Curated guide

Best Homeschool History Curriculum

10 curricula in this guide

History can be the most engaging subject in a homeschool day — or the driest. The difference usually comes down to delivery. Literature-based history programs use living books and storytelling to make events come alive. Textbook-based programs offer thorough coverage and structure. Our top picks balance engagement with academic rigor across multiple worldviews.

Story of the World is a near-universal homeschool spine for ancient through modern history. Sonlight and BookShark wrap history in a full literature-based curriculum (Christian and secular respectively). Pick based on whether you want a standalone history program or an integrated multi-subject approach.

Editor's selection

Our picks

Story of the World

Well-Trained Mind Press

Featured

Narrative world history told chronologically across four volumes, designed for read-aloud family learning. The standard elementary history spine for classical and literature-based homeschoolers.

K–2 3–5 6–8

$20–$48

Sonlight

Sonlight Curriculum

Literature-based Christian curriculum built around parent-led read-alouds and high-quality living books. All-Subjects Packages provide a full year of instruction across multiple subjects.

PreK K–2 3–5 6–8 9–12

$250–$700/year

BookShark

Secular literature-based curriculum adapted from the Sonlight model. One of the few non-religious, book-rich options for families who love reading together.

K–2 3–5 6–8

$500–$1045/year

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Build Your Library

Secular, literature-based curriculum following a historical timeline with Charlotte Mason methods. Teacher's guide PDFs are affordable; books purchased separately.

PreK K–2 3–5 6–8 9–12

$30–$60/grade

Khan Academy

Featured

Free, nonprofit, mastery-based online learning platform spanning PreK through college. Short video lessons paired with adaptive practice and unit tests, especially strong in math and SAT prep.

PreK K–2 3–5 6–8 9–12

Acellus Academy

International Academy of Science

Fully accredited online K-12 school with WASC accreditation, AP courses, NCAA-approved cores, and military Tier I status. Same video content as Power Homeschool but with diploma, transcripts, and teacher support.

K–2 3–5 6–8 9–12

$2000–$4500/year

BookShark

Secular literature-based curriculum adapted from the Sonlight model. One of the few non-religious, book-rich options for families who love reading together.

K–2 3–5 6–8

$500–$1045/year

BrainPOP

Animated explainer videos with Tim and Moby covering 800+ topics in science, social studies, ELA, math, and arts. Strong supplement for visual learners and topic intros.

K–2 3–5 6–8

$295–$430/year

IXL Learning

Adaptive skill-by-skill practice platform with over 17,000 standards-aligned skills across math, language arts, science, social studies, and Spanish. Strongest as practice and diagnostic, not initial instruction.

PreK K–2 3–5 6–8 9–12

$79–$159/year

Oak Meadow

Waldorf-inspired secular curriculum emphasizing creativity, nature, and hands-on learning. Offers both independent homeschool materials and an accredited distance-learning school option.

K–2 3–5 6–8 9–12

$120–$2500/year

Outschool

Marketplace of independent teachers offering 140,000+ live small-group video classes, 1:1 tutoring, and self-paced courses for ages 3-18. Supplemental enrichment, not a full curriculum.

PreK K–2 3–5 6–8 9–12

$480–$2880/year

Power Homeschool

International Academy of Science

Self-paced video curriculum sharing identical content with Acellus Academy but without enrollment, accreditation, or teacher support. Significant 2025 price increase from ~$31/mo to $99/mo.

PreK K–2 3–5 6–8 9–12

$948–$1188/year

Time4Learning

Secular self-paced PreK-12 full curriculum with animated lessons, automated grading, and recordkeeping. Most popular secular all-subjects digital subscription.

PreK K–2 3–5 6–8 9–12

$335–$479/year

Common questions

Frequently asked

Should we teach history chronologically or by topic?

Chronological cycles are the most common homeschool approach: four years covering ancients through modern, repeated at increasing depth. It gives children a mental timeline to hang everything on. Topical or regional study works too, especially for older students, but a student who has never seen the sequence laid out tends to struggle to place events relative to each other.

How do I handle history that presents a particular viewpoint?

Read it with your student rather than around it. Every history curriculum has a perspective, including the ones that claim not to. The most useful habit you can build is asking who wrote this, what they emphasized, and what a different account might say. Pairing a spine text with primary sources does this naturally.

Does history count toward my state's required subjects?

In many states, yes, usually named as history, social studies, or civics. Some states also require specific units such as state history or the Constitution. Check your state's requirement, and log the hours if your state counts them.

Can history and literature be combined?

Yes, and literature-based programs do exactly this. Reading historical fiction and primary sources alongside a period makes the era stick far better than a textbook summary. If you combine them, decide up front how you will record it: most families log the time under both subjects or count it as a humanities block.

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