Homeschool Curriculum Guides
Start here
What the scores mean, and why we describe fit rather than rank.
Choosing a program
Step-by-step guides for picking one curriculum in one subject.
The six scored attributes
One guide each, in the order they appear on every entry.
Rigor
How demanding a program is versus grade level, and why the right level depends entirely on your child.
Parent Involvement
How much of the lesson lands on you, from hands-off to parent-taught, and how to match it to the time you have.
Prep Load
How much work you do before a lesson starts, from open-and-go to heavy planning, and why it's not the same as difficulty.
Screen Time
How much of the daily work happens on a device, from fully offline to fully digital, and how to match it to your family's limits.
Independence
How much your child can do on their own, scored from the child's side, and why it shapes your whole day.
Time Commitment
How long a typical daily lesson takes the child, and why it's measured separately from your prep and teaching.
How curricula differ
The labels that describe a program's method, form, and role.
Spiral vs Mastery
The two main ways a curriculum is organized, and how to tell which one fits your child.
Curriculum Format
The four forms a program can take, and how each one shapes your day.
Spine, Supplement, or Companion
The job a program is built to do in your homeschool, and why buying the wrong role is a common, costly mistake.
Methods and traditions
The named approaches behind the programs, and who each one tends to suit.
Charlotte Mason
Living books, short lessons, and narration: what the method looks like in practice.
Classical Education
The trivium, the great books, and why classical programs look so different by age.
Orton-Gillingham
The structured, multisensory approach built for children who don't pick up reading by exposure.
Synthetic Phonics
Sounds first, then blending: what it means, how it differs from analytic phonics, and which programs use it.
Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract
The Singapore math sequence: objects first, then pictures, then numbers.