Christian Homeschool Curriculum: A Comparison of Faith-Based Programs

Christian homeschooling families don't all want the same thing from their curriculum. A Reformed Presbyterian family, a Baptist family, and a Catholic family may all identify as "Christian homeschoolers" — but their priorities for curriculum content, science methodology, and historical interpretation can be quite different. The same applies to families homeschooling for faith reasons who want different levels of Biblical integration: some want scripture woven into every subject; others want a strong math program with neutral content and a separate Bible study.

This is the real complexity of choosing a Christian homeschool curriculum. "Christian" is a broad label, and the programs underneath it are meaningfully different.

The Spectrum of Christian Curriculum

Christian homeschool curricula fall along a spectrum from explicitly doctrinal to broadly faith-affirming:

Strongly Doctrinal: Programs like Abeka and BJU Press are built on specific theological commitments — Young Earth Creationism in science, Providence-oriented history, scripture integrated throughout including math word problems. These are designed for families who want their children's entire academic formation to reflect an orthodox Protestant worldview.

Broadly Christian: Programs like Sonlight, My Father's World, and Notgrass are Christian in worldview but not specifically doctrinal in the same way. They include Bible reading, assume a Christian worldview, but don't embed theology into every math lesson. More accessible to ecumenical Christian families.

Faith-Neutral / Compatible: Programs like Saxon Math, All About Reading, and Story of the World (debated) are largely neutral on faith content. They're widely used by Christian families without the curriculum making any claims about creation, biblical history, or faith.

LDS-Authored but Broadly Christian: The Good and the Beautiful falls here. The founder is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The curriculum content is broadly "mere Christian" and is widely used across Protestant, Catholic, and non-LDS families — but this is the most common source of controversy for Evangelical families considering it.

Understanding where a program sits on this spectrum is the most important step before purchasing.

Major Christian Homeschool Programs Compared

Abeka

Theological position: Conservative Evangelical Protestant. Young Earth Creationist. Providence-oriented historical interpretation.

Academic character: Rigorous by traditional academic standards. Often described as running ahead of public school grade level in reading and math. Textbook and workbook based. School-at-home model.

Who it's for: Families who want academically rigorous, explicitly Protestant materials with complete Biblical integration throughout every subject.

Cost: Physical homeschool kits approximately $450–$800 per year. DVD/video instruction option can reach $1,000+ per year.

Considerations: The school-at-home model is both its strength and its most common criticism. Families who want the flexibility of homeschooling — shorter days, project-based work, outside learning — often find Abeka's structure frustrating. It is designed to replicate a traditional school day at home, not to leverage homeschooling's flexibility.

BJU Press (Bob Jones University)

Theological position: Fundamentalist Baptist. Academically similar to Abeka in worldview integration.

Academic character: Strong academic rigor, especially in science and writing. Materials are visually more engaging than Abeka's older designs. Used extensively in Christian co-ops.

Who it's for: Families wanting a conservative Christian school-at-home program with strong upper-grade science content.

Cost: Approximately $400–$700 per grade level for physical materials.

Considerations: BJU Press is generally considered more engaging in presentation than Abeka and is the preferred choice in many co-op settings precisely because teachers find the materials easier to teach from.

Sonlight

Theological position: Broadly Evangelical Christian. Not YEC in science — Sonlight actually uses secular science curriculum alongside Christian worldview history and Bible.

Academic character: Literature-based, Charlotte Mason-influenced. Enormous volume of reading. Read-alouds central to the program. Strong emphasis on cultural diversity and global awareness within a Christian framework.

Who it's for: Families who love books and reading, want a Christian worldview without YEC science, and can commit to significant read-aloud time.

Cost: Core programs run $270–$800+. Math always sold separately.

Considerations: Sonlight is one of the most expensive programs in the market. The read-aloud-intensive nature requires parental presence and engagement — it is not a self-paced, hands-off program. Families with limited parental time often struggle to sustain it.

My Father's World (MFW)

Theological position: Broadly Evangelical Christian, ecumenical tone.

Academic character: Blends classical and Charlotte Mason methodologies. Uses Charlotte Mason-style narration, living books, and nature study alongside classical structure. Bible integrated as a subject, not pervasively throughout math and science.

Who it's for: Families who want a Charlotte Mason flavor with Christian worldview at a lower price than Sonlight.

Cost: Approximately $150–$350 per year depending on grade level.

Considerations: A strong middle ground between the intensity of Abeka and the cost of Sonlight. Popular with families who have tried one of the more expensive programs and want something more sustainable.

The Good and the Beautiful (TGAB)

Authored by: A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Academic character: Charlotte Mason-influenced, aesthetically beautiful materials. Covers language arts and history; separate math program available. The language arts curriculum is particularly well-reviewed.

Who it's for: Budget-conscious families comfortable with broadly Christian content who appreciate beautiful, high-quality materials. Most widely used by Evangelical families who are unbothered by the LDS authorship; some Evangelical families specifically exclude it on theological grounds.

Cost: PDFs free; print versions $25–$90. The lowest cost complete option in this category by a significant margin.

The TGAB consideration: The debate around TGAB is the most visible worldview controversy in the Christian homeschool community. The curriculum content does not promote LDS theology. The decision is ultimately a personal one that depends on your family's theological convictions about purchasing from an LDS-authored source.

Notgrass History

Theological position: Conservative Christian. Providence-oriented historical interpretation.

Academic character: Strong, textbook-based American and world history for high school with integrated literature and Bible. Designed to earn high school credits.

Who it's for: High school families who want a rigorous, textbook-based history and literature program that integrates a Christian worldview and provides credit documentation.

Cost: Approximately $120–$160 per course.

Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool

Theological position: Broadly Christian, Protestant. Volunteer-run.

Academic character: Free, online, complete K–12 curriculum. Quality is uneven across grade levels but genuinely functional for the full school day. Used heavily by budget-constrained families.

Who it's for: Families who need a free, complete Christian curriculum. Particularly valuable for low-income families or those in financial transition.

Cost: Free.

The Secular Science Question

The biggest internal debate in Christian homeschooling is whether to use YEC (Young Earth Creationist) science or secular/old-earth science. This is not a minor preference — it shapes every year of science instruction from K through high school.

YEC programs: Apologia, Master Books, God's Design for Science.

Old-earth or science-neutral programs used by many Christian families: Real Science Odyssey, Mystery Science (K–5), Generation Genius.

Many Christian families who want rigorous science choose a secular science program and add Bible or creation-related content separately. Sonlight explicitly uses secular science for this reason.

Getting the Match Right

The right Christian curriculum matches your specific theological commitments, your child's learning style, your budget, and your teaching bandwidth. A family committed to YEC science has different options than one comfortable with old-earth perspectives. A family that loves read-alouds has different needs than one that needs a self-paced digital program.

The United States Curriculum Matching Matrix tags every major program with specific worldview flags — not just "Christian" but YEC, Providence-oriented, LDS-authored, ecumenical, faith-neutral — so you can filter by your actual convictions rather than trying to infer them from publisher marketing. If you've been reading curriculum websites for hours without a clear answer, that structure is designed specifically for the decision you're trying to make.