Catholic Curriculum and Materials

Choosing curriculum is one of the most important—and sometimes overwhelming—decisions Catholic homeschooling families face. The good news? You have more excellent options today than ever before, from complete boxed curricula to à la carte resources that let you customize your children’s education while keeping Christ at the center.

Starting with Your Vision

Before diving into catalogs and websites, take time to discern your family’s educational philosophy and goals. Ask yourself:

  • What does a Catholic education mean for our family?
  • Do we want an explicitly integrated curriculum where faith permeates every subject, or a more traditional approach with separate religion instruction?
  • What learning style does each child have?
  • How much structure do we need as parents?
  • What’s our realistic budget?

Your answers will help narrow the field significantly and prevent curriculum hopping—the common tendency to switch programs every year in search of the “perfect” fit.

Types of Catholic Curricula

Complete Boxed Curricula provide everything you need for multiple subjects in one package. They offer structure, scope and sequence, and the confidence that you’re covering what you need to. Popular options include Seton Home Study School, Mother of Divine Grace School, and Kolbe Academy. These work especially well for new homeschoolers or families who appreciate having decisions made for them.

Catholic Publishers like Seton Press, Catholic Heritage Curricula, Ignatius Press, Sophia Institute Press, and TAN Books offer grade-level or subject-specific materials you can mix and match. This gives you more flexibility while still ensuring Catholic content and perspective.

Secular with Catholic Supplements is an approach many families take, using strong secular programs (Saxon Math, All About Reading, etc.) while adding Catholic religion, literature, and history. This requires more work on your part to integrate faith, but gives you access to the best materials in each subject area.

Unit Studies and Living Books approaches, like those from Catholic Schoolhouse, organize learning around themes and use quality literature rather than textbooks. These work beautifully for families teaching multiple grades together.

Subject by Subject: What to Look For

Religion is your foundation. Options range from traditional catechisms (Baltimore Catechism remains a solid choice) and series based on the Baltimore Catechism like Seton’s Religion for Young Catholics series, to newer programs like the Didache series, Faith and Life, or Ignatius Press’s Word of God series. Don’t neglect apologetics for older students—teaching them why we believe what we believe is crucial in today’s culture.

History offers wonderful opportunities to show God’s hand in human events. Consider curricula that present history from a Catholic worldview, such as Catholic Heritage Curricula’s history series, TAN’s Story of Civilization, or the Catholic Schools Textbook Project.

Literature forms the heart and imagination. Build your library with Catholic classics, saint stories, and literature that upholds truth, goodness, and beauty. 

Science should inspire wonder at God’s creation. Most standard science programs work well when supplemented with discussion of the Creator. Some families appreciate the non-Catholic (but Christian) Apologia science series, but some Catholic providers are starting to publish their own science series. Seton even has a few Catholic science books at the high school level.

Math is math—and there’s no distinctly “Catholic” approach to arithmetic. Choose based on your child’s learning style. Popular options include Saxon, Teaching Textbooks, Math-U-See, Singapore Math, Seton Press (younger grades) and RightStart. The Catholic element comes through teaching gratitude for the gift of reason and the order God built into creation.

Latin holds special importance in Catholic education as the language of the Church. Consider starting earlier than you might think—even elementary students can begin with programs like Prima Latina or Little Latin Readers.

Free and Budget-Friendly Resources

Catholic homeschooling doesn’t have to break the bank:

  • Public domain treasures: Many classic Catholic texts are free online through Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive, and Catholic-specific sites like EWTN’s document library
  • Library systems: Build strong relationships with your local librarians and use interlibrary loan extensively
  • Used curriculum sales: Online buy/sell/swaps can offer significant savings
  • Free printables: Many Catholic homeschool bloggers share lesson plans, copywork, and activity pages
  • YouTube and podcasts: Free content on saints, catechesis, and Catholic culture abounds

Evaluation and Review Resources

Don’t buy blind. Tap into these resources before making major curriculum purchases:

  • Cathy Duffy Reviews: Comprehensive, balanced reviews from a Christian perspective
  • Google Reviews: Try to find information about the publisher in advance
  • Company samples: Most publishers offer sample pages or trial periods

Red Flags to Watch For

Not everything marketed as “Catholic” aligns with Church teaching. Be cautious of:

  • Materials that contradict the Catechism or present theological opinions as fact
  • History or literature that omits or distorts Catholic contributions to civilization
  • Science texts that fail to distinguish between legitimate science and materialist philosophy
  • Programs that treat faith as one subject among many rather than the lens through which we view all learning

Making It Work for Your Family

Remember that curriculum is a tool, not a taskmaster. The best program is the one your family will actually use consistently. It’s perfectly acceptable to:

  • Mix and match from different publishers
  • Adjust grade levels up or down based on your child’s readiness
  • Take breaks for feast days, service projects, or simply living life together
  • Change approaches as your children grow and your family’s needs evolve

Your goal doesn’t have to be to replicate Catholic school at home—it’s to provide your children with an education that integrates faith and learning in a way that nurtures their unique gifts and draws them closer to Christ.

Building Your Plan

A practical approach to curriculum planning:

  1. Choose religion first and make it non-negotiable daily priority
  2. Select math and language arts based on each child’s learning needs
  3. Plan history and science that multiple ages can study together when possible
  4. Add enrichment (art, music, foreign language) as time and budget allow
  5. Leave margin for spontaneous learning, service, and simply being a family

Special Considerations

For large families: Look for programs that accommodate multiple grade levels, offer family licensing, or use a cyclical approach where everyone studies the same topic at different levels.

For working parents: Consider options with video instruction (Homeschool Connections, Angelicum Academy) or hybrid school programs that meet one or two days per week.

For children with learning differences: Many Catholic curriculum providers offer modifications, or you can use secular special education resources alongside Catholic content.

For high school: Ensure your program meets your state’s requirements and provides proper documentation for college applications. Catholic distance learning programs like Kolbe, MODG, or Seton can provide accredited diplomas.

The Freedom to Choose

One of homeschooling’s greatest blessings is the freedom to customize your children’s education in ways that school systems—even Catholic schools—simply cannot. You can linger over a saint’s life story, dive deep into a child’s passionate interest, or spend an entire afternoon discussing a moral question that arises naturally.

Your curriculum choices should support this flexibility, not constrain it. The materials are meant to serve your family’s mission of raising children who know, love, and serve God—not the other way around.

As you explore the resources in this section, remember that you’re not just teaching subjects. You’re forming souls, awakening wonder, and cooperating with God’s grace in your children’s lives. That’s work no curriculum can do alone—it requires your irreplaceable presence, prayer, and witness as a Catholic parent.

May God guide you as you make these important decisions for your domestic church.