Homeschool reading and phonics programs for pre-K and kindergarten, compared
9 programs, listed alphabetically, each with its grades, method, format and cost a year as the publisher’s own site showed them on October 31, 2026. Open a card for the strengths, the watch-outs and who it fits.
What this list holds
Programs for pre-K and kindergarten, usually short lessons with letters, sounds, counting and a lot of reading aloud and play.
Reading and phonics programs teach a child to read: letter sounds, blending, decoding and the first books. Some are scripted lessons a parent reads from; others are apps that teach and check the child on screen.
This list holds programs sold for reading and phonics on their own. Full curricula that teach it along with every other subject are on homeschool all-in-one curricula.
At a glance
- 6 of the 9 show a price on the publisher's site. For one child and one year of the main package they run from $35 to $287.52.
- How the child works: 6 books and workbooks, 2 on screen, 1 books and screen.
- 4 of the 9 have a placement test or level guide on the publisher's site, linked on each card.
- Grades: all reach pre-K or kindergarten, all reach the elementary grades, 4 reach middle school and 2 reach high school.
Grades each program covers
- All About Reading
- PK
- K
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- Explode The Code
- PK
- K
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- The Good and the Beautiful
- PK
- K
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- Hooked on Phonics
- PK
- K
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- Kumon workbooks
- PK
- K
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- Logic of English
- PK
- K
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- Phonics Pathways
- PK
- K
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- Reading Eggs
- PK
- K
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- Starfall
- PK
- K
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
| Program | Subjects | Grades | Method | Format | Cost a year | Faith label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All About ReadingAll About Learning Press | Reading and phonics | Pre-K–4 | Mastery | Books and workbooks | $159.95 | Secular |
| Explode The CodeEPS Learning (Educators Publishing Service) | Reading and phonics | Pre-K–4 | Traditional | Books and workbooks | Not shown | Secular |
| The Good and the BeautifulThe Good and the Beautiful | Math, Reading and phonics, Language arts, Science, History and geography | Pre-K–12 | Traditional, Unit studies | Books and workbooks | $147.94 | Faith-based |
| Hooked on PhonicsHooked & Company | Reading and phonics | Pre-K–2 | Mastery | Books and screen | $287.52 | Secular |
| Kumon workbooksKumon Publishing | Math, Reading and phonics, Language arts | Pre-K–8 | Mastery | Books and workbooks | Not shown | Not labelled |
| Logic of EnglishLogic of English | Reading and phonics, Language arts | Pre-K–12 | Traditional | Books and workbooks | $226.67 | Secular |
| Phonics PathwaysJossey-Bass (Wiley) | Reading and phonics | K–2 | Traditional | Books and workbooks | Not shown | Not labelled |
| Reading EggsBlake eLearning (3P Learning) | Reading and phonics, Language arts | Pre-K–8 | Traditional | On screen | $99.99 | Secular |
| StarfallStarfall Education Foundation | Reading and phonics, Math | Pre-K–5 | Traditional | On screen | $35 | Secular |
Each program in a line
- All About Reading: A parent who wants a step-by-step, lightly scripted phonics program to teach one child at a time, including a child who finds reading hard.
- Explode The Code: A family that wants low-cost, low-prep phonics practice a child can do with little help, alongside reading aloud and real books.
- The Good and the Beautiful: A family that wants low-cost, open-and-go printed lessons and likes teaching science and history to several children at once.
- Hooked on Phonics: A family with a child aged 3 to 8 who wants short app lessons that plan themselves, with real books and workbooks arriving by mail.
- Kumon workbooks: A family that wants low-cost, short daily practice on paper for one skill at a time beside another curriculum.
- Logic of English: A parent who wants to teach phonics, spelling and grammar together from scripted lessons with plenty of games, whether with a 4-year-old or an older child who struggles with spelling.
- Phonics Pathways: A family that wants a low-cost, no-frills phonics book a parent can teach from in short sessions.
- Reading Eggs: A family that wants a child to practice reading in short sessions on a tablet or computer, with several children sharing one plan.
- Starfall: A family with a young child who likes short games and songs and needs gentle phonics or math practice to add to other lessons.
Before you buy
Check how many minutes a day the program expects, and how much of it is reading aloud and play.
Look at how many minutes a lesson takes, whether the readers are included or sold separately, and how the program places a child who already reads a little.
Most publishers post samples and a placement test; each card links the placement test where the publisher has one.
Side by side
Related lists
- Homeschool curricula for pre-K and kindergarten 73
- Secular homeschool curricula for pre-K and kindergarten 35
- Homeschool all-in-one curricula for pre-K and kindergarten 30
- Faith-based homeschool curricula for pre-K and kindergarten 25
- Homeschool math curricula for pre-K and kindergarten 17
- Homeschool language arts programs for pre-K and kindergarten 16
- Homeschool science curricula for pre-K and kindergarten 16
- Homeschool reading and phonics programs 10
- Homeschool history and geography curricula for pre-K and kindergarten 8
- Traditional homeschool reading and phonics programs 7
- Print homeschool reading and phonics programs 6
- Secular homeschool reading and phonics programs 6
- Every program, with a filter for any combination
How we label
Every fact on a card was read on the publisher's own website on the date shown, and the page it came from is linked. A fact we could not confirm there is left out. Costs are for one child and one year of the main package, as the publisher's page showed them that day; prices and sales change. Method and format are the publisher's own description where it gives one. The only thing we say about religion is one label, secular or faith-based, given by the rule above; where the publisher's pages don't settle it, the card has no label.
No affiliate links, no sponsored places, no ranking. Something wrong or out of date? Send a correction; publishers can send corrections, never money.