The Perfect Curriculum – A Different Perspective

Finding the “perfect” curriculum is like looking for a unicorn. Every homeschooler I know has been on that same wild chase. It takes a lot of trial and error — and let’s be honest, a lot of headaches and money down the drain. I’ve tried so many different programs. Some were way too much information. Others… well, they hardly had anything to them at all. Then there were the ones that promise to be minimal prep work… definitely not.

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Curriculums We’ve Tried (and Why They Didn’t Stick)

Story of the World
I loved this series right away — great info, short and to the point. Honestly, I can’t say anything bad about it. The problem? My boys will only sit still for stories at bedtime. And apparently, “The Rise and Fall of Ancient Civilizations” doesn’t make the best bedtime story. Who knew?

Life Pac
Cute and simple. It’s an open-and-go workbook, which I loved. But some lessons didn’t have clear stopping points, and the quizzes didn’t always match the reading. Nothing like seeing your kid stare with frustration furrowing their brow at you like, “Mom, what I don’t know the answer to that!” only to see that the answer is in the reading at the end of the workbook. Insert eye roll.

Apologia
At first, I thought, “Yes, finally, a science curriculum that’s thorough and beautiful!” And then… all the reading hit. So. Much. Reading. It felt like public school all over again — facts, facts, and more facts while my kids sat there zoning out, probably dreaming about Minecraft.

First Language Lessons (The Well-Trained Mind)
This one is big on memorization. Let me tell you, my kids staged a mini rebellion. They got so tired of reciting poems and copying phrases, and honestly, I can’t blame them. If classical is your jam, it’s a solid program. If not… brace yourself.

Fix It Grammar
Quick and easy — just 15 minutes a day. But then the flashcards come in, and you’re memorizing All. The. Grammar. Facts. The parts of speech and homophones and so on and so on. We’d stall out around lesson 10 when my son would start overthinking and forget what a verb even is. Cue meltdown (from both of us).

Explode the Code
Oh, I love this one. It’s fun, cute, and zero prep. My oldest breezed through it and got bored, but my middle child thrived, and my youngest zipped through like it was a race. It’s great for early phonics and actually makes learning fun.

Writing With Ease
Another one from The Well-Trained Mind. I liked it so much I kind of made my own version. You can use their workbooks or pick your own books at home. But eventually, I was juggling so many moving parts that my brain just said, “Nope.”

IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Overload city. I never diagrammed a sentence in school, so walking into this was like learning a new language. It’s fantastic if you have the patience and mental bandwidth. I did not. And neither did my oldest, who struggles with auditory processing. Ten minutes in, he was done — and honestly, so was I.

The Good and the Beautiful
Their handwriting curriculum? Absolute perfection. Loved it. Their history? Gorgeous, yes. Doable for multiple kids? Not for us. The reading was too advanced for my auditory learners, and my ADHD kid tapped out about five minutes in. Can’t really blame him.

PACE
This one’s another open-and-go workbook, which is nice. But wow — the scripture. Again, not against scripture at all, but sometimes it was so much that I forgot what subject we were supposed to be doing.

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What We Use Now

With so many curriculums out there, how do you even pick one? Here’s my advice: figure out your homeschooling style first. Seriously, learn how your kids learn, and you’ll save yourself so much time, money, and gray hair. (Click here for my quick guide to homeschool styles.)

After trying just about everything under the sun — programs that were too reading-heavy, too textbook-heavy, or just plain confusing — we’ve simplified our setup. Now, we have a different perspective, instead of a million different curriculums, we:

• Play tons of educational games
• Focus on life skills (because folding laundry is definitely math, right?)
• Go to a STEAM-based co-op
• Use Miacademy for some extra variety

Here’s what has stuck around:

• Explode the Code – Perfect for the preschool years. It helps kids visualize sounds while learning phonics. After that, we switch things up with games and programs from All About Learning Press, which also offers spelling, reading, and math.
• All About Spelling – Game. Changer. Not only have my kids learned so much, but I’ve relearned spelling rules I somehow skipped in school. It’s hands-on with flashcards, tiles, and (thank you, universe) new workbooks that make life so much easier.
• Math-U-See – A great mix of hands-on blocks, worksheets, and digital lessons. My oldest and youngest love it. My middle kid? Hates the worksheets with a passion but still ends up learning more math than I ever did as a kid.

Want to see our board and card game picks? [Click here.]
Curious about the apps and video games we use? [Click here.]