I have so many of you asking me about the best homeschool curriculum advice, that I decided to create a master list of our all time favorite curricula across all grades.
I strongly advise you to try samples of each before you commit to buying, and if you are confused either reach out to me or contact the publishers to help you out.
Here are some of our favorite curricula and ones we have tried and loved. Click on the images to go to the sites and check them out.
I will keep adding to these lists as I remember things or discover new ones, so check back often.
*Some links might be affiliate. As an Amazon Associate I might earn from qualifying purchases while the price remains unchanged for you. Thank you for supporting me.
Math
For math, we prefer mastery-based curricula that focus on understanding, not rote memorization. Any of the Singapore math-based programs are amazing for setting up solid bases up to 8th grade.
To read more about my opinion on Singapore math and why I think it’s an amazing method, read my Singapore math blog post.
For high school math we prefer a blend of online self-paced lessons with printable workbooks, and Mr. D Math is amazing for this purpose. I already wrote a Mr. D Math Review for Prealgebra.
Math in Focus is our favorite math curriculum, the one we’ve done from first grade.
You will need to buy at least the teacher’s book, workbook, and textbook.
We used the old edition, but they have a newer edition out.
A curricula that has everything you need in one book. Maria Miller also has YouTube videos explaining some of the concepts.
It’s great for budget math because they offer the PDF books on their website.
Any Singapore Math Primary or Singapore Math Dimensions is a great option.
The Primary version is the original version imported from Singapore. They gave a newer edition from 2022 as well.
Dimensions Math is improved and adapted to the US market.
Mr. D Math is our preferred math for high school.
I love that the lessons are self-paced, the explanations are brief and to the point, and Marc can do the lessons independently.
We finished prealgebra and Algebra 1 and I am very pleased with the program.
Prentice Hall Math grades 9-12
If you prefer a textbook-based curriculum for high school, I recommend Prentice Hall.
We are planning to use these as enrichment as we go near the high school years.
For advanced math students, and kids that live and breathe math, opt for Beast Academy for elementary and AoPS for middle and high school.
They also have awesome puzzle books and online versions of their program.
Language Arts
For language arts, we prefer to piece together curricula that are delivering information in a clear and concise manner.
I don’t like all-in-one curricula because they always seem to be going too fast through some concepts and not delve enough on others.
For reading and writing, we started with Logic of English, which is an extraordinary curriculum for setting up solid bases for both reading and spelling.
Here are some of my blog posts on language arts:
Logic of English for preK-4th grade
Logic of English is one of our favorite curricula for elementary.
It’s a solid reading and writing curriculum that helps kids learn to read phonetically while setting the base for solid spelling.
This curriculum helped Marc become an avid reader and excellent speller. Once we were through all levels, he didn’t need any further spelling instruction and even had a solid grammar understanding.
It’s a pretty comprehensive language arts curriculum for elementary. So if you choose this, you don’t need to add anything else.
Another favorite of ours is IEW. They offer a lot of options for language arts and all their materials are rigorous, well-put-together and set solid bases for academic writing. communication and excellency.
Our favorite programs from IEW so far are:
- Structure and Style for Students – writing with included video lessons. These were excellent for Marc because he hated writing compositions and this program gave him confidence in writing.
- Fix It! Grammar – it’s a different type of grammar. Instead of analyzing sentences out of context for the sake of grammar, kids will analyze a full story per year, sentence by sentence. It incorporates grammar, editing and some vocabulary.
- Phonetic Zoo – this is an amazing auditory-based and rule-based phonetic spelling program for the kids that still need spelling instruction. (If you do Logic of English you probably won’t need this unless you want to take spelling further with level C for spelling complex words).
- Public Speaking – this is the program we want to do for 8th grade. it’s something that I truly value as a skill.
We use IEW mainly for their writing program.
Lightning Literature for grades 1-12
If you want a solid literature foundation from 1st grade all the way to the end of high school, I warmly recommend Lightning Literature.
It’s created for homeschoolers, so it’s easy to navigate and I love how it gradually introduces kids to literary analysis and instills solid grammar concepts.
I don’t recommend this if your kids don’t like reading.
I personally like enriching this. So I only consider it for literature, not other LA aspects.
Learning Language Arts Through Literature for grades 1-12
This program is similar to lightning Literature, but suitable for kids that aren’t doing great in or don’t prefer language arts.
Again, I feel this is good for the literature aspect, and in our homeschool, I just chose it for literature.
Jackris Publishing for grades 1-8
If you prefer a simple and direct approach to language arts, Jackris Publishing offers grammar, spelling (& vocabulary), and writing for grades 1-8.
I love that their books are very straightforward and easy to use independently by kids from 4th grades and up.
It’s our go-to grammar to enrich Fix It! Grammar.
Beowulf Grammar for grades 2-6
An amazingly fun and interactive grammar curriculum!
We absolutely loved how engaging this is and how well explained the grammar is.
Kids will surely love this and it;s an excellent elementary grammar option I warmy recommend.
Well Trained Mind Language Arts for 1st -12th grades
If you prefer a classical approach to language arts and your kids need more repetition, The Well Trained Mind is an excellent choice.
We did their Grammar for The Well Trained Mind and while Marc learned a lot, I felt it was just too much repetition for us and it required a lot of parent involvement, which I didn’t enjoy much.
There were also plenty of errors in the answer keys which disappointed me.
WordUp! The Vocab Show – supplement for vocabulary for ages 10 and up
This is the funniest vocabulary supplement out there!
We love Dwane Thomas and his sense of humor.
You have to try this out!
Vocabulary from Classical Roots for grades 4-10
This is our favorite vocabulary curriculum because it’s to the point, easy to do independently, and it has no busywork.
I really appreciate how it’s set up and the fact that it covers Greek and Latin roots, teaching kids how to decode complex words even if they don’t know the meaning yet.
Mosdos Press Literature for 3rd-8th grades
If you prefer a more traditional approach to literature, Mosdos Press might be a better fit.
Their curricula mimic the traditional school format.
Science
Marc’s strong suit is science, so we have tried a lot of programs over the years.
These are our all time favorites
Real Science Odyssey for grades k-10
Pandia Press’ Real Science Odyssey is a great option if you are looking for a hands-on, experimnent-based science.
We have done several of their levels and I like that they go pretty in depth with them, not dumbing things down for younger students.
This is one of our favorite elementary and middle school science curricula.
If you have little scientists in the making that love experimenting and discovering how science works, you have to get a MEL Science subscription!
We have tried their Chemistry and Physics kits and we are very pleased with our subscriptions.
I even wrote a MEL Chemistry review blog post, if you want to read more.
Science Mom has video lessons for middle schoolers or younger students that are curious to find out more.
Her courses are great for kids that learn visually because she offers PDF guides that are heavily illustrated.
Kristin Moon Science for 9-12th
Excellent high school science classes offered by Kristin Moon, a science expert that makes science accessible to high schoolers.
Ellen McHenry’s Science Supplements and Games
These are amazing if you have science-passionate kids that want to find out more.
Marc loved her Protozoa and Chemistry courses, but she has many more!
Biochemistry Literacy for Kids
An amazing choice if you have kids that are passionate about the subject.
These courses are college-level conceptual courses toned down for an elementary/middle school level.
Conceptual Academy for grades 7-12
If you need a high school science that’s rigorous but mostly centered around concepts, not math, then Conceptual Academy is a great option.
They have online lessons and physical books and workbooks.
The material is pretty intensive, so it’s comprehensive and well-explained. There’s a lot of reading and the workload is pretty high.
Evan Moor’s Daily Science for grades 1-6
If you want to cover just the basic of science during elementary years, or need a supplement, the Daily Science from Evan Mood does just that.
It’s a simple, workbook-style science that’s sure to be accessible and easy to do.
If you want to find out more about it, I wrote a review about Evan Moor’s Daily Science.
Social Studies
Here are some of our favorite social studies resources:
BookShark history for grades k-12
We love BookShark for history because they have literature-based history that’s teaching more than history, it’s going into the world of geography, culture, anthropology and literature.
I’ve written an extensive review for BookShark History level F- Eastern Hemisphere if you want to find out more.
History Quest from Pandia Press for elementary
If you want a secular history presented like a story, this is the one for you!
We love the history hops and the way this history is presented.
I wrote a review for History Quest if you want to find out more about it.
Story of the World for elementary and middle school
The Story of the World is a classic history curriculum that’s presented as a story.
There are 4 volumes, covering 4 years of history and we tried doing them during 3rd and 4th grades but I found them to be too much, so now we’re doing 2 volumes per year for the end of middle school.
The Nomadic Professor history for grades 9-12
This is THE history for high school years. It’s a new program but I love how The Nomadic professor presents history on-the-spot, traveling to the sites of the most important historical events and presenting history in context.
It;s a wonderful blend of college history with high school structure.
It’s a history I am currently reviewing and will show on my blog soon.
History Pockets from Evan Moor
For hands-on history enrichments, look at History pockets from Evan Moor.
These pockets will align with any history curriculum you choose and bring it to life!
Read my review on History Pockets from Evan Moor to find out more.
Essential Timeline Library for elementary through high school
Another option to bring your history lessons to life is to buy the digital Essential Timeline Library.
I absolutely love these and we have used them extensively in our homeschool.
If you want to read more about how we use the Essential Timeline Library read my review.
Evan Moor Geography for grades 1-6
If you want a light way to touch on mani geography concepts, try the Evan Moor workbooks.
You can either go with the Skill Sharpeners Geography, the Continents series (that’s the geography curriculum we did during 4th grade) or the Daily Geohraphy lessons for a light workout through geography concepts.
Let’s Go Geography for elementary
A great geography for elementary-aged children.
It has a lot of hands-on components and it’s set up so you can access various elements of each country presented online. For example you can access the anthem, various recipes and other interesting videos about each country presented.
This is a curriculum we haven’t tried, but it comes highly recommended.
It’s literature-based, so you would have to buy all the extra books to go with it.
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Geography for middle and high school
This curriculum is more comprehensive, having a lot of geographical terms.
We haven’t used it yet, but I bought it for high school years.
This is a UK-based geography curriculum that’s useful if you want to teach world and European geography.
Other Subjects
Here are some of our favorite resources for electives:
I love looking on Udemy for various classes from coding to foreign languages, to art and more.
Their classes are affordable and they run frequent sales.
Rosetta Stone is one of the best apps for language learning.
Marc is using it to learn German and I am seeing good progress so far.
If you want a language learning program for younger kids, One Third Stories is amazing!
Their books are a blend of English with words from other languages peppered in. They also have a lot of activities which are fun and even audio support and audiobook stories.
This is a must-have subscription for elementary and middle school.
We love BrainPop as a supplement for everything! They have fun videos and engaging characters that kids just love.
If you want to find out more about them read my BrainPop review.