BEST Reading Homeschool Curriculum Programs and Packages

Homeschooling offers many benefits, including flexibility, personalized instruction, and the ability to tailor the curriculum to the student’s needs and interests. When it comes to reading, choosing the right curriculum can make all the difference in helping students develop strong literacy skills and a love of reading. With so many options available, it can be challenging to know where to start. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of 10 of the best reading homeschool curriculums to help you find the right fit for your family.

Rebbecca Devitt

I hope you enjoy reading this blog post. If you want to do my course on how to homeschool, click here.

Programs we’ll look at on this page are:

If you are a newcomer to homeschooling, check out the Homeschool Parenting Program. This program will provide you with fundamental knowledge of homeschooling, ensuring that you feel confident and at ease. The course is both engaging and enlightening.

(Make sure you take the free homeschool-style quiz to identify the right method for you.)

Get a great reading program for your homeschooler with these options.

Affiliate links are used on this website.

Below we’ll go through some of the best reading homeschool curriculum programs and packages in detail.

BJU Press

BJU Press offers a great homeschool reading and writing curriculum for all ages. Their Focus on Fives program does reading, writing, history, geography, art, and many other subjects (excluding math) all in one.

Focus on Fives teaches phonics and has many manipulatives, flashcards, and craft activities to teach reading and writing interestingly.

For older children, BJU Press has other great language arts curricula. Everything is taught with a strong focus on teaching a biblical worldview.

We use BJU Press in our home and love its quality and biblical values.

BJU Press offers a:

  • teach-it-yourself option with teachers’ manuals OR
  • a self-paced (mastery-based) option if you get the video lessons.

You can get more information about this program here.

All About Reading

This reading homeschool curriculum is made by All About Learning Press and has a popular program called All About Spelling.

The reading curriculum features:

  • 20 minute lessons with light scripts for parents
  • a Mastery-Based program meaning your students can do things in a self-paced manner
  • a moneyback guarantee with lifetime support
  • multiple levels to choose from including pre-readers to advanced readers
  • free placement tests before purchasing
  • letter tiles, magnets, dividers, flashcards, and tote bag

Check them out here.

Night Zookeeper – Gamification Teaching Reading and Writing

With Night Zookeeper, your kids can learn to compose before they can even read or write.

This program features many games and fun activities to get kids learning without even knowing it!

Its speech-to-text function helps them learn before writing and keeps them learning as they unlock various levels on the platform.

This program is VERY popular and effective and many parents use it in place of screen-time.

Check it out here.

Schoolhouse Teachers Reading Homeschool Curriculum

Schoolhouse Teachers offers all its courses, including its reading curriculum course, for one price.

And this one price includes your whole family.

So you can buy a homeschool curriculum for your high schoolers as well as your kindergartners! For the same price.

Furthermore, Schoolhouse Teachers has an incredible range of electives on top of their basic open-and-go school boxes which…contain your ‘basic subjects’.

Check it out here or watch the video below for a vlog review.

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

This program is a popular choice for many Christian homeschool families as it is as affordable as you’ll get!

This book is around $30 from Amazon and can teach all your kids to learn in 100 lessons.

It uses a phonics-based approach to teaching reading and includes plenty of Bible stories and other Christian content.

It doesn’t have flashcards and other bells and whistles, but it’s super-affordable if you want a program that won’t break the bank.

Check it out here.

Sonlight Homeschool Reading Curriculum

On the other end of the money scale, we have Sonlight, which can be expensive.

But that’s because you get all the books you’ll need delivered to your door for one price.

This reading curriculum uses the literature-based approach to homeschooling. This approach teaches children literature through great books and living books (Classical and Charlotte Mason books).

Sonlight is a much-loved Christian homeschool curriculum.

You can check them out here or see a review here.

Veritas Press

Veritas Press is a classical homeschooling curriculum that offers a comprehensive language arts program that includes phonics instruction, reading comprehension, and vocabulary development.

Their program incorporates Christian themes and values throughout and includes a range of classical literature selections.

They also offer video lessons where students can participate in classes.

Veritas encourages parents interested in their program to do a free consultation to figure out curriculum and homeschooling in general.

A free consultation can be a great opportunity to talk to an experienced homeschooling mother about how to homeschool. 

Horizons and Lifepac Phonics and Reading

Horizons and Lifepac are Christian-based curricula by Alpha Omega Publications that include phonics instruction, reading comprehension, and fluency practice.

Their programs includes Christian-themed stories and emphasizes character development.

Horizons is spiral-learning, and parents need to use teachers’ manuals for this program.

If you’d like this program to be more mastery-based, you can look at their Lifepac Program, which students can do themselves and is sometimes more convenient in a homeschool situation.

Check out Horizons here and Lifepac here.

Rod and Staff English

Rod and Staff English is a Christian-based language arts curriculum emphasizing the importance of solid grammar and writing skills in a child’s education.

The program is designed to be taught in a systematic and sequential manner, starting with the basics and building upon them as the child progresses.

Rod and Staff English include Christian content throughout, with Bible stories and Christian values integrated into the lessons.

The curriculum is designed to help children develop not only strong language skills, but also a strong Christian worldview and character.

One unique aspect of Rod and Staff English is its use of dictation exercises. These exercises involve having the child listen to a sentence or paragraph read aloud and then write it down from memory.

This helps to develop strong listening and writing skills and reinforce correct spelling and grammar usage.

The Rod and Staff English program is generally considered to be an affordable option compared to some other Christian curricula. For families on a tight budget, this could make Rod and Staff English a particularly appealing option.

Check out Rod and Staff here.

Best reading homeschool curriculum programs (Pinterest Pin (1000 × 1500 px))

Memoria Press

Memoria Press is a classical education curriculum that emphasizes the importance of language study in a child’s education. Their grammar stage curriculum teaches children language fundamentals, including grammar, phonics, spelling, and vocabulary.

The curriculum is designed to be taught systematically and sequentially, starting with the basic tools for learning and building upon them as the child progresses.

Memoria Press uses a phonics-based approach to teaching reading, emphasizing the importance of phonics in building strong reading skills. They use various resources, including their own Phonics Flashcards, to help children master phonics concepts and build fluency in reading.

The curriculum also includes a strong emphasis on reading comprehension, with a focus on developing critical thinking skills and literary analysis.

Latin is an important part of the Memoria Press curriculum, as it is seen as a foundational language for building strong language skills. Latin is introduced in the grammar stage and taught systematically and sequentially, starting with basic vocabulary and grammar concepts and building upon them as the child progresses.

The Latin curriculum includes resources such as the Latina Christiana program, which teaches basic Latin grammar and vocabulary through Christian-themed stories and activities.

Overall, the Memoria Press grammar stage curriculum is designed to build a strong foundation in language skills, emphasizing phonics, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.

The inclusion of Latin as a foundational language helps to reinforce these skills and build a strong foundation for future language study.

Check out Memoria Press here.

Reading Eggs

I used to be a big fan of Reading Eggs but found out it is quite a woke program which put me off as a Christian homeschooling parent (see video below).

Reading Eggs is an animated learn-to-read program created by ABC Kids.

Children start by doing a placement test and then can begin learning at the right level immediately.

It’s good fun and can be a great solution if your kids aren’t enjoying their workbooks.

We don’t like to use iPads for long in our homes, so this was a short-term solution to reinvigorate our homeschool.

Check it out here.

Other Reading Homeschool Curriculum Packages

If you’re looking for the best homeschool curriculum to teach reading, it helps to consider a wide variety of programs. A few other popular reading programs for homeschooling include the following:

My Father’s World

My Father’s World is a Christian-based curriculum that includes phonics instruction, reading comprehension, and vocabulary development. Their program includes Christian-themed stories and emphasizes Bible study and character development.

The reading curriculum for the homeschool combines Charlotte Mason’s philosophy, a classical Hebraic education, along with a unit studies approach.

A family learning cycle takes the family through history, exploring countries and cultures, learning about the ancient world, and going on to modern times.

Bible, history, geography, science, literature, music, and art are integrated into the unit study approach.

Check out My Father’s World here.

Christian Liberty Press

Christian Liberty Press offers a phonics-based reading program that includes Christian content throughout. Their program includes reading comprehension, phonics instruction, and fluency practice.

The Adventures in Phonics series teaches how to read through the formal study of phonics. The is plenty of drill and repetition to ensure children have the opportunity to master the skills needed to read fluently.

The corresponding Nature Readers introduce children to God’s Creation. The homeschool reading comprehension curriculum improves children’s reading skills as well as their comprehension as kids learn about the natural world.

Kids study mammals, insects, spiders, marine life, jellyfish, sea stars, and more.

Check out Christian Liberty Press here.

Abeka

Abeka is a Christian-based curriculum that includes phonics instruction, reading comprehension, and vocabulary development. Their program includes Bible stories and Christian themes throughout.

Children in kindergarten and first-grade focus on learning phonics. As the children learn to read, they work through a set of readers to practice their new skills.

The reading homeschool curriculum for grades 2-6 includes a reading comprehension set and readers. Each set includes a student book as well as a teacher’s book.

Check out Abeka here.

Learning Language Arts Through Literature (LLATL)

LLATL is a literature-based curriculum that includes phonics instruction, reading comprehension, spelling, and grammar. Their program includes Christian content and emphasizes character development.

The first and second-grade curriculum of LLATL focuses on teaching children how to read using phonics, hands-on activities, and excellent books. An integrated approach is used to ensure that all reading, grammar, spelling, and other language arts lessons are unified.

Children learn language arts and reading skills by studying real books. The goal is to inspire greater interest and understanding in children. The lessons require very little prep, making LLATL an open-and-go curriculum.

Check out Learning Language Arts through Literature (LLATL) here.

Christian Light Education (CLE)

CLE is a Christian-based curriculum that includes phonics instruction, reading comprehension, and vocabulary development. Their program includes Bible stories and Christian themes throughout.

CLE offers both a learning-to-read curriculum and a reading curriculum. The learning-to-read program includes interesting primers for kids to practice using their reading skills and to motivate them to learn to read.

Students will learn phonics, how to sound out words, and visual discrimination. Children will also practice their writing skills.

The reading curriculum teaches phonics and reading mechanics. In addition, children will learn reading comprehension.

Check out Christian Light Education (CLE) here.

The Weaver Curriculum

The Weaver Curriculum is a unit study approach to homeschooling that includes phonics instruction, reading comprehension, and character development. Their program includes Christian content and emphasizes family discipleship.

The curriculum uses the Bible as a base. Other subjects, such as math, science, history, and language arts, are woven into Biblical studies.

A series titled Early Readers is a progressive word-building curriculum that teaches kids how to read using Bible stories.

The first volume uses short vowel words. The second volume introduces vowel blends and silent-e words. The third volume continues the reading lessons by using words appropriate for beginning readers.

Check out The Weaver Curriculum here.

All up, there are many options here to suit a parent of any persuasion!

Reading Homeschool Curriculum for Dyslexia

If you are homeschooling a child with dyslexia, finding a reading curriculum that works for them can be a challenge. Here are four reading homeschool curriculum options that are specifically designed for students with dyslexia:

Barton Reading & Spelling System

The Barton Reading & Spelling System is a research-based, multi-sensory curriculum that is specifically designed to help students with dyslexia learn to read and spell. The program is organized into ten levels, each of which builds upon the skills learned in the previous level.

The Barton Reading & Spelling System is based on the Orton Gillingham method which uses a multi-sensory and direct instruction approach to teach students how to read and spell.

The program begins by ensuring children have the necessary phonemic awareness to begin learning how to read. Then consonants and short vowels are learned.

The ninth level has children learning about the influence of foreign languages on the English language. The tenth level studies Greek words and Latin roots.

Check out Barton Reading & Spelling System here.

All About Reading

All About Reading is a multi-sensory reading curriculum that is designed for struggling readers, including those with dyslexia. The program includes hands-on activities, visual aids, and other tools to help students learn to read in a way that works best for them.

The All About Reading homeschool curriculum is based on the Orton Gillingham method. Children begin with phonemic awareness and continue their studies learning the final phonograms which include the ph sound and the ough phonogram.

This program includes cute characters, letter tiles, and decodable stories for children to practice their developing skills.

Check out All About Reading here.

Logic of English

Logic of English is a comprehensive reading and spelling curriculum that is designed for students with dyslexia and other learning differences.

The science of reading homeschool curriculum uses a multi-sensory approach to teaching phonics and other reading skills, and includes hands-on activities, games, and other tools to help students learn in a way that is engaging and effective.

The Logic of English lays a strong foundation in English while teaching the logic behind the English language. A student workbook, teacher’s manual, and decodable readers are used to teach reading.

Kids enjoy the variety of games and activities that keep kids engaged. Supplemental material is also available.

Check out Logic of English here.

Sound Foundations

Sound Foundations provides high-quality synthetic phonics within a self-contained program. Everything you need is provided within the book.

It’s an easy-to-use curriculum to help dyslexic children learn how to read. Kids are taught the basic skills until the skills are automatic.

Multisensory activities are provided to reinforce the lessons which are designed for over-learning. The goal is for every child, even children with serious learning disabilities, to learn how to read.

The program is easy to teach and designed to be open-and-go. Parents do not need to spend valuable time on lesson planning or record keeping in order to teach their children.

Check out Sound Foundations here.

Reading Homeschool Curriculum for Struggling Readers

If you are homeschooling a struggling reader, it can be difficult to find a curriculum that will help them make progress and build confidence. Here are three reading homeschool curriculum options that are designed to help struggling readers:

Sonlight

Sonlight is a literature-based curriculum that includes various books and other resources to help students develop a love of reading.

The program is designed to be flexible, allowing you to tailor the curriculum to your child’s needs and interests.

Sonlight’s goal is to place a child at a point where reading is easy rather than making reading a challenge. Children enjoy reading when it’s not stressful.

Sonlight also chooses quality literature that’s interesting for kids to read.

As a result, many struggling readers will begin to excel when they enjoy reading.

Check out Sonlight here.

The Reading Lesson

The Reading Lesson is a step-by-step reading program that is designed to help struggling readers learn to read. The program uses a phonics-based approach, and includes simple stories, games, and other activities to help students build their reading skills.

The curriculum uses twenty easy lessons that take one or two weeks to complete. Each lesson has about 20 simple pages that have no distractions on them. Children enjoy coloring the pages as they complete the lessons.

Special typography is used to make reading easier for young children between the ages of four and eight. By the end of the book, children will be reading at about a second-grade level.

Check out The Reading Lesson here.

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is a popular reading program that is designed to be used by parents with their children. The program uses a simple, phonics-based approach to teaching reading, and includes easy-to-follow lessons and activities that can be completed in as little as 20 minutes a day.

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons uses a step-by-step approach that develops the phonemic skills children need to read. The book also uses a direct instruction approach to teach children how to read.

The book is self-contained although supplementary materials are available.

Your child will be given the skills they need to read at about a second-grade reading level by the end of the book.

Check out Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons here.

Comprendi Reading (by Dr. Marion)

Comprendi™ is a top-notch reading curriculum designed for homeschoolers, earning its spot among the best choices.

The program is free homeschool curriculum for struggling readers until 2025 (after which it will be a very low cost program).

Tailored for grades 4-6, Comprendi™ combines engaging narratives, captivating graphics, and unique instructional methods.

Its special feature, NarrEx™, seamlessly integrates storytelling with complex information, making learning both effective and enjoyable.

Whether you’re new to homeschooling or looking to enhance your current curriculum, Comprendi™ stands out as a valuable and affordable choice for fostering reading success.

Free Homeschool Reading Curriculums

If you’re looking for a free homeschool reading curriculum program, there are several excellent options available that can help you provide a quality education for your child without breaking the bank. Here are five free homeschool reading curriculum programs that you might want to check out:

Easy Peasy All-in-One

Easy Peasy All-in-One is a free online curriculum that covers all subjects, including reading, for grades K-12. The reading curriculum includes phonics, sight words, and other reading skills, and is designed to be self-paced and easy to follow.

Easy Peasy All-in-One offers both a sight reading course and a phonics course for children learning how to read.

It’s recommended that parents start with the sight reading course to get kids started and enthusiastic about being able to read simple material. The phonics course teaches the skills to read more advanced material.

Once children know how to read, a free homeschool reading curriculum is available to help kids grow in their reading ability and their comprehension.

Everything needed to teach your child to read is available online.

Read a review of Easy Peasy All-in-One to learn more about the curriculum.

Check out Easy Peasy All-in-One here.

Ambleside Online

Ambleside Online is a free Charlotte Mason-inspired curriculum that includes reading, writing, and other language arts skills. The curriculum includes classic literature, poetry, and other reading materials that are carefully selected to align with Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy.

Reading instruction begins with sight recognition along with phonics. It’s recommended parents begin by reading Home Education vol. 1 to learn how to teach reading without a formal reading program.

Parents learn how to teach their children the alphabet, phonics, and how to build words. Kids learn how to read with a formal curriculum using this method.

Read a review of Ambleside Online to learn more about the learning platform.

Check out Ambleside Online here.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a free online learning platform that offers a wide variety of courses and resources, including reading and language arts. The reading curriculum includes grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension skills, and is designed to be engaging and interactive.

Khan Academy works to engage kids in their education by using a fun and free educational app. Kids meet whimsical characters, enjoy animated games, and are delighted with creative lessons.

The adaptive learning path ensures that each child receives a personalized education. The program was developed by experts and is aligned with the Common Core Standards.

So if you’re looking for the best reading curriculum for a homeschool, consider using Khan Academy with your children.

Read a review of Khan Academy to learn more about the free resource.

Check out Khan Academy here.

The Good and the Beautiful

Although I don’t use The Good and the Beautiful  for these reasons, many people think TGATB has one of the best reading curriculum for homeschoolers.

It emphasizes wholesome literature, family, and God.

Multiple subjects are combined to help connect learning and reduce the need for six or seven different curricula.

The kindergarten through eighth-grade language arts program is available as a free pdf download. Children are taught how to read through a multi-sensory approach and systematic phonics.

Everything you need to teach your children to read is included in the program. Kids begin by learning the alphabet and basic sounds. The third-grade curriculum also provides phonics read-together books.

Under the Home

Under the Home is a free Charlotte Mason curriculum that includes reading, writing, and other language arts skills for grades K-5. The curriculum includes classic literature, poetry, and other reading materials that are carefully selected to align with the Common Core State Standards.

Under the Home provides free phonics lessons as part of the curriculum. The first lessons begin with ear training. The final lesson, number 232, focuses on review and word building.

Online copies of McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers, revised edition, are provided to give kids the reading practice they need to become proficient readers. The Fourth Reader is on a fifth and sixth-grade level.

Watch a YouTube review of  Under the Home here.

Check out Under the Home here.

Free homeschool reading curriculum programs are a great way to provide a quality education for your child without spending a lot of money. Whether you’re on a tight budget or simply want to explore alternative options, these programs can help you provide a comprehensive and engaging reading curriculum for your homeschool.

Can Homeschoolers Use iReady?

Homeschoolers shouldn’t use iReady as this program is for school teachers. iReady is meant to catch students up who are behind and tell school teachers the level children are at before they enter a school classroom.

What’s the Difference Between Sight Words and Phonics?

Sight words and phonics are two distinct approaches to teaching reading.

Sight words, also known as high-frequency words, are memorized by sight rather than decoded phonetically. These are often common words that appear frequently in texts.

In contrast, phonics focuses on teaching children the relationship between letters and their corresponding sounds, enabling them to decode words by sounding them out.

While sight words emphasize recognition by sight, phonics emphasizes the ability to decode words based on phonetic principles.

Both methods are important components of a balanced reading curriculum, with sight words providing immediate word recognition and phonics building the foundational skills needed for decoding unfamiliar words.

See this post on sight words vs phonics for more information.

Additional Reading Options for Homeschool

Other options for homeschool reading include:

Check them out for more reading options.

New to Homeschooling?

Are you interested in discovering more about homeschooling?

While this article has provided a lot of information on homeschool reading curriculum programs, you may want to explore the topic further. Fortunately, there are two excellent options available for expanding your knowledge on homeschooling: a free resource and a fundamentals course priced at $67.

  1. Homeschool Mastery Course: Transform your homeschooling experience and take it to the next level with our comprehensive online course called the Homeschool Parenting Program.
  2. Youtube Channel: Want something better than a homeschool blog? Look no further than the How to Homeschool YouTube channel! This is a quick and entertaining option if you’re looking for info on home education fast.

Check them out!

Need a homeschool curriculum for reading? We list a few options to cover you here!

Conclusion on Homeschool Reading Curriculum Programs

Reading is a fundamental skill essential for success in all areas of life, from academics to career to personal enrichment. Homeschooling provides a unique opportunity to customize a reading curriculum that meets the needs and interests of each student. Whether you’re looking for a structured program or a more flexible approach, there is a homeschool reading curriculum that can help your child reach their full potential. We hope this list of the best reading homeschool curriculums has provided you with valuable information and inspiration for your homeschooling journey.

Share your love
Default image
Sara Dennis

Sara Dennis is a veteran homeschool mom of six who's still homeschooling her youngest two kids after the oldest four have graduated, entered college, and moved on to adult life. She loves to chat about homeschooling on her blog.

Articles: 7

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *