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Unit study homeschool all-in-one curricula, compared

4 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

Unit studies teach one topic at a time, such as ancient Egypt or birds, with reading, writing, science and art all tied to it. They suit teaching several ages together.

An all-in-one curriculum sells a year as one plan: the subjects, the schedule and the books or lessons that go with them. It saves the work of matching separate programs, and it means one publisher's choices across the board.

Not sure this approach suits your family? The homeschool style quiz asks ten questions about your goals and time and gives a starter week for the closest match.

At a glance

  • 2 of the 4 show a price on the publisher's site. For one child and one year of the main package they run from $385.74 to $677.06.
  • How the child works: 4 books and workbooks.
  • 1 of the 4 has 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, all reach middle school and 2 reach high school.

Grades each program covers

Five in a Row
  1. PK
  2. K
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
Heart of Dakota
  1. PK
  2. K
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
My Father's World
  1. PK
  2. K
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
Trail Guide to Learning
  1. PK
  2. K
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
Alphabetical, as the table below. Each row lights the grades the publisher states.
Which grades are you shopping for?

All 4 reach pre-K or kindergarten:

  • Five in a Row Ages 2 to 12 and up: Before Five in a Row for preschoolers, Volumes 1 to 8 from early elementary into middle school
  • Heart of Dakota Preschool to 12th grade
  • My Father's World Preschool (from age 2) to 12th grade
  • Trail Guide to Learning Four one-year levels for 3rd to 8th grade, with extensions sold for younger children (K to 2nd) and older ones

All 4 reach the elementary grades:

  • Five in a Row Ages 2 to 12 and up: Before Five in a Row for preschoolers, Volumes 1 to 8 from early elementary into middle school
  • Heart of Dakota Preschool to 12th grade
  • My Father's World Preschool (from age 2) to 12th grade
  • Trail Guide to Learning Four one-year levels for 3rd to 8th grade, with extensions sold for younger children (K to 2nd) and older ones

All 4 reach middle school:

  • Five in a Row Ages 2 to 12 and up: Before Five in a Row for preschoolers, Volumes 1 to 8 from early elementary into middle school
  • Heart of Dakota Preschool to 12th grade
  • My Father's World Preschool (from age 2) to 12th grade
  • Trail Guide to Learning Four one-year levels for 3rd to 8th grade, with extensions sold for younger children (K to 2nd) and older ones

2 of the 4 reach high school:

Alphabetical. We never rank programs, and none pays to appear.
ProgramSubjectsGradesMethodFormatCost a yearFaith label
Five in a RowFive in a RowAll subjectsPre-K–8Unit studies, Literature-basedBooks and workbooksNot shownFaith-based
Heart of DakotaHeart of Dakota PublishingAll subjectsPre-K–12Charlotte Mason, Unit studiesBooks and workbooks$677.06Faith-based
My Father's WorldMy Father's WorldAll subjectsPre-K–12Charlotte Mason, Classical, Unit studies, Literature-basedBooks and workbooks$385.74Faith-based
Trail Guide to LearningGeography Matters (GeoMatters)All subjectsK–8Unit studiesBooks and workbooksNot shownFaith-based

Each program in a line

  • Five in a Row: A family with young children who love picture books and a parent who enjoys reading aloud and following a story into many subjects.
  • Heart of Dakota: A parent who wants open-and-go daily plans built on living books, with a known length of school day and a choice of math program.
  • My Father's World: A family teaching several children that wants one plan for history, science and the arts, with books, notebooking and hands-on projects.
  • Trail Guide to Learning: A family with several children close in age who wants one themed plan for everything but math, with plenty of hands-on projects.

Before you buy

Check how the program covers math and phonics, which usually need their own step-by-step program beside the units.

Check which subjects are really in the package for your child's grade. Several full curricula leave math or language arts out and expect you to add your own, and science is sometimes a separate purchase.

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.