Christian Homeschool Curriculum Guide
Choose curriculum, build a scope & sequence, and find the right model for your family — all in one place.
All information sourced from publicly available data. Pricing reflects 2025–2026 published rates. We recommend checking each provider's website for the latest information as details may change.
Start Here: Five Questions Before You Pick
Most curriculum overwhelm comes from skipping this step.
What's your child's learning style?
Visual learners do well with video-based curricula (BJU Press, Abeka). Hands-on learners thrive with Heart of Dakota or Master Books. Independent readers do well with Sonlight or Veritas Press.
How much do you want to teach vs. outsource?
Open-and-go programs (Sonlight, My Father's World) carry the planning load. Video-based programs (BJU, Abeka, Veritas Self-Paced) carry the teaching load.
What's your worldview alignment?
Master Books and Apologia center the gospel explicitly. Veritas Press and Memoria Press lean classical and theologically rigorous. The Good and the Beautiful is gentler and Charlotte Mason–influenced.
How many kids, what ages?
Family-style curricula (My Father's World, Heart of Dakota, Sonlight) save time and money for multiple kids close in age.
What's your budget?
You can homeschool for free (Easy Peasy, Ambleside Online) or spend $1,500+ per child per year. Most families land around $300–$800 per child.
Curriculum Providers
Side-by-side comparison of the major Christian curriculum providers families are using.
| Provider | Approach | Best For | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BJU Press | Traditional, biblical worldview | Families wanting structure with video teaching support | $1,000–$1,200/grade | Visit |
| Abeka | Traditional, spiral review | Structured learners, strong phonics & math | $1,300–$1,600/grade | Visit |
| Veritas Press | Classical Christian, trivium-based | Families wanting Great Books, classical approach | $300–$1,500+ | Visit |
| Sonlight | Literature-based, open-and-go | Families who love reading aloud | $700–$1,400/package | Visit |
| My Father's World | Charlotte Mason + classical + unit study | Multi-age families, mission-focused learning | $400–$700/year | Visit |
| Master Books | Charlotte Mason / Montessori, gospel-centered | Engaging, story-driven curriculum | $300–$700/year | Visit |
BJU Press
$1,000–$1,200/gradeApproach: Traditional, biblical worldview
Best for: Families wanting structure with video teaching support
Visit websiteAbeka
$1,300–$1,600/gradeApproach: Traditional, spiral review
Best for: Structured learners, strong phonics & math
Visit websiteVeritas Press
$300–$1,500+Approach: Classical Christian, trivium-based
Best for: Families wanting Great Books, classical approach
Visit websiteSonlight
$700–$1,400/packageApproach: Literature-based, open-and-go
Best for: Families who love reading aloud
Visit websiteMy Father's World
$400–$700/yearApproach: Charlotte Mason + classical + unit study
Best for: Multi-age families, mission-focused learning
Visit websiteMaster Books
$300–$700/yearApproach: Charlotte Mason / Montessori, gospel-centered
Best for: Engaging, story-driven curriculum
Visit websiteBuilding Your Scope & Sequence
A scope and sequence is simply a plan: what your child will learn (scope) and the order they'll learn it (sequence).
The Five-Step Process
Define year-end goals by subject
Write one or two sentences about what you want the child to know by year's end.
Map topics to months or quarters
Planning weekly or monthly gives flexibility for sick days and slower weeks.
Account for state requirements
Check your state's laws at HSLDA.org or your state homeschool association.
Build in margin
Plan for 32–34 weeks of instruction in a 36-week year. The extra weeks absorb life events.
Review at end of each quarter
Every nine weeks ask: are we on track, ahead, or behind? Adjust as needed.
Ready to plan your day?
Use our free Lesson Plan Builder to create, organize, and export a daily lesson plan with drag-and-drop simplicity.
Open Lesson Plan BuilderHome, Co-op, or Hybrid?
Three models on a spectrum from most parent-led to most outsourced.
Pure Homeschool
Strengths
- • Maximum flexibility
- • Lowest cost
- • Deepest family connection
- • Full control over content and pacing
Trade-offs
- • Heavy parent time commitment
- • Potential isolation
- • Harder to teach advanced subjects in upper grades
Best for: Younger children, families with one parent home, families who value flexibility above almost everything else.
Homeschool Co-op
Strengths
- • Community and socialization
- • Parents teach their strengths
- • Shared costs
- • Built-in accountability
Trade-offs
- • Requires coordination
- • Less schedule flexibility on co-op days
- • Quality varies by group
Best for: Families who want community without the cost of a hybrid school, and parents who value pooling skills.
Hybrid School
Strengths
- • Subject specialists for harder subjects
- • Built-in peer community
- • External accountability
- • Half the parent teaching load
Trade-offs
- • Higher cost ($5,000–$12,000/year)
- • Less curriculum flexibility
- • Fixed schedule
- • Travel time to campus
Best for: Middle and high school families, families wanting professional instruction in upper-level subjects.
Best Practices from Families Who've Done This Well
None of these are about which curriculum you picked.
1. Consistency beats intensity
Four hours a day, four days a week, all year beats eight hours a day, three days a week, and burning out by Christmas.
2. Start with the spine, then add
Pick one core curriculum and run it for a full quarter before adding anything else.
3. Read aloud, every day
Twenty minutes a day for ten years compounds into something extraordinary — vocabulary, comprehension, attention span.
4. Don't grade everything
Most homeschool work needs feedback, not a grade. Save formal grading for portfolios and transcripts.
5. Plan the year, live the week
Have a year-long scope and sequence. Then live one week at a time.
6. Build in something delightful
Friday baking, Wednesday nature walks, a weekly art project — delight carries you through hard weeks.
Tools & Resources
Ready to plan your homeschool day?
Open Free Lesson Plan Builder →