I read somewhere that it takes two years to get into a groove for homeschooling. I think it took me four—although, to be fair, the first three years were chaotic at best. I was working full-time as the Director of Integration at Strava, facing the possibility of moving (spoiler: we did), and found out we were having a third kid. It wasn’t until this current school year (2024-2025) that I truly felt we were finding our footing and found our curriculum moving forward. Even now, things can still be rocky, but at least I finally have a curriculum I love.
2023-2024 was the year I really started to explore options. Bug was in Kindergarten, and Bear was in preschool. We had just moved, had Buddy, and I was still working for more than half the school year. But somewhere in that madness, I tested things out, found what worked and found what definitely did not.
Looking back:
- 2022-2023: I used old workbooks and worksheets from my teaching days for preschool and early intro to Kindergarten.
- 2021-2022: We primarily did circle time and ABCs.
So, 2023-2024 became my exploratory year. I went full research mode, reading reviews, scouring homeschool forums, and overwhelming myself in the process. I tried Blossom and Root, Singapore Math, Pandia Press, Sonlight, and The Good and the Beautiful before finding what worked best for us.
Here’s what I found:
Blossom and Root
Summary: This curriculum integrates all subjects into a nature-based learning approach, encouraging exploration and creativity.
My review: I loved the concept of this curriculum. It was beautifully designed, deeply rooted in nature, and intertwined subjects in a seamless way. It was also flexible in terms of digital or printed use. However, the structure didn’t fit our go-with-the-flow nature. If we fell behind in one subject, we couldn’t just skip ahead in another. The day-by-day layout was a bit too rigid for us. And a challenge for me to schedule against my ever changing work calendar. Also, my kids weren’t into the nature-based activities like spelling words with sticks—they just wanted to play outside. Ultimately, while it was visually and conceptually stunning, it was too much prep work and too structured for our family.
Who it’s great for: Families who thrive on a well-laid-out schedule, enjoy multi-subject integration, and are willing to put in the prep work.
Singapore Math
Summary: A rigorous, mastery-based math curriculum with a strong conceptual approach.
My review: This was the first math curriculum I found after hours of research. Bug tested right into First Grade math since we covered Kindergarten math in preschool. It reminded me of my teaching days—lots of worksheets, warm-ups, and reviews. While my kids like worksheets, this was too much repetition with not enough fun. For my kindergartener/first grader, we needed something more engaging with colorful, exciting worksheets and not so much drill based.
Who it’s great for: Families who prefer a structured, worksheet-heavy approach and don’t mind supplementing with hands-on activities.
Pandia Press
Summary: Offers secular, literature-based Science and History curricula.
My review: I chose Pandia after trying Sonlight (more on that next). I picked it for Science and History and was impressed. However, the history curriculum was a bit too reading-heavy for my kids right now, so we’re pausing it for a year and focusing on hands-on field trips instead. The science curriculum is great, and I plan to use Pandia for both subjects long-term. It’s open-and-go, which is a huge plus.
Who it’s great for: Families looking for a secular, literature-rich Science and History curriculum with minimal prep work.
Sonlight
Summary: A literature-based, Christian homeschool curriculum focused on reading.
My review: A lot of my friends love this curriculum, but it was a big miss for us. It was extremely reading-heavy, which just didn’t fit our lifestyle. We already have bedtime chapter books, breakfast read-alouds, and core subject reading, so adding more was overwhelming. Also, it’s expensive—so, ouch.
Who it’s great for: Families who love literature-based learning and want a structured, book-heavy curriculum with a heavy Christian focus.
The Good and the Beautiful (Our Bread and Butter)
Summary: A Christian-based, open-and-go curriculum that integrates moral values with academics.
My review: This was the jackpot. It teaches good morals, has a perfect pace for my kids, is colorful, and (somehow) feels calming. We use The Good and the Beautiful for English, Math, Handwriting, Typing, and some Science.
- Bear completed Preschool and Kindergarten Prep and is ready for Kindergarten English. She’s almost done with Kindergarten Math.
- Bug finished Kindergarten English, is almost done with Level 1 English, and completed Level 1 Math and has started Level 2.
I started teaching Bug how to read before we found this curriculum, but once we started, everything clicked. I wish I had started with it sooner! I also love that even though it does teach and practice spelling throughout, it states multiple times that spelling is not the focus and that the more a child reads they will continue to be exposed to spelling. I am a horrible speller and spelling really shut me down, I see the same with Bug so this fits perfectly. Bear is getting the full experience from the start and at 4.5 is already sounding out works and nonsense words and Buddy already loves playing with the Kindergarten math box.
Best part? You can check it out for free on their website. As a former teacher, I’m thoroughly impressed.
One thing I also love about Good and the Beautiful is that while it has faith-based elements, it isn’t overtly religious in a way that would be off-putting to secular families. It focuses on good morals, connecting with nature, and the beauty of art. I know families that use this curriculum for charter schools and simply select pages that do not reference God. It’s flexible, well-designed, and just works for us.
Who it’s great for: Families looking for an open-and-go, beautifully designed curriculum with strong moral and academic foundations.
So that’s how we landed on our curriculum! It took years of trial and error, but we finally found what works. If you’re in the thick of figuring things out—know that it’s totally normal. And if you, too, are drowning in homeschool curriculum reviews, may your coffee be strong and your patience endless.
What curriculum does your family love? Let’s chat in the comments!
Run Teach Bike 