Homeschooling Curriculum Guides
for Busy Parents

Check out these homeschooling curriculum guides before you plan the next school year. Compare the most popular programs and learn where to find them in one easy step!

Write Your Own Curriculum Review! Just click here.

Math Curriculum

Saxon Math is a well-known program in traditional schools and home schools. Each lesson provides practice problems for new material and a review of previous concepts. Interactive CD-ROMs are available with the homeschool textbook kit or you can purchase them separately.

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Teaching Textbooks Math comes with a spiral-bound textbook, soft cover answer/test book, and CD-ROMs with lessons and solutions. This is my oldest daughter's favorite homeschool math curriculum.

Check out my Teaching Textbooks curriculum review.

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Singapore Math is the program that has allowed Asian students to outperform American students on standardized testing. Now it's available in English for homeschool students. Concentration is on "thinking through the concepts" instead of repetition.

English Homeschooling Curriculum Guide

We have been using Rod and Staff English books since our second year of homeschooling (the first language arts program didn't work out). This christian homeschool curriculum includes a student text, teacher's manual, test booklet and worksheet booklet.

Grammar is emphasized throughout the book, which is great preparation for high school and college writing courses. Students learn how to identify parts of speech and diagram sentences in detail. Outlining and writing lessons are incorporated as well.

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Shurley English promotes learning grammar through repetition, develops thinking skills and writing skills. The homeschool kits come with a student workbook, teacher's manual, and a companion jingles CD. An extra practice booklet and CDs may be purchased separately.

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Writing Strands is an award-winning composition program and a favorite of homeschoolers. My family has been using Writing Strands as a supplement to our english curriculum. The step-by-step process is broken down into manageable daily assignments. The lesson may take a few days or up to two weeks, depending on the subject.

Through this program a student learns about the different styles of writing. They practice notetaking, making rough drafts, proofreading and creating final compositions. I've been pleased with the results.

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Vocabulary from Classical Roots is an excellent supplement to any english program. Each set of vocabulary words is organized by theme according to Greek and Latin roots. Students learn the origin of the word, its definition, and example sentences.

Student exercises such as fill in the blank and matching help to reinforce what they've learned before taking the multiple-choice test.

Science Curriculum

Apologia Science is a great college prep program because each subject is explored in depth and explained in a way that's easy for students to grasp. Homeschoolers love it because the concepts are explained with a christian world view.

My daughters have been using this program for the past two years. The work is challenging, but they wouldn't change a thing.

Click here to read my Apologia Science review.

History Homeschooling Curriculum Guide

If you're using the classical style of homeschooling, The Timetables of History and DK History of the World are two resources recommended by The Well-Trained Mind for your high school program. This complete history program is organized for you and explained thoroughly in the book.

Students learn to research history using at least 5-6 different sources to learn what was happening throughout the world in chronological fashion. They read about events, write essays, and keep a timeline. The Well-Trained Mind is an excellent classical homeschooling curriculum guide.

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For younger children you might want to try The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia or The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History for a chronological presentation of important dates, people, and events. Usborne provides internet links for further study. You can make your own timeline and quizzes for a customized history curriculum.

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The Classical Curriculum is a free, non-religious, online classical curriculum. It includes grammar, literature, history, math, science, and foreign language recommendations for homeschoolers. You can follow the complete curriculum from nursery school through high school, or use the book list as supplemental material for your current programs.

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Omnibus by Veritas Press provides a world history course, great books/literature course, and Bible course all in one package. Although we have not used this program, it has received positive reviews from many homeschoolers, including several of my friends.

Fine Arts Homeschooling Curriculum Guide

The study of art is an important part of many homeschool programs. You might have a future artist, sculptor, or photographer just waiting to be discovered. Let your child explore his creative side. Art supplies and kits may be found at hobby/craft stores or online.

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DK The Story of Painting is an excellent resource to go along with your art program. Students may use this book and others like it to learn the history of painting, sculpture, architecture, etc. Check out your local library for more ideas.

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Music has been an integral part of our homeschooling experience for the past few years. One of my daughters is learning to play the guitar; the other is learning piano. Luckily we have one teacher who provides private lessons for both of those instruments.

Sometimes private tutors can be quite expensive or they may be unavailabe in your area. If this is not an option for you, your young musician can Learn to Play Acoustic Guitar online.

Video lessons may be a good way to find out how dedicated (or not) your child will be to learning a new instument.

I believe it's also a good idea for them to study the history behind the music. You can find books and music DVDs at the library, book stores, or book distributors/publishers.

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