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BTDT Homeschool was created with a heartfelt mission: to empower and give back to the secular homeschool community.

Through our informative podcasts, blog posts, daily inspiration, and a wide range of free printable tools, we aim to empower and assist you on your homeschooling journey.
New to Homeschooling>>>

We know how exciting yet overwhelming it can be to find the perfect curriculum. But here’s the thing, you don’t really need a formal curriculum at this stage! Remember, the skills we listed earlier are just a guide and many of the skills can be mastered through play. Research actually suggests that play-based learning is the way to go for young children like yours. You can create a rich learning environment right within the comfort of your home.

Do you have a Kindergartener?
Learn how to homeschool Kindergarten>>>

But we know that some of you are still going to want to buy a curriculum and get started. And that’s ok too! But I understand that you might still want some structure and reassurance that your child is covering important areas of kindergarten. There are many varieties of curriculum. To help you narrow down what’s best for your child, we created:

7 Steps to Choosing Curriculum >>

Learn more about Homeschool Styles and Philosophies. If you do choose to use curriculum at this stage, let’s explore some of our favorite choices broken down into teaching method/style:

Full Curriculum

Nature-based:

If your family loves spending time outdoors and believes in the power of nature, these publishers will be a great fit. They emphasize connecting children with the natural world and offer engaging activities and projects:

• Oak Meadow
• Blossom and Root
• Magic Forest Academy

Literature-based:

For families who cherish reading and enjoy incorporating related projects and activities, these curricula are perfect. They often cover science and social studies through captivating literature:

• Torchlight
• Build Your Library
• Moving Beyond the Page
• Bookshark (marketed as secular, but it is made by a Christian curriculum provider)
• Wildwood (Charlotte Mason)
• Brave Writer
• Before Five in a Row (not secular, but easy to skip the bible section)
• Five in a Row (not secular, but easy to skip the bible section)

Play-based:

If you want to prioritize the benefits of play while homeschooling, these curricula encourage exactly that:

• How Wee Learn
• Slow and Steady Get Me Ready

Online Curriculum:

While young students thrive with hands-on activities and interaction, some parents find online curricula helpful for additional support. We actually do not subscribe to this method for younger learners.  Kids have all the time in the world to be online, and play based learning is just so much better scientifically and more effective for this age.

Traditional Curriculum

If you prefer a more “regular” school-like experience with textbooks and workbooks, these publishers offer a structured approach:

• Spectrum
• Core Knowledge
• Thoughtful Learning
• Critical Thinking Company

Classical Education:

Classical homeschooling focuses on the three stages of learning: the Grammar stage, the Logic stage, and the Rhetoric stage. This curriculum is based on this time-tested method:

• Well-Trained Mind

Learn-to-Read

Be sure to Listen to Episode 015. How Do You Teach Your Child To Read. Be sure to download your Free Reading Log and Review Sheets. If you’re specifically looking for resources to support your child’s reading development, consider these options:

• Pinwheels by Rooted in Language
• All About Reading
• Logic of English
• Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
• Teach your monster to read
• Bob Books
• Night Zookeeper

Math

Math skills can be developed independently, even during the early years of homeschooling. Learn more about Teaching Math in Your Homeschool. Here are a few reputable math curricula:

• Singapore Math
• RightStart Mathematics
• Saxon
• Math with Confidence
• Beast Academy
• Math-U-See (technically not secular)
• Life of Fred (technically not secular)

Handwriting/Writing

Here are some handwriting curricula that you can consider to enhance your child’s handwriting skills:

• Handwriting Without Tears
• Handwriting Without Tears Cursive
• Zaner-Bloser Handwriting
• Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting
•  Peterson Directed Handwriting
• Write By Number
• Draw Write Now

Remember, you don’t necessarily need to follow a specific handwriting curriculum. You can also incorporate handwriting practice into your daily activities by providing your child with opportunities to write, such as writing letters, making grocery lists, sidewalk chalk, or creating simple stories. Here are 20 Fun Writing Activities. Ultimately, the choice of handwriting curriculum depends on your child’s learning style, your preferences, and the goals you have for their handwriting development. Consider what approach resonates with you and your child, and remember to make the learning process fun and engaging.  There is a difference between the physical act of handwriting and foundational writing- sentence structure, detailing thoughts, etc.  

Geography & Culture

Learn all about Teaching Geography and Culture in your Homeschool in our detailed episode with tons of resources including a Free Geography Bundle to help teach the cardinal directions. It’s essential to equip our children with the knowledge and vocabulary to understand and respect others. Learn more about Teaching Inclusivity, Kindness, and Celebrating Differences.

Universal Yums is a subscription service that delivers a box of snacks from a different country to your doorstep every month. Each box contains a variety of snacks, such as chips, candy, and cookies, as well as a booklet that provides information about the country’s culture, history, and food. It also contains games, trivia, and recipes to continue learning about the culture. It’s easy to build an entire UNIT STUDY around each country – and my kids love getting to “travel” from home.

Science & Nature

Learn all about teaching Hands-on Science in Episode 030 including Free science activities including the Celestial Hike! And don’t forget Nature Study and Sustainability!

Real Science Odyssey (K-10th): Hands-on Secular and Science-Based Curricula written by real scientists and historians for K-10th grades. The curriculum from Pandia Press fits a more traditional learning and teaching approach. The style is textbook based with labs. This format is presented to be interesting and not boring at all and keeps kids engaged.

Curiosity Box In this monthly box, your kids ages 5-10 will enjoy 3 craft kits plus a small STEAM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) project We fell in love with these boxes! Everything you need – including instructions and supplies comes in the box. Each month has a variety of activities that my kids can do independently while I meal prepped or working one-on-one. Each box contains real, high-quality science equipment that we have used in OTHER experiments.

Homeschool Lesson Planner and Ultimate Organizer

History (1st)

Learn all about Teaching History with Timelines in Episode 065.

Curiosity Chronicles is a secular homeschool history curriculum written in dialogue form. Their two main characters, Ted and Mona, take students on a tour through history beginning in ancient times. Curiosity Chronicles takes a global perspective and includes the history of people all over the world. They cover cultural, artistic, and scientific history in addition to political history.

History Quest: This is Pandia’s newest curriculum which features hands on history curriculum for elementary ages. This would be great if you’re interested in more hands-on and less literature-based history.

Art and Music

Learn all about Teaching Art and Music in your Homeschool in Episode 048. Be sure to download your Free Music book to teach your child how to learn to play and write music!

PE & Healthy Habits

Learn how to Incorporate Healthy Habits and Body Positivity in Episode 051 and be sure to download your Free Fitness Dice!

We have made it a point to not recommend specific curricula on our podcasts and one of the reasons why is that it’s an ever-evolving thing.  Curriculum companies come and go, some change resources, and there are constantly new things coming on the horizon! We’ve both been homeschooling a long time and who knows if we would have used some of the things we did in favor of a lot of the things that have come out since.  This list comes to you with either our personal recommendations or recommendations from other secular resources that we follow.  We keep an eye out and stay current on what’s new and what may be debatable or problematic with certain programs.