The Complete Secular Homeschool Curriculum Guide (2026)

The best secular homeschool curricula teach every subject from a neutral, evidence-based perspective without religious content. For math, Beast Academy and Singapore Math lead the field. For reading and language arts, Logic of English and All About Reading are the strongest options. For science, Real Science Odyssey provides genuine hands-on experimentation. And for an all-in-one secular package, BookShark and Build Your Library offer complete programs across all subjects. This guide covers the best secular option for every subject so you can build a complete, high-quality homeschool education without religious content.

Why Families Choose Secular Curriculum

Not every family seeking secular curriculum is non-religious. Many Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and families of other faiths prefer to keep religious education separate from academics. Some common reasons families choose secular curricula include:

• Separation of faith and academics — wanting to teach religion at home or at their place of worship, not through a math textbook
• Evidence-based science — wanting curricula that teach evolution, earth age, and climate science from a scientific consensus perspective
• Inclusive worldview — wanting materials that represent diverse cultures and perspectives without privileging one religion
• Resale and flexibility — secular curricula are easier to resell and can be used by families of any background

Whatever your reason, the good news is that the secular homeschool market has exploded in the last decade. You no longer need to compromise on quality to find religion-free materials.

Best Secular Math Curricula

Beast Academy (Ages 6-13)

Beast Academy, created by Art of Problem Solving, teaches math through comic-book-style guides and challenging practice books. It is widely regarded as the most rigorous elementary math program available.

Why it stands out: Beast Academy does not just teach procedures — it builds genuine mathematical thinking. The problems are creative, challenging, and often puzzle-like. Children who work through Beast Academy develop problem-solving skills that carry them through advanced math.

Best for: Children who enjoy puzzles and challenges. It is above grade level in difficulty, so some families start one level below their child's actual grade.

Singapore Math (Ages 4-12)

Singapore Math uses a concrete-pictorial-abstract approach that has made Singapore one of the top-performing countries in math education worldwide. The Dimensions edition is the most popular for homeschoolers.

Why it stands out: The bar model method for solving word problems is brilliant and intuitive. Singapore Math builds deep number sense and conceptual understanding before moving to abstract algorithms.

Best for: Families who want a proven, internationally respected approach. Works well for a wide range of learners. See our full math curriculum comparison for more detail.

Right Start Math (Ages 4-8)

Right Start uses an abacus and games to build number sense. It is one of the most hands-on math programs available.

Why it stands out: The game-based approach keeps young children engaged, and the abacus provides a powerful visual and tactile model for understanding numbers and place value.

Best for: Hands-on learners and families who want active, game-based math rather than worksheets.

Math-U-See (Ages 4-14)

While published by a Christian company, Math-U-See's content is entirely secular. The program uses colored blocks and video instruction for a mastery-based approach.

Why it stands out: Steve Demme's video lessons are clear and effective, and the manipulative blocks make abstract concepts concrete. The mastery approach means children fully understand each concept before moving on.

Best for: Visual and kinesthetic learners who benefit from seeing and touching math concepts.

Best Secular Reading & Language Arts Curricula

All About Reading (Ages 4-10)

All About Reading is a multi-sensory, Orton-Gillingham phonics program with scripted lessons and engaging decodable readers.

Why it stands out: It is the most effective systematic phonics program that requires the least parent preparation. The scripted lessons mean you open the book and teach — no planning required. See our detailed reading curriculum comparison.

Logic of English (Ages 4-10)

Logic of English teaches the rules behind English spelling and reading using 74 phonograms and 31 spelling rules. It integrates reading, spelling, and handwriting.

Why it stands out: Instead of teaching English as a language full of exceptions, Logic of English shows that 98% of English words follow identifiable patterns. This approach produces confident spellers and readers who understand the system.

BookShark Language Arts (Ages 5-14)

BookShark (the secular sister company of Sonlight) offers literature-based language arts with outstanding book selections and no religious content.

Why it stands out: The book selections are superb, and the instructor guides provide discussion questions, vocabulary work, and comprehension activities built around genuine literature rather than workbook passages.

Build Your Library (Ages 5-14)

Build Your Library is a secular, Charlotte Mason-inspired program that uses living books as the foundation for all language arts instruction.

Why it stands out: It combines the best of Charlotte Mason methodology with a firmly secular worldview. Narration, copywork, and dictation develop strong language skills through authentic literature.

Best Secular Science Curricula

Real Science Odyssey (Ages 5-12)

RSO offers hands-on science courses in life science, earth and space, chemistry, and biology. Every chapter centers on experiments and lab notebook work.

Why it stands out: This is real science — observation, hypothesis, experimentation, and recording. RSO teaches the scientific method by actually using it, not just reading about it. Read our complete science curriculum review.

Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (Ages 4-10)

BFSU uses Socratic discussion and hands-on investigation to build deep conceptual understanding across four science domains.

Why it stands out: No other elementary science program builds scientific reasoning at this depth. BFSU teaches children to think like scientists, not just memorize science facts.

NOEO Science (Ages 5-12)

NOEO combines curated living science books with experiment kits for a complete, packaged science experience.

Why it stands out: It removes the planning burden from literature-based science. The books are pre-selected, the experiments are pre-assembled, and the schedule is done for you.

Best Secular History Curricula

Story of the World (Ages 5-12)

Susan Wise Bauer's four-volume world history series covers ancient through modern history in a narrative, engaging style. While the author is Christian, the content is presented from a historical perspective and is widely used by secular families.

Why it stands out: The narrative style makes history come alive for young children. The four-year cycle covers all of world history and can be repeated at deeper levels. See our history curriculum guide for more options.

History Quest (Pandia Press) (Ages 5-12)

History Quest is the most explicitly secular history curriculum available. It covers world history with engaging text, maps, timeline figures, and hands-on activities.

Why it stands out: If you want history taught from a strictly secular, multicultural perspective, History Quest delivers without any religious framing of historical events.

BookShark History (Ages 5-14)

BookShark's history program uses living books to explore world and American history. It is the secular version of Sonlight's history packages.

Why it stands out: The literature selections are exceptional, and the program covers diverse civilizations and perspectives without religious bias.

Build Your Library History (Ages 5-14)

BYL's history combines Charlotte Mason methodology with a secular worldview, using living books and narration.

Why it stands out: It intentionally includes diverse voices and perspectives, presenting history as a complex human story rather than a single narrative.

Best Secular Writing Curricula

Brave Writer (Ages 5-18)

Brave Writer, created by Julie Bogart, is the most popular secular writing program among homeschoolers. It takes a process-based approach that treats children as real writers.

Why it stands out: Brave Writer demystifies writing by breaking it into natural stages — freewriting, revision, editing — in an encouraging, non-threatening environment. The program also includes a lifestyle component that brings literary richness into daily life.

Writing With Ease (Ages 5-10)

Part of the Well-Trained Mind series by Susan Wise Bauer, Writing With Ease teaches writing through copywork, narration, and dictation in a gentle, progressive sequence.

Why it stands out: It acknowledges that young children are not ready for original composition and builds foundational skills (handwriting, spelling, sentence structure) through copying great writing and narrating in their own words.

Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) (Ages 8-18)

IEW teaches writing through a structured method of keyword outlines, dress-ups, and decorations. While the company is Christian, the writing program itself is content-neutral.

Why it stands out: IEW's structure gives reluctant writers a clear, repeatable process for any writing assignment. The results are often dramatic — children who hate writing start producing competent paragraphs and essays.

Best Secular Art Curricula

ArtAchieve (Ages 5-14)

ArtAchieve provides video-based art lessons that teach specific techniques through warm-ups, direct instruction, and cultural connections.

Why it stands out: The video format means you do not need any art background. Your child watches the instructor demonstrate a technique and follows along. Lessons connect art to geography and world cultures. See our full art curriculum review.

Atelier Art Curriculum (Ages 4-12)

Atelier uses video instruction and high-quality art supplies to teach drawing, painting, and art appreciation in a self-paced format.

Why it stands out: The lessons are structured enough to build real skills while leaving room for creative expression. The art history components are excellent.

All-in-One Secular Options

If you want a single company to provide your entire curriculum, these two offer the most complete secular packages:

BookShark

BookShark packages include history, language arts, science, and math (they offer multiple math options). Everything comes with instructor guides and daily schedules.

Best for: Families who want a complete, literature-based education in one purchase with no religious content.

Build Your Library

BYL provides full packages with history, language arts, science, and read-alouds. Math and phonics are recommended separately.

Best for: Families who want a Charlotte Mason-inspired secular program with outstanding living book selections and intentionally diverse perspectives.

Building Your Own Secular Curriculum

Many secular homeschool families take an eclectic approach, choosing the best program for each subject rather than buying an all-in-one package. Here is a sample combination that many families love:

Total cost for a full year of secular curriculum: approximately $360-$580, plus books from the library.

Tips for Secular Homeschool Families

1. Use the library relentlessly — living books are the backbone of a great education, and they are free at your library
2. Join secular homeschool groups — online communities like Secular, Pair it with, Inclusive Homeschool (on Facebook and Reddit) provide invaluable recommendations and support
3. Preview before you buy — many publishers offer free sample lessons or PDF previews; take advantage of these before committing
4. Do not over-buy — it is better to start with the essentials (math, reading) and add subjects gradually than to buy everything at once and feel overwhelmed
5. Trust the process — children learn in unpredictable bursts, and a quiet period is often followed by a leap; give your chosen curricula time to work before switching

The Bottom Line

The secular homeschool curriculum market has never been stronger. Whatever your budget, teaching style, or child's learning needs, there is an excellent secular option available. Start with one or two core subjects, see what works, and build from there. The best curriculum is the one you actually use consistently — and that your child actually enjoys.