Christian Homeschool Curriculum Guide & Resources

Finding a good Christian homeschool curriculum can be harder than it first seems. 

There are a ton of programs out there to choose from, covering any number of practical, pedagogical and theological approaches to teaching, and it can often be hard for parents to find one that fits their particular needs, values and homeschool philosophy. 

To help parents make a more informed decision, we’ve put together this guide to Christian homeschooling programs. 

It seeks to help parents understand and work through some of the important considerations they’ll need to think about and offers some recommendations for faith-based curricula across a number of subjects that they can look at. 

What Is A Christian Homeschool Curriculum?

Due to the relative popularity of homeschooling in Christian households, Christian homeschooling is one of (if not the) most common categories or forms of homeschooling and there are a lot of resources and programs out there. 

With so many different philosophies, denominations and pedagogical approaches to Christian homeschooling, it can be a little tricky to pinpoint what precisely constitutes a Christian homeschool curriculum and what does not.

That said, there are a few things that tend to set these programs apart from their secular or neutral counterparts, which can often be a useful way of categorizing them. 

Unlike a secular homeschool curriculum or traditional public schooling, for example, a Christian curriculum will make direct and specific references in its teaching to God, faith and the Bible and will try to connect its subject matter to Christian beliefs to one extent or another. 

In addition, should a Christian homeschool curriculum need to deal with potentially controversial topics, such as evolution for example, they emphasize a Biblical outlook.

What Subjects Do Christian Homeschooling Curricula Cover?

Faith can be an important, even central, part of an educational philosophy and so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many Christian homeschooling families would want the learning materials they use to reflect this as much as possible. 

While even those new to learning at home might be aware of Christian science curricula, it may come as a surprise to some that educational providers produce strong, faith-based programs for just about every subject in the K-12 range. 

There are, for example, Christian language arts programs, social studies and history programs, economics programs and more. 

There are even comprehensive and rigorous math curricula that take a Biblical worldview,  connect the subjects’ underlying skillset with faith-based story problems, traditional methodologies, explanations that emphasize traditional values, God’s plan, the beauty of His world as expressed through mathematics and so on.

picture of a christian homeschool math curriculum showing link to faith

Things to Consider When Choosing a Christian Homeschool Curriculum

Denominations 

There are quite a few denominations of Christianity out there, with Protestantism, Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy being the three largest. 

With Protestantism in particular, there are also a wide variety of branches, such as Baptist, Methodism, Adventism, Lutheranism, Presbyterianism and so on. 

Similarly, there are any number of Christian homeschooling curricula that are specifically aligned to these streams, allowing parents to very closely and specifically align their child’s studies with their family and community’s core beliefs and values. 

There are also quite a few homeschool curricula out there that take a more general Christian worldview, avoiding focusing on any particular individual doctrine in favor of integrating essential Christian values and morality, God, Jesus and the Bible.

As a result parents need to do something of a self-evaluation of their own spiritual needs and preferences alongside the content of any Christian curriculum they are thinking about.

In particular, parents need to decide if they would prefer to use a curriculum with a particular Christian doctrine, which would improve learning and theological fit but limit their choice somewhat, or a more general Christian approach, which would open up the number of curricula available but may require adjustments here and there.

Curriculum Style and Approach

Many assume that a Christian homeschool curriculum automatically means following a more traditional, Classical approach to learning. 

And while this is true for some, today parents can find Christian homeschooling programs out there that use a wide variety of methodologies to teach kids.

There are, for example, Christian programs that follow a Charlotte Mason approach and make use of living books, narration exercises, nature studies, narration/copywork and more to teach their subjects. 

There are also Montessori curricula, which blend Christian values and teachings with hands-on activities, collaborative play and a self-directed learning approach. 

There are Christian Unit studies, as well, which have students spend a block of time studying thematically linked topics across several subjects.

There are even eclectic Christian homeschooling programs, which of course combine aspects from other methodologies to suit a student’s needs and goals.

Finally, and just like with secular or neutral math curricula, Christian parents have the option of choosing programs that are more traditional and procedural (focusing on getting students to be able to answer questions quickly and accurately using drill and math facts) or those that are more conceptual in nature (focusing on helping them understand why math works the way it does and helping develop stronger critical and strategic math thinking). 

These different approaches are something that parents should take into consideration when evaluating a homeschool curriculum.

The methods that a program uses can have a strong impact on the role of the parent, the student and the overall structure of lessons throughout the year, and may be all that comfortable or familiar for a family to use.

Degree or Depth of Biblical Integration

As we’ve mentioned, what constitutes a “Christian homeschool curriculum” can be pretty vague.

While the many programs on the market share the rather broad similarity of mentioning God, the Bible or Christian values in their lessons, the degree to which they do so can be quite variable. 

Some programs deeply integrate Christian perspectives and values into the subjects they teach, spending a good deal of time critically analyzing the material and directly connecting it to Scripture or Christian morals and philosophies.

Others, on the other hand, may focus more on the subject at hand and simply make passing or subtle references to God, Christ or the Bible. 

Which is better really depends on the individual homeschool and their preferences. 

Some families, for example, may want the subjects they learn about to also dive deeply into Christian thought, with lessons almost acting as an extension of Bible study and serving to reinforce and augment a student’s core values whenever possible. 

example of christian values and knowledge being woven into a homeschool math lesson

Others, on the other hand, may prefer a stronger focus on the subject material and are happy enough if a program is rigorous and provides a Christian-friendly approach to difficult topics and/or touches on scripture here and there.

It’s also important to note that not every subject lends itself to a deep and extensive connection to faith, with subjects such as mathematics being very skill-based and highly dependent on the practice, drill and review of specific skills .

These programs, even if produced by notable Christian companies, may seem “light” as far as their Biblical worldview is concerned (using the occasional Christian-themed story problem, for example) as they don’t have a lot of opportunity to do so. 

Methods of Teaching 

As with other homeschool programs, parents will need to consider the way in which their Christian homeschool curriculum actually teaches its material during a lesson.

Some programs take a more traditional approach, relying on readings, workbooks, writing exercises and/or lectures to convey information in a direct, familiar and straightforward manner.

Others may take a more multisensory approach to learning, using activities like music, illustrations, arts and crafts, hands-on exercises and manipulatives, outdoor activities, whole body movements and more to introduce and help students better understand and remember information. 

picture example of use of drawing to help students remember information in a math christian homeschool curriculum

While we have a preference for multisensory education, as it makes lessons a bit more engaging, interactive and memorable, but do acknowledge that they can make lessons more time-consuming, can sometimes get distracting and aren’t for every student (some prefer a direct approach).

As a result, parents should think carefully about what might really work for their child and their homeschool.

Parent-led or Self-Study 

One issue that many Christian homeschooling families struggle with today is time. 

Like their secular counterparts, some Christian homeschool curricula are parent-led, meaning parents act as both teacher and administrator, sitting down, preparing lessons, teaching them and evaluating student performance afterwards.

While this does provide a lot of good parent-student interaction and one-on-one teaching, it can take a lot of time and effort on the part of parents, which may not be easy to budget for when it comes to larger families and those with very busy daily schedules.

It can also be an issue for parents who are either new to teaching altogether or those who feel their own skills are distinctly lacking in a particular subject, such as math or science.

Such parents may instead be interested in more independent or self-study curricula, which use books, videos, software and/or other materials to teach and guide students through lessons with far less need for direct parental intervention or action.

With self-study programs, parents mainly take on the role of an administrator, making sure that students stay on task and troubleshooting any problems, something that can be quite welcome for busy parents and those uncertain of their own ability to teach students directly.

On the downside, self-study may not be an option for every student (notably younger, pre-readers and those who need more intense supervision), it lacks the personal connection to teaching that many homeschooling parents desire and it does require parents to place a significant amount of trust in the program’s materials. 

Online Vs Offline Learning

The wide world of technology has also come to the Christian homeschooling world, bringing with it an assortment of online homeschooling curricula. 

These online programs can offer parents many benefits, such as by offering fun multimedia lessons, cloud-based learning materials, digital games and activities, sophisticated progress tracking and automatic grading tools.

screenshot of online christian curriculum offering grading and report tools to homeschooling parents

Depending on the program in question, these tools can make teaching far more interactive and engaging for students compared to a traditional offline program and can make the process of teaching far easier and less time-consuming for parents. 

However, compared to traditional offline/paper-and-pencil curricula, these online programs do increase a student’s screen time significantly and many parents may feel uncomfortable leaving their student alone with an internet-connected device. 

Further, an online curriculum usually requires the internet to use and some families may live in areas where the internet is slow or unreliable, which can cause disruptions to learning. 

A Note on Science and Christian Programs

Science can be a tricky subject for faith-based homeschools, as traditional textbooks and programs tend to take a naturalistic perspective, i.e. that the natural world and the beings in it are of natural (re: not divine) origin and can be examined and explained using the scientific method alone. 

Christian families often prefer a homeschool science curriculum that reflects their values and beliefs, which can become an issue with topics such as evolution, the fossil record and others. 

Interestingly, although perhaps not ideally for parents, this is an area in which faith-based homeschool curriculum providers can differ significantly in their approach to the subject.

Some Christian science curricula, for example, take a more neutral approach to science.

In other words, they offer a comprehensive study of most science topics but leave the more controversial ones (evolution, fossil record, etc) to the parent’s discretion. 

On the positive side, this does give parents a great deal of flexibility to handle these topics in the way they see fit, letting them more personally align their child’s learning with their personal beliefs.

On the downside, this approach does often leave parents on their own to answer student questions and many parents may not be equipped or have the background to handle it.

In contrast, other programs may take a more direct and strong Christian approach to teaching science, avoiding teaching controversial theories in favor of Biblical teachings. 

Such programs, for example, typically teach creationism and may adhere to Young Earth Creationism in some cases. 

These programs can provide strong, Bible-based arguments and teachings that reinforce a student’s core morals and values and can avoid challenging and confusing students with alternative theories, which many parents might appreciate. 

Some parents, however, may feel that such an approach can leave students unprepared for confronting these ideas in the world.

Such parents may instead prefer a more critical Christian approach to homeschooling science. 

These programs tend to introduce and teach controversial topics, like evolution, to students but examine them critically, offering students strong counter arguments rooted in a biblical worldview, such as intelligent design.

example of homeschool Christian science curriculum refuting Darwinism

The underlying idea behind this is to strengthen a student’s knowledge about the world around them, including ideas that will challenge their faith later on, but do so in a controlled manner that emphasizes biblical truth, values and critical thinking skills.

Of course, parents have to be careful with this approach as well, as it can be done improperly or incompletely and backfire, causing a student to become further confused or uncertain about their faith, and some parents may simply not agree with the program’s explanations.

As can be seen, finding a Christian homeschool science curriculum can be a bit tricky with a good deal of philosophical and pedagogical variation between programs, regardless of how traditional or faith-based they claim to be.

We feel that parents therefore really need to look through the different programs and decide for themselves how comfortable they are with each curriculum’s approach and style.

Christian Homeschool Curriculum We Recommend Looking At

Math

Abeka Math (K-12)

Abeka Book is a well-known provider of high-quality Christian homeschooling materials, and its math curriculum is really no exception. 

It uses a traditional, step-by-step incremental approach that emphasizes math facts and practical math exercises, with plenty of straightforward revision, repetition and drill to help students hone their burgeoning skills.

Affiliated with the Pensacola Christian College, Abeka Math also integrates a Christian worldview, frequently referring to scripture and weaving traditional Christian values into its materials. 

Check out our in-depth review for more information on Abeka Math

Horizons (K-8)

Alpha Omega Publications’ Horizons Math curriculum blends multisensory learning and a traditional and practical approach to teaching math to help students develop strong math skills.

In the program students develop their math knowledge using a wide variety of visual, auditory and even hands-on activities and exercises (something that’s a little more unusual with procedural/traditional math programs) before practicing their math facts and skills using flash cards, drills and workbook exercises in order to develop their speed and accuracy at problem solving.

In terms of Christian learning, the program weaves a wide variety of biblical quotes, maxims and Christian messages into lessons, as well as using the Bible and scripture as the basis of some of its exercises. 

Check out our in-depth review of Horizons Math for more information 

Math Lessons For A Living Education (K-6)

Math Lessons For A Living Education is a little unique in the homeschool math world. 

A non-denominational Charlotte Mason-inspired Christian homeschool math curriculum, the program blends a story-based approach to teaching with easy to understand math instruction and plenty of fun and interesting multisensory activities to create a more holistic and approachable math experience.

The program is based around a strong Christian worldview that uses its stories to weave discussions of faith and Christian values tightly into each lesson.

Check out our in-depth review of Math Lessons For A Living Education for more information

CLE Math (1-12)

Christian Light Education’s Math program is a Christian homeschool curriculum aimed at elementary through high school students that teaches math using short lessons, simple and straightforward workbooks and a tight, incremental spiral approach.

The program is fairly traditional and places a strong emphasis on helping students learn to answer math problems quickly and accurately using clear and focused strategies, repetition, math fact memorization, flash card drills and speed drills. 

A Mennonite curriculum, the program is heavily influenced by the more traditional culture of its creators, making frequent references to God and scripture and emphasizes core values such as faith, servitude, obedience, respect and hard work. 

Check out CLE Math for more information

BJU Math (K-12)

BJU Press’ flagship Math program is a well-respected and fairly popular K-12 Christian math program that blends elements from conceptual and procedural math into a single, comprehensive approach.

The program spends a good deal of time explaining math concepts and different strategies for problem solving, but also includes a good deal of traditional math fact memorization, review and drill to help develop math fluency.

Developed by the non-denominational Bob Jones University Press, BJU Math also places a strong emphasis on developing Christian values, with its scripted lessons providing discussion ideas about positive Christian values and relating math to God, as well as dedicated workbook exercises (Christian Worldview Shaping) that help students integrate their learning into broader Bible-based teachings.

Check out BJU Math for more information

Science 

Apologia (K-12)

Apologia is an award-winning homeschool Christian curriculum producer that offers a wide variety of faith-friendly science courses, from astronomy to zoology, for the entire K-12 grade range.

Each course combines deep science learning with a strong Biblical worldview and, at the elementary level at least, some fun and hands-on, Charlotte Mason-inspired activities, as well. 

Courses in Apologia strongly emphasize God’s plan and role as Creator and, as may be inferred by the name, the program does cover controversial topics such as evolution and the fossil record but does so critically and as theory, in order to build resilience, while emphasizing Young Earth Creationism. 

Check out our review of Apologia Biology as an example of their teaching

Science Shepherd (1-12)

Created by physician and homeschooling dad Dr. Scott Hardin, Science Shepherd is a Christian homeschool curriculum that teaches elementary through high school science.

The program is designed for self-study and teaches using video lessons, textbooks, workbooks, lab work and even live online classes.

In terms of faith, the program seeks to demonstrate the beauty of God’s creation and often directly connects science to Biblical events and Christian thought. 

While it takes a Young Earth Creationist approach to science, the program also critically examines controversial topics such as evolution, using logic and argumentation to refute these in support of a Biblical worldview.

Check out our in-depth review of Science Shepherd for more information

Berean Builders (1-12)

Created by educator and nuclear chemist Dr. Jay L Wile, Berean Builders is homeschool Christian science program that weaves a strong faith-based outlook with a rigorous, activity-rich science curriculum.

At the elementary to middle school levels, the books guide students through different periods of history, an interesting approach that examines the various science topics discovered during those periods and the famous scientists of the time. 

At the high school level, the program tends to take on a more traditional, subject-specific structure and covers the usual Earth science, biology, chemistry and physics courses in a fair amount of depth and rigor. 

A strongly Christian program, at all levels the books view science through the lens of intelligent design and attempt to blend faith and scientific thought. 

Although a Young Earth Creationist curriculum, the program also discusses Old Earth Creationism, as well as more controversial topics in science, such as the fossil record, the latter of which it critically explores and contrasts with strong, apologetic counter-arguments. 

Check out our in-depth review of Berean Builders for more information

Noeo Science (1-8)

Noeo Science is a Christian curriculum provider whose homeschool science curriculum borrows elements from Charlotte Mason and Classical homeschooling to teach Chemistry, Physics and Biology. 

The curriculum teaches its material using a mixture of high-interest and engaging literature, fun projects and lab experiments/demonstrations, and tends to weave in topics from other science subjects, such as Earth science and geology. 

Its approach to teaching more controversial topics in science is more neutral, with optional lessons in topics such as evolution and the fossil record allowing parents the choice of if and how to introduce them into their child’s studies. 

Although the program perhaps doesn’t weave faith and the Bible into its studies as deeply as some others on this list, its rigorous NGSS-aligned approach to science education is rooted in an underlying view of science and discovery as a way of appreciating God’s creation and splendor. 

Check out our review of Noeo Science for more information

Social Studies and History

Mystery of History (K-12)

Mystery of History is a complete homeschool history that combines a strong Christian outlook with activity-based learning. 

Covering Creation to Modern Times, each volume of Mystery of History explores an important period of history using rich, full-color readers and gets students engaged through activities such as mapwork, notebooking, music, baking, researching, drawing, sculpting and more. 

Taking a Young Earth perspective, the series begins in 4000 BC and successfully weaves faith, history and values into its curriculum, recounting historical events through a lens of divine provenance and revelation. 

Check out our review of Mystery of History for more information

Notgrass History (1-12)

Notgrass History is a Christian homeschool social studies curriculum provider that offers courses in history, economics, civics and geography.

Each curriculum makes use of a combination of engaging, story-like texts, interesting primary sources, vocabulary work, hands-on projects, family activities, timelines, mapwork and more, creating a thorough and engaging exploration of the subject matter.

Faith and Christian values are central to Notgrass curricula, with the texts making references to God and the Bible fairly regularly and students frequently being assigned bible study, scripture to memorize or that form the basis for copywork. 

Although it is a strongly Christian curriculum, Notgrass does explore other cultures and religions as part of its studies here and there and, we feel, treats them with proper respect and depth.

Check out our review of Notgrass History for more information 

Beautiful Feet Books (K-12)

Beautiful Feet Books is a literature-based, Charlotte Mason-inspired homeschool history and social studies curriculum provider whose courses maintain a Christian worldview.

The company offers courses in everything from elementary and high school history to government and economics, and even provides specialty courses in things like the History of the Horse and the History of Music. 

Each course’s teacher’s guide is beautifully illustrated, moderately scripted and features easy-to-use web links for multimedia learning. 

At the same time, the program also uses a wide variety of living books to help students explore their subjects using interesting and important literature, and each course also includes a variety of Charlotte Mason-inspired activities, such as dictation, copywork, handicrafts and so on.

Although the majority of each course revolves around learning important facts and dates, Beautiful Feet does have a Christian outlook, making references to God and the Bible, using scripture as the basis for certain exercises and including books that touch on Christian themes.

Check out our review of Beautiful Feet Books for more information

Art of Argument (Logic and Reasoning – grades 7-12)

Produced by Classic Academic Press, The Art of Argument: An Introduction to Logical Fallacies is, as the title might imply, an introductory course in logic and logical fallacies for students in middle and high school. 

The program is intended to help students hone their critical reasoning and logic skills by introducing 28 common fallacies in argumentation through various readings, dialogues and exercises.

In terms of Christian content, the Art of argument includes discussions and references to God and faith, and includes a good deal of faith-based content and themes, potentially making it an interesting first book in logic for Christian homeschools. 

Check out our in-depth review of The Art of Argument for more information

More Resources

HelloBible (ages 3-10)

HelloBible is a provider of Christian educational subscription boxes for younger children.

The company offers boxes that contain illustrated, Bible-themed books from well-known Christian publishers, as well as an assortment of fun, arts and crafts-style activities to enjoy, a selection of goodies (magnets, stickers and so on) and thought-provoking discussion questions to deepen learning.

Check out our review of HelloBible for more information

Compass Classroom (4-12)

Compass Classroom is a provider of a variety of digital videos, courses, resources and learning materials for Christian homeschooling families.

The company offers a broad selection of online courses, materials and resources, covering everything from economics, Bible studies, logic, filmmaking, science, language arts and more, which are taught using video lessons (DVD and streaming).

The company’s online platform, My Compass Classroom, allows families to centralize their learning and gives students and parents access to a heavily moderated and screened online community of peers, as well as useful groups and forums. 

Compass courses are all taught from a Christian perspective, and the company offers a variety of courses that could be of interest to Christian homeschools, such as Devotional Biology, Classical Rhetoric for the Christian Student, Understanding the Old Testament and more. 

Check out our in-depth review of Compass Classroom for more information  

Spell to Write and Read (pre-K-12)

Spell to Write and Read is an integrated and fairly comprehensive course in phonics, spelling, penmanship, vocabulary and grammar rules.

Taking inspiration from the Spalding method of language instruction, Spell to Write and Read seeks to develop fluent reading skill through phonetic spelling instruction and practice (rather than the reverse as is common in traditional phonics programs).

It does so using explicit instruction in phonograms and spelling rules and does so through multisensory lessons that can include artwork, finger spelling, listening activities, kinesthetic movements and more. 

While the focus is, of course, on spelling, writing and reading, the program often uses examples and exercises with references to Jesus, God and the Bible, making it an interesting language arts option for Christian homeschoolers. 

Check out our review of Spell to Write and Read for more information

Photo of Jennifer Keenes, a writer for the smarter learning guide

Jennifer Keenes is a writer and a new mom living in Florida. She studied education and, prior to becoming a freelance writer, worked as a substitute teacher at the elementary and middle school level. She is a big fan of the beach, working out and homeschooling her two daughters.

Jennifer