When you're staring at thousands of curriculum options, the appeal of an all-in-one package becomes clear: someone else has already assembled everything you need. Open the box, follow the instructions, and teach.
Curriculum packages aren't just for beginners or lazy homeschoolers. They represent a legitimate educational choice—comprehensive scope, consistent methodology, and reduced decision fatigue. For many families, the structure of a complete curriculum provides exactly the support they need.
Key takeaways
- Curriculum packages include everything needed for a complete school year—textbooks, workbooks, tests, and teacher materials
- All-in-one solutions excel for new homeschoolers, families with multiple children, and those wanting minimal planning
- Packages range from secular to religious, traditional to progressive—options exist for nearly every preference
- The tradeoff: convenience and consistency versus flexibility and customization
What Curriculum Packages Include
A complete curriculum package typically contains:
Student materials: Textbooks, workbooks, readers, and consumables for each subject. Everything your child needs to complete the year's work.
Teacher materials: Lesson plans, answer keys, teaching guides, and schedules. These tell you what to teach, when to teach it, and how to evaluate learning.
Tests and assessments: Chapter tests, unit tests, and sometimes standardized-style assessments. You'll know exactly how to measure progress.
Schedule or planner: Many packages include suggested daily or weekly schedules. Some provide day-by-day lesson plans.
Scope and sequence: Documentation of what's covered and in what order. Useful for records and understanding the curriculum's approach.
Higher-end packages might also include: - Online components (videos, interactive exercises) - Manipulatives or hands-on materials - Art supplies or science equipment - Parent training resources
Benefits of Complete Packages
Reduced decision fatigue: You make one big decision (which package) instead of dozens of smaller decisions (which math, which language arts, which science...). This conserves mental energy for actual teaching.
Consistent educational philosophy: When all subjects come from one source, they share underlying assumptions and approaches. A Charlotte Mason package feels different from a classical package—but internally consistent.
Coordinated scope and sequence: Subjects are designed to work together. History connections might appear in literature selections. Science vocabulary might show up in spelling lists. Integration happens by design.
Built-in scheduling: Instead of creating your own schedule, you follow the package's plan. Some families appreciate this structure; others find it constraining.
Resale value: Complete packages, especially from major publishers, often retain value. You can resell used materials or pass them to younger siblings.
Support availability: Major curriculum providers offer customer service, teacher forums, and supplementary resources. You're not figuring everything out alone.
Major Curriculum Package Providers
- Abeka: Traditional, rigorous, Christian; complete K-12 program with video instruction option
- BJU Press (Bob Jones University): Christian worldview, engaging materials, video instruction available
- Sonlight: Literature-based, Christian; includes books and instructor guides with detailed scheduling
- My Father's World: Combines Charlotte Mason, classical, and unit study approaches; Christian
- Calvert: Secular, accredited option; includes complete materials with online/offline flexibility
- Oak Meadow: Waldorf-inspired, creative approach; available secular or with nature spirituality
- Time4Learning: Online subscription; complete curriculum accessible on any device
- Connections Academy/K12: Online public school options; free in many states
Package Comparison
Limitations and Tradeoffs
Less flexibility: Packages are designed as complete systems. Swapping out the math for a different program means you're no longer using the package as designed. Some integration is lost.
May not fit every child: One-size-fits-all means one size. If your child is advanced in math but struggles in reading, the grade-level package may not serve them well.
Cost: Complete packages cost more upfront than buying used books piecemeal. The convenience has a price.
Philosophical lock-in: If you discover mid-year that you disagree with the approach, you've already invested significantly. Research thoroughly before committing.
Potential overkill: Not every child needs every component. Some packages include materials you won't use—paying for things that don't serve you.
Dependence: Some families grow overly dependent on external structure, making eventual transitions (to college, to independence) harder. Balance is important.
Questions to Ask Before Choosing
What's your educational philosophy? Packages embody specific approaches. Traditional, classical, Charlotte Mason, unit study, unschooling-lite—know what you believe before choosing a curriculum that believes something else.
What's your child's learning style? Highly visual learners might thrive with image-rich materials. Kinesthetic learners need hands-on components. Auditory learners benefit from video instruction. Match the package to the child.
How much structure do you want? Some packages provide minute-by-minute lesson plans. Others offer more flexibility. Know your preference before purchasing.
What's your budget? Complete packages range from under $500/year (online subscriptions) to over $2000 (comprehensive physical materials with video instruction). Know what you can afford.
Is the worldview compatible? Christian packages include Bible and integrate faith throughout. Secular packages omit religious content. Some families want explicit faith integration; others don't. Be clear about your preference.
Hybrid Approaches
Many families use packages selectively rather than comprehensively:
Package for core subjects: Use the package for math and language arts where sequential instruction matters most. Choose your own materials for history, science, and electives.
Different packages for different children: Each child might use a different provider based on their needs. This requires more management but serves individual differences.
Package as spine, supplements as enrichment: Follow the package's structure but add living books, hands-on activities, or field trips. The package provides accountability; supplements provide richness.
Starting point, not destination: Use a package for your first homeschool year to learn what you're doing. As you gain confidence, customize more. Many veteran homeschoolers started with packages and evolved away from them.
Returning to packages: Some families cycle in and out of packages based on life circumstances. A demanding season might call for easy structure; a stable season might allow more customization.
Next Steps
Curriculum packages solve real problems: decision overload, planning complexity, and the uncertainty of "am I doing enough?" For many families, especially in early homeschool years, complete packages provide essential structure and confidence.
The key is choosing deliberately. Understand what you're getting, what you're giving up, and whether the tradeoffs serve your family. A package that's perfect for one family might be completely wrong for another.
Don't view packages as either "real homeschooling" or "cheating." They're tools. Use them when they serve you. Modify them when you need flexibility. Move away from them when you've outgrown their structure. What matters is your child's education, not where the lesson plans came from.
Return to: The textbook approach to understand how individual textbooks work within or outside curriculum packages.