The Ultimate Guide To Stress-Free Homeschool Curriculum Shopping

Shopping for homeschool curriculum and resources can be stressful, confusing, and downright challenging… but not anymore! Today I want to help you end that cycle and instead shop for this year with ease and confidence. To do that, I’m sharing some of my best tips, tricks, and curriculum reviews all with the goal of helping you control the chaos of preparing for a brand new homeschool year.

Homeschool Curriculum Shopping Is Challenging

Finding the right curriculum for your homeschool year after year can be challenging.

You may be staying with the same program, but wondering if something else out there is better.

You may be ready for a change, but unsure of the direction to take.

And you may even know that there is no way you are doing that again, positive that a change needs to be made.

Either way, the process of shopping for new curricula and resources takes time and energy – something homeschool moms don’t have a ton of. There is no time to waste when shopping and selecting.

Pre-Shopping Checklist

Whether your change is based on need or want, there are a few things you can do to help before you get started – make a list! Making a pre-shopping checklist will help you weed out programs right off the bat.

My pre-shopping checklist has 4 steps. Each one is important, so don’t skip any of them. Use one checklist per child because each child is different.

Step One

Step one is to determine how you want your materials delivered. Do you prefer all online courses or books in hand? Do you need a mix of digital options and book options? Does your family need a physical textbook or will you utilize digital versions of textbooks? All things to consider as you start planning for this year.

Step Two

Step two is to determine the mode of teaching. While this is similar to step one, it is not the same. The mode of teaching has to do with how the course is taught not how you acquire the course. Digital programs may still require a lot of reading, and even video-based courses may have workbook components. Online programs such as SchoolhouseTeachers.com offer a mix of courses; Teaching Textbooks has videos for instruction but also a workbook; and for history this year we opted for digital curricula, but the instruction was all workbook-based.

Step Three

Step three is to determine your budget. Not fun, but necessary. Think about how much your family can afford and where you want to spend those education dollars. If your budget is tight, how can you make it stretch as far as possible? If you know that one course is really pricey, where can you make cuts to be able to afford it?

While sticking to your budget is not always easy, it is doable. Knowing your budget ahead of time will save you from making impulse purchases because something is on sale or spending more than you need to.

If your budget is super tight, now is the time to start asking around in Facebook groups for information on sales! Many companies offer the same sales year after year, so fellow homeschoolers make a great source for learning how to stretch those educational dollars. They can also point you in the direction of free resources and companies like the Homeschool Buyers Co-Op that regularly offers discounted materials.

Be sure to check out these tips for homeschooling on a budget as well.

Step Four

Step four is to think about your time and the amount of time available for schooling. If you know that co-ops or activities will be taking up a lot of your time, then attending live classes four or five days per week simply won’t work. If you know that you will be traveling a lot, courses that require internet access may not be the best choice.

Also, consider all of your kids in this step. Will one require more help than others? Is there a baby in the family who may require more of your attention? Does your family have something coming up during the year that will require an extended break?

Take Stock Of The Homeschool Curriculum & Items You Already Have

Before you even think of buying anything new, now is the time to take stock of what you have. What can be reused? What did you store away 3 years ago promising you would reuse? (#guiltly!)

Do you have digital options that you can easily print or reprint (one of the big reasons I opt for digital files in our homeschool when possible!)? Is there a workbook that someone stopped using that perhaps a younger sibling could utilize now?

Before you spend money on this year’s curricula, take inventory of what you have in your home and what you think you may need. Break it down by child and by subject.

Oh, and if you are going with a digital curriculum, be sure you find yourself the best printer for homeschooling.

How Will You Be Teaching This Year?

In our home, we combine courses as often as we can – even with a large gap. Because of this, I know I want to keep the kids learning similar material in at least two of our subjects.

I also have to consider which courses the kids will be working on independently, if there are any extras to accommodate such as sports or music, and I like to leave plenty of wiggle room to see what the year will bring.

So now is the time for you to think about how you will teach and how your kids will be learning this year.

And Now, It’s Time To Shop!

With your pre-shopping checklist in hand, it’s time to start shopping for your homeschool curriculum and resources. Fun, perhaps, but also easily overwhelming.

To help keep you coordinated, I have a Chaos Coordinator in my free homeschool resource library. Simply sign up here and grab a copy now! The Chaos Coordinator allows you to track the programs and resources you find and keep them organized.

To help make your shopping easier, I’m linking this post to some of my top reviews. Not the reviews we personally loved the most, but the ones that are read time and time again by homeschoolers just like you.

As a self-confessed curriculum junkie, I can’t help but love the process of reviewing curricula. Whether I am sharing a product we use here on a regular basis, or trying something new for the purpose of sharing that experience with you, I love everything about the process of homeschool reviews!

All-In-One Curriculum Options

SchoolhouseTeachers.com – This is by far our favorite all-in-one curriculum. There are currently more than 450 courses available and they cover Prek-12th grade. You will find your core subjects, electives, parental resources, and more. In fact, I have a second post on SchoolhouseTeachers here as well because we love this program so much!

English/Language Arts

Brave Writer – A unique approach to writing, Brave Writer teaches you more than it does the student. Brave Writer encourages parents to trust their children and allow them to find their unique writing voice before ever working on those pesky grammar skills.

Fix It! Grammar – Fix It! Grammar allows you to easily teach both simple and complex grammar skills in just 15 minutes a day! Using the same story all year long, you can teach your kids how to write properly, use punctuation appropriately, and identify parts of speech easily. This low-key approach encourages parents and children to simply keep learning through repetition instead of memorization of hard and fast rules followed by testing.

Grammar Galaxy – Elementary language arts has never been so much fun! With Grammar Galaxy your child blasts off on an adventure to help save the Grammar Galaxy from the Gremlin. Each week your child reads another chapter and learns of another plot by the Gremlin to create havoc in the Galaxy. Armed with the knowledge presented in the story, you spend the rest of the week working on skills and helping to save the Galaxy.

History

Drive Thru History – With Drive Thru History you are in the passenger seat as host, Dave Stotts leads you back in time. Dave doesn’t just tell you about history, he shows you where it happened and explains all of the details to help you see the big picture. We were lucky enough to be able to review two different offerings from Drive Thru History and both were equally amazing!

Math

CTCMath – CTCMath is a video-based math program that offers short lessons, easy worksheets, and ample opportunity for parents to review the materials. Speed drills were a favorite component of my kids, while I really liked being able to create additional worksheets for lessons that needed extra review.

Dimensions Math – Dimensions math was a super fun program we got to use with my daughter. She loved the colorful illustrations, easy instructions, and simply had fun feeling like a “big kid” with workbooks like her siblings.

Teaching Textbooks – I’m not going to lie, Teaching Textbooks is the program we continue to come back to year after year. With video lessons, the ability to try problems more than once, and explanations on how to work every problem, Teaching Textbooks offers everything we need to make sure math is learned well in our homeschool.

Science

Apologia – A family favorite, Apologia is a program we happened upon at a yard sale on year and year after year it continues to prove why this is the best fit for our family – regardless of whether we are using the Young Explorer’s program for elementary, or the middle and high school level.

Crosswired Science – This was a program we started using for the purpose of the review, yet my science-minded boys were really impressed. The lessons were short and simple, yet full of information their brains just soaked right up.

Looking For Something Else?

I’ll admit, I didn’t want to overwhelm you with this post because I know just how overwhelming homeschool curriculum shopping can be. When I set out to write this I knew that I was only going to include the reviews that readers like you read over and over again.

Yet, if there is something I missed, feel free to check out my full review library here. And why not bookmark it while you are at it because it’s constantly being updated (hello, curriculum junkie over here!).

In the full review library, you will find all of the reviews I mentioned here, plus so many more. Curriculum, resources, parental resources, and more are just a click away.

Homeschool Curriculum Shopping Can Be Chaotic But There Is Hope To Be Found

Shopping for homeschool curriculum can be chaotic and overwhelming. I get it. Every program screams at you that they are the best one out there… and every homeschooler will tell you why they are right or wrong and offer up additional opinions and options.

And while each program has its pros and cons, and while each homeschooler does mean well, the best program for you is the one that fits your needs, your budget, and your lifestyle. The best program is the one that will be used and will help your children grow.

Price doesn’t matter.

Method doesn’t matter.

Age doesn’t even matter.

Use is what matters.

So at the end of the day, be sure you are selecting the program that will be usable in your home. The program that will work best for you and your children.

Plan your home & homeschool with confidence!

With The Ultimate Home & School Planner, you can plan, organize, and coordinate all of the different facets of your life in one easy, customizable planner! This planner is not like other planners out there – it was made by a homeschool mom for homeschool moms!