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) and things will need tweaking as we go.

One of my best pieces of advice for new homeschoolers is: don’t fall into the trap of trying to cover everything or find that elusive perfect curriculum. Do your research, involve your older children in the choice, and then pick something that you think will work best and just jump in.  Be kind to yourself and learn and grow with your children. It will be alright, even if all you do is read classic books, spend time in nature, do some math, and enjoy music and art together.  Remember the goal of home education is to be more fully human, to learn how to learn, and to find joy and beauty along the way.

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, you curate their education, 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!

I know it can be overwhelming to know where to start, so I’ve written up our favorites used through the years.  I am Christian, and a few of these resources are Christian-based, but most of them are easy for secular families to adapt.

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

• Well-Educated Heart : If you only glean one thing from this list, let it be WEH!  I cannot say enough about this beautiful heart-based homeschool philosophy, it speaks to my soul!  Marlene also has an inspiring podcast (start from the beginning), an app and a helpful Facebook group.  WEH’s Libraries of Hope is full of completely FREE resources including history, geography, literature, nature study, and more. You could homeschool with just this website and a math program. It is a true treasure trove, a labor of love by Marlene Peterson! The Catch the Vision course provides an introduction to the Well-Educated Heart philosophy and is where I recommend you start. At the same time, the Well-Educated Heart Reference Library is invaluable!! It contains all Marlene’s writings, speeches, podcasts, Take 5 audios, and the wisdom of the Catch the Vision course, gathered together in 3 volumes of amazing goodness! Worth its weight in gold (available to buy in book form or it’s completely free online)! Also, the app and website have a Take 5 feature of short audios that share simple tips and ideas for how to implement WEH. 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. So much goodness at WEH, I know it will bless your life as it has ours!!
• Teaching From Rest by Sarah Mackenzie : I strongly recommend this simple, inspiring book! It’s a great way to help you quickly get started in homeschooling with a proper mindset. 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. It’s a quick read and also available for $5 on Audible read by the author. (if you are a secular family, you may want to replace this book with The Brave Learner) Also, Sarah’s podcast Read-Aloud Revival is wonderful!
• 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 (Miss Mason was definitely a “heart-educator”): each child is a unique person, living books, character training, nature, music, art, poetry, short varied lessons, “true education is between a child’s soul and God.” I highly recommend it!!
• Morning Time: A Liturgy of Love by Cindy Rollins : Morning time is one of our very favorite things in homeschooling; it brings all of us together to enjoy beauty, learn, connect, and make memories. This book by Cindy Rollins, her website Morning Time for Moms, and her podcast, The New Mason Jar, are an excellent way to get familiar with Charlotte Mason and the simple power of consistent morning time. Your Morning Basket is also an extremely 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 episode is the one with Angelina Stanford on the beauty of fairy tales, don’t miss it!!
• The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart : This book includes lots of inspiring how-to’s for nourishing a joy and passion for learning. She shares advice on how to value each child and their unique needs, come alongside them, and help them get to the next level. Her podcast, Brave Writer, is incredible! I would recommend starting her podcast at the beginning, the first several podcasts were the most helpful to me. (This is a mostly secular resource)

***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

• 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 over 200 books from the golden age of literature, in over 15 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!!
• 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’s 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!
• Fun Schooling Journals from Thinking Tree : These are a fun and simple way to cover every subject and keep a journal of what you learn. Best for elementary and middle school, especially those who like open-ended notebooking style of learning. Many of these are made with the Dyslexie font so they may be easier for dyslexic kids to use.

Language Arts/Literature

• The Literary Life Podcast : I have absolutely loved this podcast (and facebook group) for a deep dive into classic literature and stories. Seriously, I could listen to Angelina Stanford all day! Her podcast on fairytales is my favorite and I am a complete believer in her catch phrase, “stories will change the world!” This podcast will feed your mama heart. If you did nothing else but sit and read stories; fairy tales, fables, myths, Bible stories, and legends, you would give your children 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 changed everything for me, I can’t praise it highly enough!
• Brave Writer : Hands down, this is the best writing program I have ever seen!  Julie also has a great podcast and website full of ideas and inspiration even if you don’t want to use her curriculum.  I especially love her poetry teatime idea.  Online courses are also available. (Julie is the author of The Brave Learner, mentioned above)
• 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, short stories to teach character 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 Restoring the Lost Art of Storytelling book to understand the power 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.
• Read-Aloud Revival : Helpful website and podcast full of inspiration to make reading aloud an integral part of your family connection and learning.  She has great lists of recommendations for books to read together, and also lists of Audible deals.
• 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!
• The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie : A great book full of ideas and tips for reading aloud with your family.
• 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!
• Dash into Learning : A fun way to learn to read with delightfully simple books and activities, see the Kindergarten/Preschool category below for a longer description and a 20% off code.
• The Good and the Beautiful : FREE level 1-5 LA, also more LA, also reprinted books and a booklist.  I don’t agree with everything that she left off of her booklist (everyone has different standards for their family) but I don’t have to completely agree with her booklist to appreciate her desire and efforts to share good and beautiful literature with others.
• 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.
• The Good and the Beautiful : This history program is open-and-go easy, and is family style so we can use it together for K-12 (with supplementation of resources and books from WEH).  One of my favorite things about it is that you go through the whole sweep of world history every year.  It’s organized into 4 units per year; one unit on ancient history, one on middle ages, one on American history, one on modern history.  See the scope of sequence here.  We have used this curriculum along with Well-Educated Heart, though now it is just a reference and we mainly use just WEH.
• 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.
• Give Your Child the World by Jamie Martin : A good book that recommends quality literature to guide you through learning about the peoples and countries of the world, you could make your own year of geography study for K-8 with this book).
• Little World Wanderers : FREE, fun, hands-on unit studies for countries around the world. They include crafts, recipes and book recommendations.
• 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!

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!

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.
• 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!

Music

• 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

• 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.
• Learn Math Fast : Best math program I have used for concise, no fluff teaching from a math book. It is 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.
• 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.
• CTC Math : Online math option with a $148.00 yearly family subscription.  My kids liked this way better than Teaching Textbooks and Khan Academy.
• Teaching Textbooks : We used this online math for elementary and it is great for younger ages, but we didn’t like it at all for pre-algebra and beyond.  My husband loves math and even he couldn’t understand how they were trying to teach pre-algebra.
• Math Mammoth :  This math is great if your child loves worksheets.  It’s available by topic or by grade.
• 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 homeschoolbuyersco-op.com to see if there is a current deal on Dreambox.
• Beast Academy : Great math book option if your child is visual and likes graphic novels, but we haven’t personally used it because it was kinda expensive for us.
• 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 : This book is incredible!  We have had great conversations resulting from reading through this together.  I highly recommend it, since critical thinking is SO very important in today’s world!
• 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.

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 Chosen series : I cannot rave about this series enough!! If you haven’t see it yet, you are in for an incredible treat! Jesus = LOVE and it shows in every episode of this insightful, touching, beautiful series!! It has brought the Holy Spirit into our home every time we watch together and it has become our family’s favorite Sunday night traditions.
• 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.
• Grapevine Studies : “Stick-figure your way through the Bible.” For my artistic, visual learners this was brilliant!
• 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 I read The Screwtape Letters in high school it made an indelible impression on me. I cannot get enough of C. S. Lewis and his incredible grasp of truth, 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.
• Dash Into Learning : A new (and super cute) open-and-go reading program that includes games and manipulatives to enhance learning. If you buy the complete bundle of all three sets and the activity packs, you save significantly, but they are also available separately to space out the cost. (I became an affiliate so I could share with you a code for 20% off, use coupon code MARCINALAYTON). I’m very impressed with how simple and beautiful this program is, however I haven’t personally used it, since my youngest daughter learned to read before I found out about the program. Check out the samples and see what you think!
• 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!
• Gentle and Classical :  Beautiful preschool and kindergarten programs with nature elements. If you need some extra help with planning, this will work. Just remember that little ones don’t need much to be happy learning, so don’t get overwhelmed feeling like you have to do it all. This post of mine will help you prioritize the important things.
• The Peaceful Press : These literature-based curriculums include fun activities, crafts and recipes for enrichment. Just remember that little ones don’t need a lot, this post of mine will help you keep your focus on what matters.
• Signing Time :  We love these videos for teaching young children ASL!

High School/Upper Middle School

• 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.
• 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 some of the classes are for adults too) It opened my eyes to the imagery I have been missing in classic literature. 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 daughter is excited to start taking the How to Read Literature class (though we have to save up because they are pricey!). Totally worth it!!
• Gymnastic Bodies:  Incredible strength/flexibility courses for high schoolers and beyond.
• 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!
• 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!!
• 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
  • The Mourning Dove: A Story of Love by Larry Barkdull
  • Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett
  • Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
  • Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski
  • Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
  • 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey
  • Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss
  • 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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