Open-and-go Homeschool Curriculum generally contain the majority of the subjects you need for a year and is one of the easiest ways to homeschool your child.
As both a certified teacher and second generation homeschooler, I love checking out curriculum, and open-and-go style products are one of the most popular options for newbies and veterans alike.
Although open-and-go doesn’t mean they have all of the subjects included, these products make starting homeschooling significantly less work on the parent.
The downside is that these programs usually cost more than a traditional program, so you may have to make some compromises on what you purchase.
Open-and-Go Quick Guide
| Our #1 Pick | Notes |
| Blossom and Root | I have personally used this secular curriculum with both my daughter (7) and son (5). I recommend it if you’re looking for an elementary curriculum with a gentle approach and a strong emphasis on nature based play. Blossom and Root does not include math after pre-k, nor does it have a strong phonological approach to learning reading. We supplemented our daughter’s curriculum with Beast Academy (math) and Nessy Learning (spelling and reading app). You will have to source the book recommendations. |
Secular Open and Go Curriculum
The biggest difference between secular open and go curriculums and religious boxed curriculums is that secular curriculum focuses on the scientific age of the world and evolution as fact, not theory.
In addition, secular science teaches that climate change is caused by human activity and not by God’s will.
Few, if any, non-Christian curricula are entirely open and go. Christian based homeschooling has been commoditized for so much longer that there are many completely open-and-go Christian curriculum choices.
Secular, faith neutral, or other religious (non-Christian) curriculum is generally less expensive and requires more patching together, a lá eclectic homeschooling style.
Blossom and Root
Blossom and Root is a secular hands-on, nature based curriculum. It offers preschool, pre-k, kindergarten through sixth grade, and Book Seeds (STEM-centered nature-based mini-unit studies). You can check out my full review of the Blossom and Root curriculum here.
➡️ Purchase Blossom and Root for your family when you click here
*No math is included in Blossom and Root after kindergarten. You also have to source the recommended books from the reading list and some common items found in nature.
Calvert Education
Calvert’s online courses for grades 3–12 help students engage in contemporary, fun, and interactive learning. Individual and family plans grant access to 45 courses in subjects including history, geography, language arts, math, science, and spelling.
Kind Academy
Their school provides programs that nurture interest-led learning and decolonized curriculum. They recognize the diversity of homeschooling families and offer different programs to meet their needs. They have a tiered program system.
I’ve personally interviewed the founder and director, Iman Alleyne. She welcomes everyone in her school including transgender students.
Moving Beyond the Page
Moving Beyond the Page creates a foundation upon state and national (US) standards to ensure your child is learning the skills and content needed in each subject area – including math, language arts, writing, science, social studies, and history.
Moving Beyond the Page is one of the most expensive secular options.
Homeschool Curriculum We Use and Love:
✔️ Language Arts: Blossom and Root
✔️ History: The Curiosity Chronicles (5% off code: HOMEGRAD)
✔️ Hands-On Elem. Human Bio: Doc Robin’s School of Pre-Med
✔️ All Level Science: REAL Science Odyssey
Origins Curriculum
With Origins, students will learn about biomes in depth, learning about people, flora and fauna, water cycles, weather patterns, soil types and more. These topics will be explored through the lenses of reading, mathematics, science, social studies and language arts as well as music and art.
*Origins has curriculum for K-5th grade.
Power Homeschool
Power Homeschool is a program that offers parents a chance to homeschool their children without much difficulty. The parent may choose up to seven courses at a time from numerous subjects (Kindergarten through twelfth grade).
The student can learn at his or her own pace and receive assistance from the adults at home.
Time4Learning
Time4Learning is a secular boxed curriculum that provides online learning for students. It’s a monthly subscription fee that can be stopped or paused at any time.
Torchlight
Torchlight is designed in a secular manner with humanist ideals at its core. It encourages players to treat one another with respect, explore the environment and question their surroundings, and seek knowledge through scientific inquiry.
Waldorf Essentials
Waldorf Essentials is written by homeschoolers for homeschoolers. They are the only company that provides extensive weekly mentoring for you during your first year of homeschooling.
Their staff includes experienced educators who help you to succeed in educating your children, improving relationships, building a loving home environment, and growing as a person.
*Waldorf Essentials directly address the importance of an Anti-Racist curriculum
Wildwood Curriculum
Wildwood Curriculum has adapted its modern-day secular curriculum based on the original works of educator Charlotte Mason, which can be used by all families.
Homeschool Curriculum We Use and Love:
✔️ Language Arts: Blossom and Root
✔️ History: The Curiosity Chronicles (5% off code: HOMEGRAD)
✔️ Hands-On Elem. Human Bio: Doc Robin’s School of Pre-Med
✔️ All Level Science: REAL Science Odyssey
Faith Neutral Curriculum
Faith neutral homeschool curriculum is generally a byproduct of a Christian homeschool curriculum, with the Bible based teachings removed.
The Biblical posits of God’s existence, Jesus’ divinity and miracles are not taught in faith neutral curriculum.
Faith neutral curriculum leaves out science topics that are controversial in Christian circles such as evolution and climate change.
Also included in this section are homeschool curriculum pieces that do not state whether they are secular or religious and do not address topics traditionally religious or secular, such as creationism and evolution.
Adirondack Learning Community
Adirondack Learning Academy is both a distance school accredited by the National Independent Study Accreditation Council (NISAC) and sells a curriculum. Adirondack Learning Academy is also affiliated with the National Beta Club.
Its curriculum spans K-12 and costs are not listed publicly; prospective students must provide information before receiving pricing details.
Book Shark
BookShark is a secular homeschool curriculum. It’s the faith neutral sister company of the Christian company, Sonlight.
Its science and history programs do not teach evolution, creationism, or intelligent design theory. As such, it may be better suited to homeschooling families with varying religious beliefs than other curricula.
Get Ready 4 Kindergarten
Get Ready 4 Kindergarten is a family-based program developed by two grandmothers who have over 40 years of early childhood education experience. GR4K is a year-long learning-based program that families can do at home to help their children develop the skills needed for success in kindergarten.
Harbor and Sprout
For just $25 a month, your family’s open and go curriculum will be delivered straight to your inbox. Harbor and Sprout’s priority is to actively seek out diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, and culture.
Read my comprehensive review of Harbor and Sprout’s monthly digital subscription box here.
*The authors recommend adding additional math curriculum. You will need to source recommended books for this curriculum.
Little House Kindergarten
The Little House Kindergarten program believes that every child around the world deserves the best possible start in education, regardless of the family’s financial resources.
To ensure this happens, they price their curriculum and resources on a “pay what you can” model.
Jewish Open and Go Curriculum ✡️
Ani VeAmi is the only open-and-go Jewish homeschool curriculum. This comprehensive and affordable offers a complete education for your child, including literature, history, Hebrew, art, music, Judaic subjects including Parsha and Jewish Life, and secular subjects writing, geography, science, math, reading and handicrafts.
Created by Yehudis Litvak and Amy Bodkin, two Jewish homeschooling moms. Yehudis is an Orthodox Jew and Amy is a Jewish convert. I’ve personally intereviewed them both.
Amy is a certified School Psychologist and Autistic adult. She runs a Special Ed Homeschool Co-op that my children have attended and I highly recommend her.
Islamic Open and Go Curriculum
Umm Maimoonah
A Pre-K homeschool curriculum that is fully Islaam-integrated. The creator has over 12 years of experience as an administrator for elementary aged students.
This Islamic open-and-go homeschool curriculum includes circle time, Islaamic studies, English, math, social studies, environmental studies, practical skills, physical training, basic arabic, basic Qur’aan/Hifdhl guide, and arts and crafts.
Umm Maimoonah is a themed based digital download curriculum that aligns with the Common Core Pre-K . It’s suitable for children ages 3-5 years old. They also offers Islamic supplemental curriculum through age 18.
Christian Open-and-Go Curriculums
A Christian open and go curriculum teaches science from a Creationist or Intelligent Design point of view. The curriculum will also teach that the Earth is around 4000 years old, rather than billions of years old.
The strength in which subject matter is tied back to the Bible varies from curriculum to curriculum. Some curriculums are more heavily based on Biblical principles than others.
For example, some curricula are very strong in their tie between subject matter and scripture, while others do not rely as heavily upon scripture as part of their teaching approach.
A Gentle Feast
A Gentle Feast is a Christian Charlotte Mason language arts, history, and handwriting curriculum. The creator is a former teacher.
A Gentle Feast is based on the premise that children learn best when they are taught in a way that is consistent with their developmental stage. The curriculum focuses on the child’s relationship with God and then moves outward to the world around them.
*Does not include math although the creator lists suggestions. You must source books yourself from the recommended list.
Abeka
Abeka believes that the Bible is foundation of all learning. The Abeka science and health program refutes the man-made idea of evolution.
You can purchase video curriculum as well as completely open-and-go packages by grade.
Alveary Curriculum (Charlotte Mason Institute)
Alveary is a complete and comprehensive curriculum and teacher training program. The curriculum adheres to Mason’s personal Christian values, however, they do not promote any one denominational doctrine or worldview in their work.
Ambleside Online
Ambleside Online is a free Christian Charlotte Mason curriculum. The idea behind Ambleside Online is to provide parents with everything they need to teach their children at home. They offer online courses, books, videos, and even a live chat room where you can ask questions about how to implement Charlotte Mason techniques into your family life.
*Does not contain science
Apologia
For homeschool families seeking faith-based education for their children, Apologia provides Christ-centered, award winning K-12 curriculum that does not require any extra work.
BJU Press
BJU Press is a publisher of textbooks and video lessons for homeschool families. They are committed to creating materials that help parents deliver an education that is based on sound educational principles and inspires a joy in learning.
Bridgeway Academy
Although Bridgeway says that it welcomes both secular and Christian homeschoolers, the school’s inclusion policies are lacking. Social justice, gender identity, and critical race theory are purposefully not included in the curriculum or classes.
Campfire Curriculum
Campfire Curriculum is a Christian unit study focused on father figures. It includes collaboration with professionals working in the field of each theme within each unit.
Classical Conversations
Classical Conversations’ home education program covers K-4 to college credit and includes college degree opportunities for parents.
They do this through a Christ-centered, biblical and family-friendly approach to homeschooling that makes everything open and go.
Classical Academic Press
The open and go curriculum of Classical Academic Press teaches grammar, logic, rhetoric (the verbal arts of the trivium), arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy (the mathematical arts of the quadrivium).
This approach to education also includes the study of Latin. The classical approach teaches students how to think how to learn.
Classical Core Curriculum
The Classical Core Curriculum is a complete Christian education program that focuses on the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic.
In addition to these basic skills, there is a special emphasis on Latin and an understanding of European and American history.
Christian Liberty Press Kindergarten
The Christian Liberty Kindergarten curriculum offers students a foundation in the Bible, Catechism, reading and phonics, language arts, world studies, math-phonics skills, math, science, and art.
Charlotte Mason in a Box
“Charlotte Mason in a Box,” created by Naturopath Dr. Queen, offers a Charlotte Mason subscription box with everything you need for an entire year. This company also sells supplements and other homeopathic remedies.
Demme Learning Publishing
Demme Learning is a Christian publishing company that provides a wide range of curriculum for K-12 students. The company’s products cover math, spelling, grammar, writing and family ministry.
You must purchase individual items separately from the Demme Learning website.
Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool
Easy Peasy Homeschool is a Christian homeschool curriculum that offers a free all-in-one curriculum for preschool through 12th grade.
The worksheets are entirely free, and all of the reading materials are available online. If you prefer to have printouts, you can order workbooks and make a donation if you like.
The worksheets are designed to be companions to the online/offline courses which are not free. You will have to purchase any course material besides the worksheets.
Easy Peasy’s sister site, All-in-One High School, offers high school courses for students who are ready to get engaged in their education even more.
Heart of Dakota
The Heart of Dakota curriculum is a Charlotte Mason-inspired homeschool curriculum that encourages the student to learn at his or her own pace, through self-directed study and hands-on activities.
The author has 11 years of experience teaching in public schools and has created this program to be used by parents who wish to teach their children at home, but do not have an extensive background in education.
Horizons (Alpha Omega Publications)
Horizons curriculum is a workbook-based curriculum that is sold in complete grade level sets for around $280.00. You can also buy subjects individually, which include language arts, math and electives (health, penmanship, P.E., vocabulary and spelling).
The spiral learning method used in Horizons emphasizes retention of concepts through repetition and review.
Konos
Konos Curriculum is a comprehensive Christian homeschooling program that teaches one character trait at a time. The curriculum integrates science, social studies, art, music, literature, information books, health and safety, and Bible lessons into each unit to help students build their character and knowledge base.
Each unit has 1,000s of hands-on activities to accompany the academic material. The intent is that students can learn by doing with Konos Curriculum.
Life Pac (Alpha Omega Publications)
LIFEPAC is a Christian homeschool curriculum based on the principle of mastery learning. This means that every lesson is designed to enable students to master a concept before moving on, so they can get all the practice they need without being overwhelmed by new material.
LIFEPAC includes Bible, history, geography, language arts, math, science, and a wide range of electives like art and music.
Living Books Curriculum
The Living Books Curriculum is a K-8 Christian homeschooling solution that is based on the philosophy of Charlotte Mason. The core curriculum focuses on history, language arts, and science and incorporates classic literature, nature studies, narration, storytelling, and more.
Homeschool Curriculum We Use and Love:
✔️ Language Arts: Blossom and Root
✔️ History: The Curiosity Chronicles (5% off code: HOMEGRAD)
✔️ Hands-On Elem. Human Bio: Doc Robin’s School of Pre-Med
✔️ All Level Science: REAL Science Odyssey
Masterbooks Curriculum
MasterBooks Curriculum is a tool for parents who want to inspire a joy for learning in their children. Their curriculum is readily adaptable to any Christian homeschool program, from pre-k through 12th grade, and it’s designed to make it easy for you to build a program that’s tailored to your child’s needs.
Mater Amabilis
Mater Amabilis is a Catholic Charlotte Mason homeschool curriculum. They have curriculum for ages 4 through 12th grade.
Monarch (Alpha Omega Publications)
Monarch Curriculum is a subscription-based program that includes automatic grading, 24/7 help, and complete customization. It’s designed for kids ages 3 through 12, and includes Bible, history, geography, language arts, science and math in its curriculum.
My Father’s World
This curriculum is designed to provide a comprehensive education in the areas of Bible, history, geography, science, literature, art, and music. The Bible is thoroughly integrated into each subject area.
My Homeschool
My Homeschool is a Christian homeschool curriculum provider based in Australia. They offer families additional parent teaching support and enrichment courses through their online platform. They’re committed to providing high-quality, affordable educational resources that are both fun and engaging for your children.
Puritans Homeschool Curriculum
The Homeschool Graduate does NOT recommend Puritans Homeschool Curriculum.
This section highlights the reasons why Puritans Homeschool Curriculum is overtly harmful and problematic.
🚨 This product explicitly promotes white supremacist ideology in articles titled “Americans for an Anglo American Nation” and “Society for the Promotion of Christian Ethnic Homeland Nations”.
🚨 The creators of this curriculum are also vehemently anti-immigration and instruct Christians to report illegal immigrants to ICE, a practice that often results in the traumatic separation of innocent families.
The Homeschool Graduate actively works to stop the discrimination of all people, regardless of their legal status, ability, race or ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or language.
Rod & Staff (sold through Milestone Publishing)
Rod and Staff curriculum is a Christian-based homeschooling program that offers a strong, biblical foundation. The program is for children in pre-K through 12th grade, and it can only be purchased online through third party vendors such as Milestone Publications.
School House Teachers
School House Teachers is a curriculum resource that connects families with hundreds of streaming videos inside their K-12 curriculum. Their scope and sequence is easy-to-follow and comprehensive. They offer monthly and yearly payment plans.
Sonlight
Sonlight Curriculum is a Christian homeschool curriculum that offers history, math, language arts, and science. Recommended books and materials are included in the package.
It is an expensive option for homeschoolers who want a completely open-and-go curriculum experience.
The Good and Beautiful
The Good and Beautiful curriculum is easy to follow and requires very little to no preparation time.
The program is affordable, multi-denominational, and adaptable for use in Christian homes.
Veritas Press
Veritas Press produces one of the priciest options for Classical homeschool curriculum.
It costs around $1500-2000 USD per year and is designed to be used by students in grades K-12.
Weaver Curriculum (Alpha and Omega Press)
Weaver is a unit study program that provides the tools you need to teach your student Biblical truths in a hands-on way. It was developed by Alpha Omega Education, Inc., the same company behind Monarch, Horizons, and LIFEPAC curriculums.
The curriculum is Biblically integrated, and it includes hands-on activities for grades pre-k through 12.
What is an open and go homeschool curriculum?
The idea behind open and go homeschool curriculum is that you get most of school subjects included in one purchase.
You can start homeschooling with a great all in one curriculum, or you can piecemeal together resources that cost a fraction but require more research time and effort.
We think the open and go curriculum is best for new homeschoolers for a couple of reasons:
First, it saves you time- there is no need to waste hours researching what curriculum matches your needs.
Second, it can be less stressful than researching all individual resources as they’re provided in one convenient location.
What is a boxed curriculum?
Open-and-go homeschool curriculums are sometimes called “boxed curriculums,” because they come in pre-planned boxes that include just about everything you need to get started.
Many boxed curriculums do not contain all subjects, and literature based curricula generally have book lists where you are required to source the books yourself.
These boxed curriculums are basically a middle ground between the traditional “canned” curriculum, and the completely independent approach.
Open-and-go or boxed homeschool curricula have a lot of pre-planned options for each subject, but you’re always able to make substitutions or additions as necessary.
Pros & Cons of an Open and Go Homeschool Curriculum
They have pros and cons, but the benefit of using an open-and-go curriculum is that they do not require much planning on your part.
✅ Less work
✅ Easy to start using
❌ Usually missing one or more subjects
❌ More expensive
How to Start with an Open-and-Go Curriculum
When starting an open-and-go curriculum, consider your schedule and family’s needs as well as your priorities and homeschool values.
❓How much time a day do we want to spend doing “school work”?
❓ How much money do we want to spend on curriculum?
❓ Will this curriculum support my child’s unique needs?
If you prefer a highly structured curriculum that’s laid out for you in advance, a curriculum with formal goals and objectives may suit you well.
If you want more flexibility and feel you can accomplish more if lead by your child’s interests, then a loosely structured curriculum may be best.
Please note that there is no perfect fit for every family; always do what is best for YOU!
Affordable Open-and-Go Curriculum
“Open and go” curriculum can be expensive. There are some affordable, or even free options out there for those on a budget, but for many families, it’s worth the price tag to have all of the coursework at their fingertips.
Since open and go or boxed curricula can be expensive. Your best bet is to do your research before you start shopping around to make sure the product is worth the investment.
✅ Download free samples
✅ Join company email lists and get notified of sales
✅ Order a few subjects before committing to the whole program
✅ Remember, you can often supplement homeschool materials for free from the library and online
What is the most used homeschool curriculum?
Time4Learning is a very popular secular homeschool option. It’s an award-winning, secular educational online program for use in the home. The program’s engaging and interactive lessons provide students with a strong foundation in core subjects such as reading, writing, math and science. Its tools and resources help parents save time while ensuring their children receive a quality education.
Book Shark is the most used faith-neutral open and go homeschool curriculum. It’s used by both secular and Christian homeschoolers. It’s produced by the Christian publishing company, Sonlight. Secular homeschoolers will need to supplement science for evolution and climate change, and possibly other topics that are generally excluded in a faith-neutral program.
Abeka is one of the most widely used Christian homeschooling programs. It has been in use for over forty years, and is known for its approach to providing materials that rely on traditional methods.
Homeschool Curriculum We Use and Love:
✔️ Language Arts: Blossom and Root
✔️ History: The Curiosity Chronicles (5% off code: HOMEGRAD)
✔️ Hands-On Elem. Human Bio: Doc Robin’s School of Pre-Med
✔️ All Level Science: REAL Science Odyssey
More Thoughts on Homeschool Open-and-Go Curriculums
Open-and-go homeschool curriculums are a low-stress way to educate your children. They are a great option for new or first year homeschool teachers.
They require less work planning but can be more expensive than other curriculums. They do not always contain every subject you need.
Once purchased, it can be easy to teach your kids in this manner. However, sometimes the curriculum can contain less materials than you’d like and not cover everything you need for them to learn.
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