Homeschool Wins (Top Ten for 2023/24)

 

I have all of the materials ready to go for the upcoming school year on the bookshelf. I still have a couple of weeks yet, but I am excited to crack those books open and get started. Before I share with you the list of what we will be using, I want to highlight the TOP TEN CURRICULUM choices from last year. Some choices were flops and certainly did not make the list. Others were absolute wins that I am excited to share with you. When you drop money on a curriculum whether it is a few bucks from a reseller or brand new for a couple hundred dollars, there is always a risk involved. Some of these were repeats from other years with other kids, and some were brand new—including what landed in the number one spot! 

10. Daily-6 Trait Writing

Perfect to ensure your kids are getting their daily writing in. With so many electronics in use in the home, this is a must. 

Read my first grade and second grade reviews. These were a great addition to our year. 

9. Notgrass History

This was a perfect fit for us last year. Two of my high schoolers worked through both books of Exploring World History. The format was easy to follow, and the lessons were inspiring. My boys continually told me interesting facts they learned from their history reading each week!

8. Gentle and Classical

What a treat the Gentle and Classical curriculum was with my younger ones this year! I learned about this from an online homeschool conference and was pleasantly surprised. We used it loosely each morning instead of a morning basket. I had a board set up with different poems, artwork, nature facts, and more—all provided with this curriculum. We were introduced to a lovely series of books that made our year. The book used here was Among the Pond People. We loved it so much that we went ahead and read the entire series!

7. iST

Interactive SchoolhouseTeachers.com (iST) was an excellent option for my middle schooler. She used this for her history last year completing American Folklore, Wonders of the World, Drive Thru History, and Trek to the Holy Land and Beyond! Completely online, she was able to work through the lessons with ease—and loved receiving a certificate of completion every time she completed a course.

6. Illustory

Illustory has become a mainstay in our homeschool. Each summer Rainbow Resource Center hosts a writing contest for kids and offers these kits at a deeply discounted price. My kids have yet to win but that's okay, at the end of the contest they received a hardback published book of their hard work in the mail. What a treat! Not to mention, one of their friends won one year, so we have her book proudly on our shelf, too. That is because she was the overall winner that year which means her book is officially for sale on their website.

5. Grade 3 Math on SchoolhouseTeachers.com

My son is all over the place in his schooling. I can't really peg him to a certain grade but when I looked at Stretching Higher with Third Grade Math on SchoolhouseTeachers.com, I knew right away that would be a perfect fit for him. Complete with tests and quizzes, he was challenged and motivated and learned a tremendous amount this year in math thanks to SchoolhouseTeachers.com!

4. All About Reading

This has been a life saver in our homeschool. My first three kids learned to read before the age of five and became avid readers. The next two have been taking a little longer. Now that I am able to see what their struggles are, All About Reading has helped me to break down the rules in a way that helps them understand. ABeka just will not work for them. I love the colored pages, and my kids love the activities and hardback books provided! Check out my reviews of the first two levels below:

Level 1 Review

Level 2 Review

3. Bible Study Guide for All Ages

This one is always at the top of my list. My kids love the stories, activities, coloring pages, and the content learned in the lessons. The colored flashcards are an added bonus, too. I cannot get enough of this curriculum. It has been the perfect addition to our morning routine for years. My Bible Study Guide for All Ages review goes into further detail so be sure to check it out!

2. Golden Prairie Press

This curriculum helped me fall in love with homeschooling. I used this with my older kids and made sure to save it for my younger ones. I was so excited that this was the year that I could pull it out for them. The literature-based approach with hands-on activities included makes for an exciting educational experience. More details can be found in my Golden Prairie Press review.

1. Supercharged Science

Supercharged Science for the win! This was the BEST purchase by far for what was received. I do not even know where to begin. Taught by a rocket scientist from NASA, Aurora is a wealth of information and SO good with the kids. With weekly LIVE lessons streamed on the website, your children will have access to the lessons LIVE or recorded and applicable worksheets and handouts. Additionally there are piles of related science experiments with step-by-step video tutorials. Each week Aurora hosts a related challenge where your children can send in a picture of how they completed the challenge and she will randomly choose a winner—complete with a prize. This can be viewed in the FB group, but if you are not on FB like my family, you can email your submission, which worked well for us. 

This was the classic egg drop experiment, which my kids loved. My daughter used a balloon, parachute, and bubble wrap. Needless to say, hers did not break. One of my sons used a rubber ball filled with popcorn. Each of my kids were able to figure out, on their own, how to protect the egg. I love how the projects allow for creativity and thinking outside of the box. Most experiments use what you have in your house already and you can feel free to switch up similar items that you might have on hand. 

This is a neutral curriculum and does not teach evolution or creationism, which was a big plus for us. 

Additionally, there are virtual field trips, star gazing nights, and other classes such as biology with a different teacher and electronics—all included in the price. My kids loved this program and learned valuable information and life skills from these lessons. So much value here and highly recommended!
 

Even though filled with its challenges, the 2023/24 school year was the BEST homeschool year yet! I cannot wait to see what the next year brings. :)