"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled."
— Plutarch
Curriculum We Have Used
Mathematics
Saxon
Saxon Math provides a very traditional, structured approach to math with lots of review and incremental lessons. While it can be a great fit for students who thrive with repetition and a step-by-step approach, we found that it quickly became quite rigorous and challenging. For our family, it felt a bit dry and overwhelming at times, but for those who prefer a no-frills, mastery-based curriculum, it could be a solid choice.
Good & the Beautiful Math
The Good and the Beautiful Math is a beautifully designed, free downloadable curriculum that provides a strong foundation. It was highly effective for us—our 5th grader’s scores jumped multiple grade levels while using it! However, the pacing can make it challenging to finish within a single school year, so families may need to adjust their schedule or pace to fit their needs.
Singapore (Primary Mathematics)
Primary Mathematics (Singapore Math) offers a strong, conceptual approach to math with a focus on problem-solving and mental math. It’s a well-structured and effective program, though we found it to be a bit gentler than expected. For families looking for a solid foundation without an overwhelming workload, this could be a great fit.
Math Lessons for a Living Education
Math Lessons for a Living Education is a gentle, story-based approach that builds confidence and a positive mindset toward math. While it wasn’t very challenging for us, and at times felt too light, the boost in confidence it provided was invaluable. It may be a great fit for students who need a more relaxed pace or struggle with math anxiety.
Beast Academy
Beast Academy is a creative and challenging math program designed for advanced students, with a strong focus on problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking. The comic-style presentation makes it engaging, but the content is quite rigorous—often a grade level ahead—so it can be time-consuming and require extra support. While it’s a great fit for students who enjoy mental math and competition-style problems, it may be frustrating for those who need a more straightforward approach.
Singapore (Dimensions 7-8)
Singapore Dimensions offer a deep, conceptual approach to math, making it a solid choice for families who want a thorough understanding of the subject. However, it can be quite challenging—requiring parents to study alongside their students. We initially felt overwhelmed, but once we added video support, things became much more manageable.
Maneuvering the Middle
Maneuvering the Middle is a well-organized, classroom-style pre-algebra program designed for middle school students. While it provides a solid foundation, it seems best suited for a group setting rather than homeschool, as it relies on a structured, teacher-led approach. Some families may find it engaging, but for us, it felt like a lot of busy work rather than deep conceptual learning.
Denison Algebra
Denison Algebra (and its other levels) has been a game-changer for our 8th grader! We’re absolutely obsessed with how it builds confidence through encouragement, clear explanations, and helpful tips. The pre-algebra level includes fun animal characters, while Algebra maintains the same supportive feel with a slightly more mature approach. It’s a fantastic choice for students who thrive with a confidence-boosting, engaging curriculum.
English Language Arts
Writing & Rhetoric
Writing & Rhetoric provides wonderful exposure to great stories and encourages creativity by guiding students to develop their own ideas. I loved the rich literary aspect, but my daughter preferred a more structured approach. It’s a great fit for students who enjoy a narrative, discussion-based style of writing.
Spelling Zoo (IEW)
IEW Spelling Zoo was actually requested by my 8th grader, and we’ve loved using it as a group! While the curriculum offers an independent option with audio-based individual tests, we’ve found that doing it together works really well with my three kids being close in age. The spelling cards include three lists—elementary, middle, and high school—making it easy to adjust for different levels and incredibly frugal since we can use the same set for years.
My Lesson Book
My Lesson Book is a flexible tool rather than a full curriculum, offering blank-lined books with spacing tailored to different handwriting levels. It worked wonderfully for our family, allowing my three kids—each with different handwriting needs—to do copywork, narration, and dictation together. The ability to customize the experience made group learning easier, and they especially loved having their own booklet with a personal animal design.
Fix-It Grammar (IEW)
IEW Fix-It Grammar is a quick and effective daily grammar program that works for students from elementary through high school. Even a high schooler can start with the first level and still find it challenging as the concepts build. It does ramp up in difficulty within a few months, and even with my creative writing degree, I found the answer key essential! It’s a great option for families looking for a streamlined but rigorous grammar curriculum.
Typesy
Typesy is a fantastic, engaging typing program that helps students build strong keyboarding skills through interactive lessons and games. It’s user-friendly and adapts to different skill levels, making it great for multiple students. To reinforce good habits, we also used a blank keyboard cover, which really helped train them not to look at the keys. Looking back, I wish we had started that even earlier!
History-Based Writing Lessons (IEW)
IEW’s History-Based Writing Curriculum is an excellent program, but having strong editing skills is key. Even after watching the training videos, I found that my background in English was essential for guiding revisions. If you're able to edit your student’s work or find an editor, this curriculum is an amazing way to integrate writing with history. I also offer IEW editing services for those who need extra support!
History & Social Studies
Omnibus
Omnibus (Levels 1-6, starting in 7th grade) is an intense, literature-rich program with most readings at a 12th-grade level. We use it as a group based on my middle child’s grade level, and it works well that way, though it requires a lot from the parent/teacher. I end up reading most of the material aloud, which helps with comprehension and discussion. It’s a rigorous but rewarding program for families willing to invest the time.
Plutarch Studies
I didn’t even know who or what Plutarch was for a long time, and it felt intimidating at first! But when we were studying the ancients and diving deeper into Latin, I decided to integrate Plutarch studies. We started with Plutarch Primer by Anne White and now use the free downloads from AmblesideOnline. It’s very challenging—Mom has to pay close attention—but it sparks great discussions on morality and history, making the effort well worth it.
Story of the World
Story of the World is a great history program with an engaging narrative approach, but we found that it only dedicated a couple of chapters to the Renaissance and Reformation. Since we wanted more depth in those areas, we ended up switching to something else.
Crash Course History (YouTube)
Crash Course History (YouTube) moves fast with lots of visuals, making it engaging and easy to follow. While it’s not from a Christian perspective, the humor and concise summaries have sparked great conversations. My son loves the witticism, while my daughter benefits from the strong visual elements. We don’t use it as a primary resource, but it’s been a helpful supplement for reinforcing historical concepts.
Mystery of History
Mystery of History follows a more traditional textbook style but is Christ-centric and presents history through a biblical lens. We appreciated that it also gave perspective to historical figures who are often maligned, offering a more well-rounded view of events.
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College offers high-quality free courses with short quizzes, making college-level material accessible at no cost. We use it in middle school, but for the Ancient & Medieval Literature course, we make sure to read the books beforehand so the discussions are more meaningful. While the content is advanced, the quizzes are much less challenging, making it an approachable option for younger students ready for deeper learning.
Holling Geography Unit Study
The Holling Geography Unit Study focuses on American geography through beautiful literature, large maps to fill in and color, discussion questions, and suggested videos. I loved it more than my kids did, but in the end, we created beautiful memories together. It’s a wonderful way to make U.S. geography interactive and engaging through storytelling.
Science
Science Through History (Berean Builders)
Science Through History (Berean Builders) is designed more for upper middle and high school, but it’s formatted for the whole family with leveled questions and activities. I adored using it alongside our history studies, though much of the content went over my kids’ heads at the time. They loved the experiments, which were affordable and well-designed, but they found the historical accounts of the scientists a bit dull. That said, a lot of school feels dull in the moment but builds knowledge that produces stronger students later on.
Generation Genius
Generation Genius is a secular science resource with dynamic, extremely well-done videos that really engage students. However, the quizzes often focus on minute details rather than reinforcing key concepts, which makes note-taking tricky. My kids felt pressured to write everything down instead of fully enjoying the amazing videos. It’s a great supplement, but we found it worked best when we adjusted our approach to the quizzes.
Apologia Science
We used Apologia Science for Chemistry and Physics at the elementary level, though a couple of my kids were in middle school, and we were still well challenged. It follows a traditional approach with household experiments that were easy to implement. Overall, it provided a solid foundation in science with hands-on learning.
Foreign Language
Song School Latin
Song School Latin is a great introduction to Latin, providing a solid foundation in the basics while also explaining why Latin is worth studying and from where it comes. It’s an engaging and approachable starting point for young learners.
Speaking Spanish with Miss Mason
Speaking Spanish with Miss Mason focuses on memory work, but it got old quickly for us. I wanted Spanish to be fun and engaging, and this approach didn’t quite capture that excitement.
Latin for Children
Latin for Children is a solid program, but we found retention challenging at first—my children went through the first workbook twice. However, when we consistently used the CD chants, their memorization improved significantly. The audio component made a big difference in mastering the material.
Breaking the Spanish Barrier
reaking the Spanish Barrier feels more like a college-level approach than a high school one. It’s fairly challenging without a fluent speaker to assist, whether at home or in a class setting. A solid choice for serious learners, but it may require extra support for those without immersion opportunities.
Latin Alive!
Latin Alive! is our favorite Latin program because the videos are very in-depth, making comprehension much easier. However, checking their work can be tedious since the book’s layout doesn’t allow much space for writing. Despite that, it’s been the most effective for us.
Duolingo
Duolingo didn’t really stick when my kids were younger and had little to no background in Spanish. But after laying a foundation in languages, our whole family now loves the app! I use it for French and Spanish, my husband for Portuguese, my oldest for Spanish, and my youngest for French—while my son stays committed to his Latin class and workbook. It’s been a fun and useful supplement for language learning.