Secular traditional homeschool curricula, compared

14 programs, listed alphabetically, each with its grades, method, format and cost a year as the publisher’s own site showed them on October 29, 2026. Open a card for the strengths, the watch-outs and who it fits.

What this list holds

We label a program secular when the publisher's own pages call it secular, or describe the program and the publisher without any faith terms.

Traditional programs look much like school courses: a lesson, practice in a workbook or on screen, review and tests. Most textbook and online programs that name no particular method fall here.

At a glance

12 of the 14 show a price on the publisher's site. For one child and one year of the main package they run from $24.95 to $480.
How the child works: 7 books and workbooks, 5 on screen, 2 video lessons.
8 of the 14 have a placement test or level guide on the publisher's site, linked on each card.
Grades: 12 reach pre-K or kindergarten, all reach the elementary grades, 12 reach middle school and 7 reach high school.

Alphabetical. We never rank programs, and none pays to appear.
Program	Subjects	Grades	Method	Format	Cost a year	Faith label
Art of Problem SolvingAoPS Incorporated	Math	5–12	Traditional	Books and workbooks	$59	Secular
CTCMathCTCMath	Math	K–12	Traditional	On screen	$257	Secular
Explode The CodeEPS Learning (Educators Publishing Service)	Reading and phonics	Pre-K–4	Traditional	Books and workbooks	Not shown	Secular
Generation GeniusGeneration Genius (part of Newsela)	Science, Math	K–8	Traditional	Video lessons	$250	Secular
Learning Without TearsLearning Without Tears	Language arts	Pre-K–6	Traditional	Books and workbooks	$24.95	Secular
Logic of EnglishLogic of English	Reading and phonics, Language arts	Pre-K–12	Traditional	Books and workbooks	$226.67	Secular
MiacademyMiaplaza Inc.	All subjects	K–8	Traditional	On screen	$480	Secular
Mystery ScienceMystery.org (part of Discovery Education)	Science	K–5	Traditional	Video lessons	$199	Secular
Reading EggsBlake eLearning (3P Learning)	Reading and phonics, Language arts	Pre-K–8	Traditional	On screen	$99.99	Secular
REAL Science OdysseyPandia Press	Science	K–10	Traditional	Books and workbooks	$87.99	Secular
RightStart MathematicsActivities for Learning, Inc.	Math	K–7	Traditional, Mastery	Books and workbooks	$329	Secular
Saxon MathHoughton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)	Math	K–12	Traditional	Books and workbooks	Not shown	Secular
Teaching TextbooksTeaching Textbooks, LLC	Math	3–12	Traditional	On screen	$48.95	Secular
Time4LearningTime4Learning (Cambium Learning Group)	All subjects	Pre-K–12	Traditional	On screen	$335.52	Secular

Each program in a line

Art of Problem Solving: A strong, motivated math student in grades 5 to 12, perhaps aiming at math contests, with a parent or an online class to talk through hard problems.
CTCMath: A family that wants short video lessons with automatic marking, including several children of different ages on one family plan.
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.
Generation Genius: A family that wants ready-made, video-led science or math lessons with hands-on activities for the elementary and middle school years.
Learning Without Tears: A family that wants a low-cost, grade-by-grade handwriting workbook, including for a young child who needs help with letter formation and fine motor skills.
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.
Miacademy: A family that wants the child to work through all subjects on screen at their own pace, with grading and attendance reports kept for them.
Mystery Science: A family with children in kindergarten to 5th grade who wants short, ready-made science lessons with a video to start and a hands-on activity to follow.
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.
REAL Science Odyssey: A family that wants one science subject a year, read aloud and done together, with hands-on labs already planned out.
RightStart Mathematics: A parent who wants to teach math hands-on, with an abacus and card games, and is happy to lead a lesson each day.
Saxon Math: A family that wants a printed, step-by-step math series from the early grades to high school, with steady review built into every lesson.
Teaching Textbooks: A family that wants the math teaching and grading done for them, with a child in 3rd grade or above who is comfortable learning on a screen.
Time4Learning: A family that wants the child to learn mostly on screen at their own pace, with grading and progress reports handled by the program.

Before you buy

That label is the only thing these pages say about religion. If it matters to you, read the publisher's own pages.

Look at how much of each day is worksheets or screen work, and whether the teacher's guide is scripted. Traditional programs are easy to record for a portfolio because the work is all written down.

Most publishers post samples and a placement test; each card links the placement test where the publisher has one.

Side by side

Related lists

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.