As we wind down this school year and look ahead to next year, I have some new favorites to add to our curriculum. I have put together a list below with lots of goodies I have shared over the years with some new favorites mixed in! We haven’t used every single one, but those I have listed have been recommended highly.

My high schooler used Sonlight 300 this year for 10th grade and we LOVED it. In the early years we felt it was a bit much and never tried again, but now has been a perfect time for us. She takes the weekly schedule and makes sure to complete by Friday (she doesn’t necessarily follow each day, but just completes the five days by Friday.) We only used History and Literature and did do some tweaking, but stuck mostly to the schedule.

So Sonlight has become a new favorite. 

Here is our BIG list of favorites and recommended resources with some newly updated additions as well!

Preschool/Kindergarten

A Is for Adam: The Gospel from Genesis (excellent resource!)

Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers: The Gospel

A Bible Alphabet

What’s in the Bible? Volume 1- In the Beginning

A Light for My Path: An ABC Book Based on Psalm 119

God Gave Us You

The Story for Little Ones

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name

Answers in Genesis Preschool Curriculum

Leading Little Ones to God: A Child’s Book of Bible Teachings

Elementary

God Creates the World and Chooses a Family (Firmly Planted Family Study Guide)

Ten Girls Who Made A Difference (Lightkeepers)

Beautiful Girlhood: Revised by Karen Andreola

Apologia Who Am I Series

Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends

The Donkey Who Carried a King

The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale

Mountain Born
(one of my favorite read alouds- with Christian themes)

YWAM Books– our very favorite was George Mueller

Little Pilgrim’s Progress: From John Bunyan’s Classic

Answers in Genesis Pilgrim’s Progress Complete Curriculum

The Princess and the Kiss

Wild Thing (Winnie the Horse Gentler Book 1)

The Garden Wall: A Story of Love Based on I Corinthians 13

Imagination Station Series – Adventures in Odyssey –(historical fiction)

Little House on the Prairie 

The Gospel Story Bible: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments

The Hedge of Thorns (Rare Collector’s Series) or any Lamplighter books

The Mystery of History, Vol. 1: Creation to Resurrection (all ages)

The Story of the World

A Child’s History of the World

The Growly Books: Begin

In Grandma’s Attic (Grandma’s Attic Series)

Hinds’ Feet on High Places [Illustratred]

Rush Revere Series

The Children’s Illustrated Bible

God of Wonders

Metamorphosis: The Beauty and Design of Butterflies

America’s Providential History (Including Biblical Principles of Education, Government, Politics, Economics, and Family Life)

Genesis: Finding Our Roots

Hymns for a Kid’s Heart, Vol. 1

Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends

Did Adam Have A Bellybutton?

 

Middle School

Sierra Jensen Collection (my daughter read through these several times!)

Secret Keeper Girl books

Through Peril and Sword (Soldiers of the General Book 1) (written by a teenage homeschooler!)

Adam and His Kin: The Lost History of Their Lives and Times

 

We Became Men: The Journey into Manhood

Foundlings (The Peleg Chronicles, book one)

The Chronicles of Narnia Complete 7-Book Collection with Bonus Book: Boxen

The Bronze Bow

Created for Work: Practical Insights for Young Men

The Hobbit

The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings (the Hobbit / the Fellowship of the Ring / the Two Towers 

A Family Guide to Narnia: Biblical Truths in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia

Kingdom Series by Chuck Black

From Sea to Shining Sea: 1787-1837 (God’s Plan for America)

Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends

Created for Work: Practical Insights for Young Men

High School

Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

More Than a Carpenter

Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations

I Kissed Dating Goodbye

All C.S. Lewis Titles

How to Stay Christian in High School

Jesus Freaks: Martyrs: Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus: The Ultimate Jesus Freaks

The City of God

The Chosen

And the Bride Wore White: Seven Secrets to Sexual Purity

Hinds’ Feet on High Places ( I love this book!)

Don’t All Religions Lead to God? (Tough Questions)

Perfectly Unique: Praising God from Head to Foot

True Love Project (True Love Project Series)

Answers Book for Teens Vol 2 (Answers Book (Master Books)

Devotions for the God Guy: A 365-Day Journey

The Story: Teen Edition: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People

Essential Guide to Public Speaking: Serving Your Audience with Faith, Skill, and Virtue

Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books

Life Application Study Bible NIV

High School Reading (newly updated!)

(these are our favorites from Literature/History and Bible Sonlight 300)

The Hiding Place

Know What You Believe

Know Why You Believe

Parallel Journeys

How to Ruin Your Life By 30

Walk to Two Moons

Children of the River

Mere Christianity

Screwtape Letters

Other Curriculum for all ages:

Apologia– Hands down, best science for us. We have completed several in the elementary series, and this year my daughter is using the middle school level General Science course.  We enjoy the activities throughout each lesson, as well as the notebook activities. Apologia is a top-notch company that I respect immensely. They bring it home to God each lesson, and it is Bible-based.

Polished Cornerstones– This is a very large book from Doorposts that my daughter has been using for a few years. It is worth the investment. It is essentially a Bible study and character curriculum with numerous topics and activities for each age level. There is also a boy version (Plants Grow Up) which we have not used yet.

Math U See– We’ve been using Math U See for many years and my children all have done well with it.  I love that the DVD’s teach the lessons, and then I can help my child as needed. I also have high respect for Steve Demme, the writer of the curriculum, not just for his math books, but his heart for ministry and families.

Language Lessons from Sandi Queen– These little gems are perfect for our family in teaching language. Each Charlotte Mason style workbook has short lessons that teach just enough without creating a ton of busywork. We have really enjoyed this series for all levels.

A Child’s Geography– Written by An Voskamp, these geography books are fascinating for the kids and for me 🙂 We’ve completed the first book in this series.

Truthquest History Guide: American History for Young Students Volume 1– Our family used this during our studies of American History, and I actually miss those years. Truth Quest provides a book list for each unit that exposed us to so many great pieces.

Explode the Code– We’ve used all levels from pre-reading up to reading comprehension and my kids have always looked forward to these books. I was able to teach them all to read through these books alone in the early years.

 

Handwriting Without Tears Nothing helped my lefty, who-learns-differently- son better than this handwriting curriculum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favorites for Homeschool Moms

Educating the WholeHearted Child — by Clay and Sally Clarkson

Oh, I am so thankful this gem came into my life. I had never even heard of it as a new homeschooling mom, but there it was on sale at CBD.com, so on a whim, I bought it. Best.purchase.ever. I have read that book practically once a year, marked it up, and recommended it to so many friends. It is a must have.

For the Children’s Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

 

A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning

A Biblical Home Education: Building Your Homeschool on the Foundation of God’s Word

This book gave me the confidence to use the Bible as our main textbook last year. I am so grateful for the inspiration in this book, the wisdom, and the truth that pointed me to the most important things I wanted to teach in my homeschool.

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