Homeschool curriculum: how to choose one or build your own
The curriculum decision feels like the biggest one you will make and it is not. Most families change curriculum at least once in the first two years, and the ones who spend least in year one usually end up happiest, because they bought after meeting their homeschooled child rather than before.
A few states require curriculum submission or approval, and many name subjects that must be covered, so check your own state before you commit money to anything. This is general information, not legal advice, and requirements vary by state and change.
Sequential subjects and everything else
Split your subjects into two piles before you shop. Math and early reading are sequential: each piece rests on the one before, so gaps compound quietly and surface two grades later. These deserve a deliberate, ordered program and are the place to spend money and attention. Science, social studies, history, geography, art and most topic work are not sequential in the same way. A child can study ancient Egypt this year and the American Revolution next year in either order without harm, and these can run on library books, documentaries, field trips and conversation for years.
The grade level trap
Curriculum is sold by grade, and children are not one grade. A fourth grader can be reading at eighth grade level and writing at second, which is extremely common and not a problem in itself. Buy a fourth grade package and it serves neither skill. Buy by what the child can currently do, per subject, and ignore the number on the box. Nobody sees it. The only place grade level matters is when you re enter a school system or start counting high school credits, and both are handled separately.
The main approaches, honestly
- Traditional or textbook. Clear, gradeable, easy to hand to a child. Can grind out curiosity if it is all you do.
- Classical. Strong on sequence, language and rigour. Heavy on memorization early, which suits some children badly.
- Charlotte Mason. Living books, narration, short lessons, nature study. Beautiful in practice and lighter on hard math than it looks.
- Unit studies. One topic across all subjects. Efficient with several children, weak for sequential math unless you keep that separate.
- Online or video programs. Useful when nobody in the house knows the subject. Watch that watching does not substitute for doing.
- Unschooling or interest led. Powerful for deep learners and for recovery after school. Requires better record keeping, not worse, since you describe what happened rather than what you planned.
Most families end up mixing: a structured math program, a reading program until reading is secure, and everything else interest led. That combination gives you a secure foundation and a defensible record without policing a timetable.
Building your own
- Find out where the child actually is in each subject. Not their grade, what they can genuinely do. Expect an uneven picture.
- Pick two things to be consistent about, usually math and reading. Let everything else be loose while you find your rhythm.
- Choose skills rather than topics for the term. Fractions, paragraph structure and reading a graph survive a change of obsession. A term of sharks does not.
- Sequence the order, not the pace. Decide what comes after what, then let each part take however long it takes.
- Try more than you will keep, and give anything two weeks before judging it.
Before you buy anything, ask what problem it solves that a library book and an hour of your attention would not. About half the time there is no answer, and that half is the money you keep.
How Different Drums helps here
It builds a structured curriculum on almost any topic, from long division to marine biology to personal finance, with week by week checkpoints, goals, activities and materials. You set the length, and you follow it, adapt it or ignore it. It is shaped to the child rather than the grade: working level is set per subject, interests feed into the material, and your family’s worldview and values settings carry across subjects. A family wanting a faith based framing, a family wanting strictly secular science, and a family somewhere else entirely get genuinely different material on the same topic, and none of them gets ours. Practice in arithmetic, maths, calculus, chemistry and physics draws from 200,000+ hand-verified questions; other subjects are AI generated and less reliable on very niche topics, so verify anything specific. Curriculum building is included in Parent Only from GBP 9.99 a month, available in US dollars. 14 days free, no credit card required, plus a guest mode with no sign-up.
Common questions
How much should I spend on curriculum in the first year?
Less than you think, and much less than in year three. Many families run a first semester on a library card, a notebook and free explanation online. Costs tend to rise later, mostly around high school math, lab science, testing and outside classes.
Do I need a different curriculum for each child?
For math and early reading, effectively yes, because both are sequential. For history, science, geography and topic work, one shared subject at different depths usually works better for everyone, including you.
What if the curriculum is not working?
Stop using it. Sunk cost is the most expensive reason to continue. Give anything two weeks, then judge on whether your child engages and whether you can tell what they learned. Anything failing both is decoration.
Does homeschool curriculum have to match state standards?
In most states, no, though many name subjects that must be covered. A few require curriculum submission or approval. Check your own state, since this varies more than almost anything else in US homeschool law. General information, not legal advice.
Learning that flexes around your child
Different Drums builds curricula, worksheets, tests and learning records around almost any topic, shaped to your child's pace, interests and your family's values. Core practice in maths and science comes from 200,000+ hand-verified questions. Ages 2-16+, used by families worldwide.
No credit card required. There is also a free guest mode with no sign-up.