Secular Homeschool Curriculum Resources List
If you’re looking to find truly secular (non-religious) homeschool curriculum resources, here’s a huge list! This list also aims to be progressive, inclusive, and equitable- please give me ALL the feedback if a resource posted does not fit that description! Thank you!
***UPDATED FOR THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR*** NEW RESOURCES ADDED IN AUGUST 2023.
This list of progressive, secular homeschool curriculum resources is always work in progress, so please check back to see updates and send me any I miss any time.
As a secular homeschool parent since 2017, I know it can be challenging to find truly secular curriculum, and the number of times I’ve been told “just omit the scripture part”, are COUNTLESS! I’m so thankful for all the bloggers, creators and homeschool-parent friends who’ve shared resources with me.
If you know of an awesome, completely secular resource that I have not listed, please shout it out below in the comments or email me and I will add it to the linked list! Also, please hold me accountable, if I ever list something and the company, CEO, executive board etc are funding anti-human rights legislation or participating in nationalist nonsense I will absolutely remove the resource regardless of the secular nature of the curriculum content.
If you have Pinterest I recommend pinning this list so you can come back to it easily any time. I have a downloadable PDF version in the works so be sure to sign up for email updates as well and peeps on the email list will be first to know when that’s ready!
My personal experience to this point is preK-middle school. I also ask my IRL friends and internet friends for feedback on their favorites, so the list offers resources for preschool-12th. For frame of reference, my kids have just finished 3rd and 5th, respectively.
I have noted if the resource is FREE (I also have a list that is only free resources HERE).
I share Free Secular Homeschool Resources regularly and you can find 2 playlists of Free Resources saved on my TikTok page.
“Full” Curriculum / Multi-Subject Offerings
FULL curriculum is probably the trickiest, because in the non-secular world there are LOADS of comprehensive or “Full Curriculum” options, but we all know Abeka sucks, and that’s why we’re here, right? We have never used a “one-stop-shop/all-in-one” style curriculum in our personal homeschool experience. There are definitely secular choices, and I imagine this section will grow in the next few years as more people create awesome choices that are truly secular, less Euro-centric and more historically accurate from all perspectives.
At Home Middle School FREE RESOURCE- 6th, 7th, 8th Full online middle school curriculum.
Blossom & Root- TK-5th This one is a huge favorite for many. It’s preschool/”early years” through 5th grade and multi-subject. They do a 30% sale (everything in their store) 3 times a year: March 15 – April 30, August 1 – September 15, & Nov. 15 – Dec. 31.
Fishtank Learning- FREE RESOURCE K-12 ELA and 3rd - Algebra 2 maths.
Wild Learning- K-5th This is a math and reading resource, but I cover math separately below as their math is available for K-5th and reading is currently L1 with L2 slated to drop in June of this year (2022)! The Wild Learning philosophy is that learning is done best OUTDOORS and who can argue with that!? This is an awesome resource for learning essential math and reading skills using nature as a tool.
Oak Meadow - K-12 This one is ROBUST- a FULL-OUT curriculum, if that’s what you’re looking for! Oak Meadow is k-12 and has been around since 1975. They also have a “teacher-supported distance learning school” and according to their website their curriculum “aligns with rigorous academic standards, and it can be customized to meet students’ interests, skills, and learning styles”- you can find lots of info via @averagehomeschoolmother on TikTok- they have a good amount of experience with Oak Meadow.
Torchlight Curriculum-TK-5th Torchlight is a literature-based secular curriculum for “level Pre-k through 5” that started the same year we did- 2017. In addition to full curriculum they also offer cool “individual study” units and resources for their members.
Outschool- All ages Outschool has been part of our weekly homeschool schedule since 2017! They have “flex” classes, live classes, one-time classes, weekly classes, semester-long and even year-long options. You can find tutoring, social clubs, art and craft classes, and so much more. This link will give you $20 off your first classes!
K5Learning- FREE RESOURCE K-6th Another we use often, K5 learning is free worksheets and lesson ideas for K-5th grade, with some 6th grade/level math, and science for K-3rd
K12Reader- FREE RESOURCE 1st - 12th We use this resource quite a bit, K12 Reader is free worksheets and lesson ideas for 1st-High School. You’ll find spelling, grammar, reading/comp, vocabulary, composition and more. They also have a resources tab worth checking out!
BrainPop/BrainPop Jr.- We use Brain Pop monthly and have a subscription through our charter. They do offer a free 2 week trial if you are interested in checking it out! I first learned about Brain Pop and Brain Pop Jr from my mom, who’s a traditional school teacher. It’s great for science, math, social studies, art and more. My kids love the videos. Also, check with your local library or larger county branch to see if they offer free access to Brain Pop/Briain Pop Jr.
Kumon Workbooks- These have been a great supplement for “grade-level” work, and we’ve tried loads of different workbooks. The Kumon series is definitely both kids top pick. They are broken up by subject and grade level and we incorporate the “summer books” in our summer season each year (two pages a day, so simple).
Build Your Library- K-12 literature-based, secular homeschool curriculum. Incorporates dictation, memory work, copy work. I love a chronological history approach and we now have several friends using this curriculum, so I’ve been able to get some legit feedback and see it myself. My initial hesitation was that I have heard from MANY families that this is not the most de-colonized option- and part of that problem is the creators of the curriculum not taking that feedback well (aka ignoring it). So if you are looking for progressive/decolonized- this is probably not the best option. They have a Harry Potter unit and I’m in my 40s, so I read Harry Potter as a young adult. it was, for lack of a better word, MAGICAL, but I’ve grown and learned and can’t morally recommend anything that gives JK a dime- so if you choose this, and go for the HP unit study- PLEASE visit your physical library for the books!
Education.com- A resource we use, education.com has a free component and you can definitely try it for free to see how you like it. We did the free option first but I upgraded it to the premium pretty quickly and like the organizing, assessment and other extras that come with the paid account.
Super Teacher Worksheets- Worksheets for MANY subjects, for elementary age kiddos. We’ve been using this resource for a few years now, and currently have this resource for free through our collaborative program. When I’ve paid for it in the past, I split an account with my bestie and that worked well.
Connections Academy k-12 FREE RESOURCE Connections Academy is a full curriculum specifically designed for online learning- Kinder through 12th grade. I’m not personally too familiar with this one, but found a review you can check out HERE.
EngageNY FREE RESOURCE Engage NY is math and ELA for Pre-K through 12th grade. It’s an initiative launched by the New York State Education Department and is a Common Core resource guide. While we do not align completely with state standards or common core structure here, we’ve found this to be a helpful resource.
Khan Academy FREE RESOURCE We love Khan! This robust, FREE resource is a weekly must at our house! Khan is for K-12 (any age, really) and offers everything you can think of- math, grammar SAT(r) prep and more. From the Khan site, “Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computing, history, art history, economics, and more, including K-14 and test preparation (SAT, Praxis, LSAT) content. We focus on skill mastery to help learners establish strong foundations, so there's no limit to what they can learn next!”
Discovery K-12 FREE RESOURCE this online curriculum is PreK-12, complete with assessments and a spelling program. They offer 7 main courses: Reading/Literature, Language Arts, Math, History/Social Studies, Science, Visual/Performing Arts, and Physical Education. Extra Curriculum includes Spanish 1, HTML Coding, Healthy Living, Personal Finance, Business 101, and Business Apps.
Teaches Pay Teachers- Free resources available Both my mom and sister are tradition elementary school teachers and they use this site all the time, I have quite a few friends who sell on this site too! It’s a great resource and awesome to support teachers since we all know they don’t get paid NEARLY enough for all the work they do. Heads up though, TPT DOES allow "religious curriculum” so you will need to be mindful when searching that you are choosing secular options.
Learner.org- FREE RESOURCE K-12, videos that coordinate with online printed materials- wide range of subjects, arts, ELA, math, science, social science and language.
BBC Bitesize- FREE RESOURCE PreK-High School- free online resources- step-by-step guides, activities, videos and quizzes, organized by level and subject.
AoPS Academy- Art of Problem Solving virtual campus for math and language arts (Beast Academy Math is listed separately below as well)
Time4Learning- preschool through high school, ALL subjects!
ELA/Grammar/Writing/Spelling/Reading
Brave Writer - Much like Blossom and Root this is probably one of the most well-known secular curriculum options. It’s very popular and while we haven’t used it yet, we have many friends who have that LOVE it. It’s definitely on my “interest” list and I will update if we get to using it at any point.
Explode the Code -There are two options for this one- online and workbook, we used the workbooks briefly about 5 years ago. Explode the Code is a researched-based, multisensory, Orton-Gillingham based program that builds essential literacy skills.
Epic Books - My youngest absolutely LOVES Epic Books. Our charter gave a free subscription to this site in spring of 2020 and we’ve been using it ever since!
Saxon Grammar & Writing -This is a rigorous grammar and writing curriculum with versions for grades 3-8. We were first introduced to this curriculum through an Outschool class that worked through the majority of the Grade 3 lessons.
Logic of English - definitely another favorite in the secular homeschool community LoE has offerings for age 4-adult. It’s a reading, spelling, vocab and grammar curriculum. It uses a multi-sensory approach and provides parent-educator development resources.
Learning Without Tears -Another that my mom shared with us early in our homeschool journey, we use some type of LWT curriculum every week. They offer handwriting, early learning, cursive, Spanish, reading and typing/keyboarding, for PreK through 5th grade levels.
Progressive Phonics FREE RESOURCE Progressive Phonics is reading, phonics and handwriting for elementary age kids. On their site you’ll find printable books, activity sheets and lesson plans.
Reading Eggs. This online reading curriculum offers a 30 day free trial and is for kids age/level 2-13. The format follows a science-based approach to literacy.
Thoughtful Learning Language Arts is K-12 writing resources, grammar and social-emotional learning. They also have some really great parent educator resources to check out!
Lexia/Core5 is a literacy acceleration program for students preK to 5th grade. Both of my kids used this program as they transitioned from pre-readers to readers and we really loved it (well, I did, they got frustrated sometimes but learning to read is no easy task).
Reading A-Z This is a common-core aligned reading resource/curriculum with thousands of downloadable, printable, projectable books, lessons etc. Good for phonological awareness, phonics lessons, flash cards, guided reading and more.
StarFall- This was one of my youngest kiddo’s favorites resources! Starfall Education Foundation is a publicly supported non-profit organization. Online resource for PreK-3rd and does also have math and seasonal sections in addition to the Language arts.
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons- this is a book that has excellent feedback. We had a copy early on in our homeschool journey and I did attempt it with both kiddos. It’s an interesting method and if you stick to it, can work really well. You can click the link to read reviews.
Teach Your Monster to Read- FREE RESOURCE Both of my kids loved this reading game, but I will say the accent of the voice on the game can make it a little challenging- we would usually do this together and work on pronunciation together. My oldest found it more challenging than my youngest. They do also have a math options.
Home/School/Life Highschool Curriculum- available in print or online, all 4 years. Each year comes with a master guide that walks you through the weekly lessons. Visit their site for a breakdown of each year and what the curriculum contains.
Scholastic Teachables Free resources available They offer a monthly subscription plan that includes over 30,000 resources for TK-6th grade, plus 100 new resources added each month.
Prenda Treasure Hunt Reading FREE RESOURCE This is an excellent resource for early literacy, fun and FREE!
Nessy Phonics, early reading, typing and math. Best known as advocates for children with dyslexia around the world.
Common Lit- FREE RESOURCE ELA Curriculum for 6th-12th grade
Math
Beast Academy We’ve been using Beast through access given by our charter- it is an online and workbook resource and even has an option to work with a live instructor. It is a “comic based” math program for students 6-13. My oldest LOVES it.
Math Seeds -This is a companion program to Reading Eggs (listed above), Math Seeds is an online program and covers “core math problem solving skills” for ages 3-9.
Zearn FREE RESOURCE
Prodigy -Free available Prodigy is game based mathematics and tutoring- online for 1st-8th graders.
Singapore Math- This method for PreK-8th Grade and it has two core programs; Primary Mathematics and Dimensions Math. We have used Dimensions for my youngest and really like it! Learn more about the method HERE.
Time4Mathfacts- This is an online game-based program for PreK-12th grade, focusing on fluency. Features adaptive instruction, milestone acknowledgements and detailed reporting.
Wild Math- I mentioned the main website for this math resource, Wild Learning above. They have math for K-5th and believe that the best place to learn is out in nature! We participated in a park-group that did a unit of Wild Math and it was really fun. Each grade-level covers all the essential skills for that grade, uses math manipulatives found in nature and is game-based, project-based, hands-on learning fun!
You Cubed -Mathematical Mindset -Free Resources via email and on website regularly If you’ve not read Limitless Mind by Jo Boaler, I highly recommend it. The research behind You Cubed and the Mindset Mathematics curriculum is really fantastic and worth learning more about. The Mindset Mathematics books are leveled K-8th grade but definitely lend well to group work and kids of different ages/grade levels. When my oldest was in 3rd grade we were part of a group that worked through the 4th grade book week by week. There were 3rd, 4th and 5th graders in the group and it was really fun! Even my youngest, who was in 1st grade at the time, would be able to participate in some way, when the group met up.
Georgia State Math - Free Resource offering K-12 math standards
Reflex This is an online, game-based math program focusing on fluency. My oldest used this program in 3rd grade and it is rather fast-paced (meaning timed games) which wasn’t something they had much experience with. It is an adaptive program that is individualized, has reporting/parent educator data tracking and, for us, was definitely effective in improving multiplication and division fluency. Grades 2+
ST Math CURRENTLY A FREE RESOURCE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE ST math is an online, game -based math program my kids have been using since Kindergarten. From the ST Math site, “ST Math is a PreK-8 visual instructional program that leverages the brain's innate spatial-temporal reasoning ability to solve mathematical problems. ST Math Homeschool games bring more than 35,000 puzzles into your home, with interactive representations of math topics that align to all state standards and learning objectives that target key grade-level concepts and skills.”
Math Dad (see Science Mom under Science category)
History
History Quest- This is the main history curriculum we use. Starting with Early Times- History Quest has been a super fun way to learn history in chronological order! It’s a “complete elementary history curriculum using storytelling and hands-on activities to capture your child's imagination.” We love the project built into each unit, the Hygge history and the extra reading recommendations. We are wrapping up Early times now and looking forward to Middle Times, and the Modern History Bridge (grades 3-7), followed by History Odyssey (Grades 6-12). They also have a U.S. History Curriculum that is brand new and you can find more info on their site. History Quest could absolutely be more focused on the global majority and les Euro-centric, but my kids like it, so we use it as our foundation and supplement with other resources, books, field trips, travel etc to get a good range of perspective!
Mint and Bloom Learning NEW RESOURCE ADDED SUMMER 2023 ALL AGES Progressive, secular, art/project based learning! I first found Helen and Arielle on Tiktok, and was super excited to give their curriculum offerings a try. I ordered “Read, Glow, Grow V2-15 Inspiring Women” and “Power of the People All-Ages History Curriculum”. I’m really excited to use this curriculum in our coming school year and you’ll definitely be hearing more about it from me soon! Learn more about the creators HERE.
Woke Homeschooling Created by a homeschool parent and her community, Woke Homeschooling is a “conscious US History Curriculum”. This has been edited and is now a secular resource, however the creator of this resource does mention “God” in their About section, but as far as all the feedback I’ve collected this is a valid, truly secular resource.
Smithsonian’s History Explorer Free Resource k-12 A website developed by the National Museum for American History, learning activities feature the artifacts in the museum. Make sure you check out the “cross-curricular connections” section.
Zinn Education Project- We haven’t done a deep dive into this one YET, but plan to. The Zinn Ed project is a robust resource for elementary, middle and high-school age kiddos.
Curiosity Chronicles - a secular history curriculum from a global perspective, beginning in ancient times. CC covers cultural, artistic and scientific history in addition to political history. I like that this curriculum is written by a homeschool parent (Rachel Meyers) with a Masters Degree in Comparative Studies.
Big History Project/World History Project -
Rethinking Columbus- We are working our way through this book and love it. From their website, “More than 80 essays, poems, interviews, historical vignettes, and lesson plans reevaluate the myth of Columbus and issues of indigenous rights. Rethinking Columbus is packed with useful teaching ideas for kindergarten through college.”
An Indigenous People’s History of the United States (For Young People) -we have been reading through this chapter by chapter in a book-club-style approach. There are also lesson plan guides for this book you can find on Teacher’s Pay Teachers!
Science
Pandia Press R.E.A.L. Science Series/RSO Real Science Odyssey -(CURRENTLY 25% OFF August of 2023- they are also adding NEW sections to this curriculum at the moment) this is what we are currently using and have been working through the Life and Chemistry units over the past few years, respectively. If you love History Quest (like we do!) check out this comprehensive, fun, easy to follow science curriculum!
Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BFSU) - K- 8th
Mel Chemistry/Mel Science -This one is on our “coming soon list” - we have not tried it yet, but will be! This is subscription-box style lab science for around $20 per month. Mel Science has been highly recommended by fellow secular homeschooler’s who love it. Check out more awesome subscription boxes HERE.
Science Mom (and Math Dad)- FREE RESOURCES AVAILABLE
Science Bob FREE RESOURCE
Science Friday Free Resources available More than just a podcast you’ll find activities, clubs, classes, and loads of free resources for homeschool fun. Check out the “Educate” tab on their site!
Generation Genius - This one has a couple options- there is an online curriculum library you can subscribe to, and they also have hands-on subscription boxes. We’ve done one of the boxes. It came with 3 experiments and my kids LOVED it. We will likely incorporate the boxes into our 23-24 school year schedule. I do love a good subscription box and you can learn more about my favorites HERE.
Geography
Civics/Social Studies/Current Events
Studies Weekly- A K-6 resource for Social Studies, science and social-emotional learning.
The Week Jr - A weekly magazine for kids (ages 8-14 according to their website, but my 7 year old loves it!). Every issue features a super engaging mix of “world news, ideas, activities, puzzles and lively debates”. We usually save it for the weekend and read through it together on Sunday morning!
Language
DuoLingo FREE RESOURCE- Duo is not only a TikTok superstar, but this site is a great way to learn a language online, for free! Everyone in our house uses it and loves it.
Rosetta Stone- Rosetta Stone is an awesome way to learn a new language. I used the CDs many years ago and found the method really effective and fun to follow (as an adult). Right now they have a lifetime access/all languages for $179 special going- as of March 2022.
Muzzy -if you were born in the 80s and watched any TV as a kid, you remember Muzzy commercials! It’s still around and homeschool parents still LOVE using Muzzy for language! I love that they have a homeschool-specific section of their website, and know they have been around long enough to be more than a proven method!
Social/Emotional/Mental Health Resources
Class Dojo -FREE RESOURCE find episodic learning series’ on a variety of topics. Download their discussion guides and work through these with your kids!
Big Life Journal- “Science based journals to raise kind, resilient, confident children with a growth mindset” . I got overly excited when I first heard about this- and my oldest was a kindergartener- I recommend this journal for 3rd grade/level and up. We started it near the end of 3rd grade and that was perfect! You can also sign up for their weekly FREEBIE via email by getting on their email list!
Art
Outschool- recorded and live online classes (my 7 year old loves the “draw Pusheen” classes!)
There are LOTS of free art tutorials on YouTube adding more as I find them- if you have a fave please leave me a comment so I can check it out!
Babble Dabble Do FREE RESOURCE (YouTube) preschool-elementary age STEM creativity activities
Draw So Cute FREE RESOURCE (YouTube)
Andrea Nelson Art / A Dream and a Day Art FREE RESOURCE (TikTok and other social channels) Andrea first popped up on my FYP one year at the end of the traditional school year explaining that you can call the public schools in your town and pay off school lunch debt for graduating students so they are not burdened (some held back from walking at the grad ceremony!) by the debt. It was an instant follow, and I quickly discovered- it was an ART channel. Her projects are fun, simple, creative and adaptable for a very wide range of age/level capacities. We are never without a couple bottles of black glue now. She does also have a website with her shop and much more!
Draw Kids Draw FREE RESOURCE (YouTube)
OTHER
SUBSCRIPTION BOXES!!! One of our favorite types of “creative curriculum”. Check out my favorite 25 Subscription Boxes for Homeschoolers.
I would say the one we enjoyed the most in 2022 was Universal Yums- so here’s a bit more about that one:
Universal Yums- We use this monthly snack subscription box to study different cultures, geography, and so much more. The little book that comes in each box has tons of great resources including links to music, recipes etc. This is one we all look forward to every month!
Additional Lists and links:
Please let me know any additional resources that I have missed or not added yet so I can add them ASAP! Also, if anything here is incorrect/NOT truly secular for any reason, please let me know- I did my best to only include truly secular resources, but in the event any are not- please tell me and I will edit accordingly! Much appreciated!
The SEA (Secular, Eclectic, Academic) Homeschoolers Facebook group is an excellent resource.
This list by secularhomeschooler.com is freakin phenomenal- it was last updated in Jan of 2019 so a few things have changed but not much! Definitely a great resource and an awesome website with loads of other amazing content!
Here’s the 2021 list from The Homeschool Resource Room
SEA Resources tab- here is the link to the Secular Eclectic Academic resource list in progress…