online piano lessons taught by ear first, then by notes.  He says that we first learn to hear and speak language, then we learn to read and write it, so music should be the same.  Hear and then read, I just love this approach!
• Hoffman Academy : Highly recommended by friends, I have heard great things about these FREE traditional piano lessons online.  There is also an option for personalized instruction with premium membership.
• Hilary Haynie Vocal Studio : Hilary is an incredible voice teacher and now offers online classes!
• The Forgotten Classics : (mentioned above under literature) You will find stories of musicians in the Great Lives series, also stories of hymns in the Story Hour series.  Found at Well-Educated Heart, this collection of stories was gathered by Marlene Peterson from the best of the golden age of children’s literature.
• The Spiritual Lives of Great Composers : This is a great book to flesh out your study of the composers. I learned so many wonderful things about them, such as; Bach wrote “SDG” at the top of his manuscripts, which stood for Soli Deo Gloria, or in English, “Glory to God Alone.”

Math/Critical Thinking

• Denison Algebra : This program has been a life-saver for my high school-aged son who is dyslexic and has struggled with math. The video lessons are short and are easy for him to understand, also he is retaining more than ever before. He’s been using the Success versions and I am so grateful to have found these! The only downside is that you pay for the video lessons for a year subscription, and so you can’t use the program multiple times with different children. That makes this not the cheapest option, but it was totally worth it for my son!
• MEP Math : FREE math program from the UK, with fully scripted teachers guide, and workbooks for the kids.  This is the math I used when we started out homeschooling years ago.  It takes a bit to get oriented but it is worth it if you are looking for a quality, free math curriculum. Here is a super helpful post about what MEP is and how to start.
• Math Mammoth :  This math is great if your child loves worksheets.  It’s available by topic or by grade.
• Beast Academy : Great math book option if your child is visual and likes graphic novels, and my younger kids enjoyed the fun online program.
• Dreambox.com : Fun online math for kids K-6, my kids beg for math time, so that’s a win! Free trial available, and check on homeschoolbuyersclub.com to see if there is a current deal on Dreambox.
• Learn Math Fast : These no-fluff books are written directly to the student in the upper levels.  It is cheaper to buy on Amazon, but may not be the most current edition. Mostly mastery based, with some review built in.
• CTC Math : Online math option with a $148.00 yearly family subscription, so helpful for large families.  My kids liked this way better than Teaching Textbooks and Khan Academy. If you need a free math program though, Khan Academy is what many people use.
• Saxon Math : These are the math books I learned with when I was in homeschool during high school. The classic, gold standard, the older editions (2nd edition) are better and so they are kinda pricey now. Look for them on bookfinder.com . One of the best things about Saxon is the constant review at the end of every lesson. There are also DIVE videos to go along with Saxon, if your child needs them. I don’t recommend Saxon for the younger years, it’s a totally different program. I like Saxon Math 54 and up.
• Math Codes : If you need a math tutor who will meet your child where they are, figure out what is standing in their way, and help them get up to speed, Kohila is incredible.
• Let’s Play Math and other books by Denise Gaskin : This wonderful book helps make math a fun family affair. With math games, puzzles, living book recommendations, this book helps math come alive. For kids who ask, “why do we need to learn math??” this book helps them see how we use math in every day life and it can be fun. Check out Denise’s website for tons more awesome ideas, resources and tips on how-to teach math.
• Family Math :  This is a great book for fun math activities to do as a family, organized by concepts and marked with ability levels.
• The Thinking Toolbox : We have had great conversations resulting from reading through this together. We also enjoyed their The Fallacy Detective too
• Mathematicians Are People Too : A fun book of stories, it helps to show kids that a math textbook is actually a blessing! These philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians had to figure all this out on their own through observation, testing theories, and building on the knowledge of those who went before.

Science/Nature Study

• John Muir Laws : This man is amazing and we have loved learning from him!  He has free videos and a free PDF of his new book, for teaching nature journaling, available on his website. Just recently, he released a three-part video series on how to teach nature study, it is excellent!! I also have his first book on nature journaling and I absolutely love his prompts “I notice, I wonder, it reminds me of…”
• Exploring Nature With Children : We loved using this wonderful seasonal nature study this year.  Nature study feeds my soul and I love sharing it with my children.  There is also a very active Facebook group called, Exploring Nature With Children Curriculum Ideas, that has been a delightful resource.
• Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman : This is such a fun book to use for nature study. You could make your own year-long curriculum out of; this book, the seasonal plan from SparrowandLilies.com, stories from the nature series at Well-Educated Heart, a nature walk each week, YouTube videos, and a nature journal to record what you have learned. Voila! Natural science… check! I wrote another article about this here.
• Diana Hutts Aston / Sylvia Long’s nature books : We are totally in love with these gorgeous books! Butterflies, Eggs, Seeds, Nests, Rocks, and more.
• The Forgotten Classics : (mentioned above under literature) We have really enjoyed the stories found in the Nature series. Found at Well-Educated Heart, this collection of stories was gathered by Marlene Peterson from the best of the golden age of children’s literature.
• Moving Art : We recently found this gorgeous series and can’t get enough. Calming music and stunning nature videography! It is available on Netflix for free or can be purchased on the maker’s website.
• MEL Science : Recently this has been my son’s favorite! They send out a monthly box with everything you need for several science experiments, which are linked to online videos explaining the applicable concepts and principles.
• Mystery Science : Super open-and-go, visual, hands-on K-8 science.  They offer some lessons for free and the year membership is not too expensive. Look for group buy pages on Facebook, and you can save on the price.
• Elemental Science :  This is a well-planned out science curriculum that uses literature and hands-on activities and experiments for elementary through high school ages.  My younger kids especially like the Sassafras science books they offer.
• CuriosityStream : I often go into the family room in the morning and find my 12, 8, and 5 year olds cuddled on the couch watching science and nature documentaries, which makes me super happy.  I definitely think this is worth the subscription, though I do think there are some of the same documentaries available elsewhere, such as Amazon Prime.
• Guest Hollow : We enjoyed these literature-based curriculums for science, geography, and she also has history available, including high school options.  She has many free resources also, and they are in the process of updating their website. My daughter’s favorite was chemistry in the kitchen, which taught science in a context that she cared about and enjoyed.
• Janice VanCleave books : These are a wonderful series of books full of hands-on activities and experiments, with many different science topics available.  You could make your own K-8 science curriculum with these books, good YouTube videos, some nature study, and scientist biographies.
• Explanatorium of Science by DK : With beautiful, vivid photos, this book is one of our new favorites. My dad has always loved science, he’s a mechanical engineer, and he just picked up this book and told me, “This is such a great book!! If I had this book as a kid, wow!!” That’s a solid endorsement 😉 We also love the companion book, Explanatorium of Nature.
• Elements by Theodore Gray : My oldest son has loved this book. It makes the periodic table come alive, with full-color photos explaining each element and how it is used.
• Home Science Tools : Many kits are sold here to match popular science curriculums so you don’t have to gather all the supplies yourself, super helpful!

Foreign Language

• TalkBox.Mom : A fun way to learn a language together, using phrases you use every day in your home. This is a genius approach! You learn a phrase (the app has the native pronunciation) such as “come to the table for dinner,” and consistently use it, introducing simple vocabulary as you go along. You can sign up to receive a box of learning resources each month, or buy the phrases guide and use the app to get started learning together. There is a helpful facebook group also, and on-going webinars for support.
• The Cultured Kid : A monthly subscription of learning resources including: videos, games, lesson plans, flashcards, etc. It’s geared towards ages 2-10, but you can learn along with your children and no experience with the language is necessary.
• Homeschool Languages : This is an open-and-go, play-based curriculum for ages 4-10. The lesson plans are used two times a week for about 15-30 minutes each lesson, and should take about 6 months to complete. There are fun games, activities, and flashcards to support the learning.

Gospel Study

• The Bible Story series by Arthur Maxwell : I grew up with this set of Bible stories in our home and I have such fond memories of them! I recently found a set and it has been a joy to read through them with my children. They are out of print, but keep your eyes open for them or check bookfinder.com to see if you can find a set.
• Story Bible from Libraries of Hope at Well-Educated Heart : Excerpts from the KJV of the Bible, organized in stories. This is a great resource for our morning time together, as it makes it easy to find just the stories and is still in the beautiful language of the KJV. It is free online, but you can purchase a physical copy here.
• The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos : This is one of our favorite resources to enhance our studies of Christ and His gospel. These videos are pure and simple, the dialogue is directly based on the King James Version of the Bible.
• Stories of the Saints : This book has beautiful and dynamic illustrations as it shares the lives of many saints who have blessed the world with their faith and courage
• Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and other books by C. S. Lewis : I am forever grateful my parents read me the Chronicles of Narnia as bedtime stories when I was growing up (when reading for the first time, please read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe first!!). When I read The Screwtape Letters in high school it made an indelible impression on me. I cannot get enough of C.S. Lewis with his incredible grasp of truth and his talent to express it in beautiful imagery.

Kindergarten/Preschool

• This Reading Mama : Tons of FREE resources for teaching your children to read. Games, booklets, worksheets, how-to articles, etc. You could totally teach your children with just this website and lots of reading time together! Remember that every child will learn to read when they are ready, for some kids that is 7-8 years old and that’s okay. Don’t push them, read to them lots, play games with letters and words, and let them dictate the pace.
• LeapFrog videos: The Letter Factory and The Talking Words Factory : Totally saved us when my daughter was young, really helped her remember letter sounds and visualize how the letters combine together to make words. 
• Zoophonics : The best program I have seen for teaching the letters and beginning reading skills in a multi-sensory way.  This is a pricey program but it worked wonders for my dyslexic son.  He didn’t struggle to learn to read because of this program. You don’t need the whole giant package, just the flashcards or magnet cards, along with the hand signals, sound, and name for each letter. Here is a pdf of the signals.
• Five in a Row : A fun literature-based preschool and kindergarten curriculum that has been around for many years.  There are lots of blogs with great ideas for using this curriculum. Just don’t make it a stress to do ALL the things!
• Signing Time :  We love these videos for teaching young children American Sign Language!

High School/Upper Middle School

• House of Humane Letters : I highly recommend these courses by Angelina Stanford, Thomas Banks and others! I just took the How to Read Fairy Tales class for myself and LOVED it!! Yes the classes are for adults too 😉 It opened my eyes to the imagery in classic literature, that we can only understand if we learn to read metaphorically in the literary tradition. I have been an avid reader my whole life, but it makes me want to re-read all my favorite books now that I have eyes to see the layers of beautiful meaning! My sons have loved their Good Books (middle school) and Medieval Literature (high school) classes with Angelina, and I have devoured every class (along with webinars, mini-classes, and conferences) that I have taken. In this world of high-priced yet next to zero meaningful content classes, it’s hard to trust a recommendation like this, but I promise that HHL classes are power packed full of knowledge, firehose style, and they are worth every penny and more!
• MasterClass :  My high school kids have loved these online classes taught by experts in their fields.  Classes from the likes of Neil Gaiman, Hans Zimmer, Gordon Ramsey, Natalie Portman, Itzak Perlman, incredible!  Every class is available for the one-year membership fee, and it works for the whole family (I called them and asked).  I have been taking the Art of Negotiation class and I have really enjoyed it, these are meant for adults too.
• Gymnastic Bodies:  Incredible strength/flexibility courses for high schoolers and beyond. My sons have particularly found great value in these Gym Fit courses.
• Range by David Epstein : This is one of the best books I have ever seen for career prep!  I love his analogy about how finding a career should be like dating and finding a spouse.  We would never suggest that a high schooler choose a spouse right now, we would tell them to date lots of and lots of people before they decide.  Same thing should be said of finding a career, yet in our society we pressure a high schooler to choose something right now, with hardly any life experience!  We should be supporting them by giving them time and opportunity to try everything they can get their hands on. Highly recommend this book!!
• Personal Finance: This is an incredible free course that gives an excellent foundation in personal finances, for high schoolers up to adults.  We did it together with our older kids and it is a wonderful course with a Christian stewardship perspective!
• Milan Art Institute Online Mastery Program :  I cannot say enough about what the Milan’s did for my oldest daughter!!  She has always been an artist, but the year she spent in the Mastery Program from Milan Art Institute was life-changing!  They helped her develop her talent and find her voice, now she is a professional artist.  If you have an older teen who is serious about art, this online program for you!
• Adobe Creative Cloud for Students : This has been an incredible asset to our homeschooling. My teens have been able to use Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator, and more for photography, digital art, and video editing. It would be thousands of dollars to purchase all of this software, but it only costs $19.99-29.99 a month for access to any and all of these programs!
• HSLDA has a great section of their website with information on options for high school, including how to create transcripts and get into college, etc. There are many different paths through high school, please don’t stress out that you are going to ruin your child’s future if you homeschool them.
• Some of our favorite life-prep books for high school:
  • Brene Brown’s books, especially The Gifts of Imperfection
• • The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
• • The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
• • Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett
• • Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
• • Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
• • 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey
  • Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
  • Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
  • 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
  • Raising Up a Family to the Lord by Gene R. Cook

P.S. Did I leave something out that you think should be on this list?  Please let me know in the comments if you have a favorite curriculum for any of these topics and what you love about it.  I’d love to hear from you!

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