$300 vs $3,000 Homeschool Curriculum: The BIG Differences
Have you ever wondered what sets a $3,000 homeschool curriculum apart from a $300 one? Well, in this post, we'll discuss what exactly distinguishes a $3,000 curriculum from a $300 one. We'll find out if the higher price tag is worth it in terms of quality and content.
And crucially, we'll explore how to decide which type of curriculum is best for my homeschooling needs and budget.
Also, if you keep watching to the end, I'll share how you can get a $3000 curriculum with all the bells and whistles at a HUGE discount.
Hi there.
My name is Rebecca Devitt. I'm a curriculum expert and homeschool mom.
I've spent literally thousands of hours researching various curriculum programs from just about every homeschool provider.
And in this post, I'll show you exactly what you get as you increase the price point of a homeschool curriculum.
Some links in this post are affiliate links. Buying through these costs no more, but helps support me and my website. Thanks in advance!
curriculum Content
Let's begin by delving into the crucial aspect of any curriculum- its content.
Have you ever picked up a simple copy of some classical work you were fond of as a child and been slightly disappointed with the book's layout?
You can tell the book formatter hasn't put in much effort.
The picture designer has done a pretty ordinary job.
And the publication as a whole is a bit of a flop.
About a year ago, I had the privilege of attending and looking at a homeschool curriculum factory in South Carolina.
One thing that surprised me was how much time they spent formatting lessons, making the pages of workbooks and the background settings of their video lessons look pretty.
The curriculum creators heavily emphasized creating a high-quality product with vibrant colors and good-quality inks on the final curriculum workbooks and textbooks.
I realized they put as much time into designing and creating the final product as they'd put into writing the actual content itself.
Well, this can happen with homeschool curriculum.
They provide all the necessary information and videos on a subject, but the page, the pictures, and the whole publication are quite uninspiring because the page looks plain.
I always have a slightly damp feeling when going to the Easy Peasy website (below).
Yep, it's free, but I can't wait to get off it and get back into our homeschool curriculum, which is really fun, inspiring, bright, and well-organized.
Even the videos on a more expensive curriculum are much more visually appealing than on a cheaper program.
And this is a significant difference between a cheaper and more expensive homeschool product - having attractive textbooks and workbooks that draw children into learning and excite them.
But I also see great design and artistry in Notgrass and Generations, two of the more affordable options, to mention a couple.
2. Manipulatives
What is the most boring publication you can think of reading?
For me, it's my dishwasher manual.
What is it for you?
Comment down below...I'd be surprised if you could top mine.
And that's because, yes, the subject is boring, but it's also not very interactive or fun.
It's just a boring book.
And homeschool curriculum can be boring like this too.
But what if you were to add a puppet Zebra like All About Reading does here?
Or what about a dog called Max, as seen in my daughter's BJU Press K4 program (I'll link it below)?
Or, let's say the program had:
sight word cards for reading,
counting bricks for math, or
a whole science kit like Sonlight and AOP offer.
All of a sudden, kids can't wait to use the program.
And, of course, programs like these come with a significant price increase as the material is now accounting for the use of manipulatives.
It's hard to put a cost on this increase, but very roughly, it can be anywhere from $50 to $500, depending on the course.
3. Physical Books
Next, how do you feel about Kindles?
I used to own one, and I read a few books from them.
As I read through, I became frustrated because I realized that once you're online, pretty much every program you're using is trying to suck you into going here or there or clicking on this or that.
After I'd read maybe five books online, I thought, 'Get me offline! And please...just give me a real book.'
But, of course, if you go to get the actual book, not only is a physical version more expensive, but you also have to pay for postage.
All up, it can double your costs.
This is the same for the homeschool curriculum.
Anything that's completely online and doesn't require any physical products will be far more affordable than something where you get the products.
Compare Schoolhouse Teachers with Sonlight, for instance.
Schoolhouse Teachers costs around $200 for ALL grades, subjects, and electives PLUS much more.
Sonlight costs $1,000 to $1,200K to buy an all-subject package for one year.
A lot of people complain that Sonlight is ridiculously expensive.
But I disagree.
But, what you're paying for in this instance is a massive stack of books that your family will have for life.
Books cost money, and if they are included in your curriculum, it will cost more.
Generations Homeschool does an excellent job of keeping costs low and includes a few books in its curriculum.
I really like its program.
4. Accreditation
What about getting extra ticks of approval from accreditation agencies?
This can cost significantly more, or it could cost the same, depending on the curriculum.
For example, Abeka added $50 for Grade 1 and $100 for Grade 12 accreditation.
BJU Press also offers accreditation, but it's at no extra cost.
So, if you're looking for an accredited program (which isn't that important unless you're doing short-term homeschooling), make sure you check if it will cost you extra cash.
5. Pre-Recorded Lessons to go with Workbooks
Next, have you ever taken an online course as an adult and been disappointed because the content didn't include video lessons?
I have.
It was a paper-flower-making course and a pretty dull experience—I didn't complete the course.
Unfortunately, kids don't have a choice—they usually have to complete the program you've bought them.
They have to do their curriculum, whether boring or not.
However, having something that comes with pre-recorded video lessons that work well with colorful workbooks—or even an online curriculum—can significantly enhance their engagement and experience.
But it'll cost extra.
BJU Press charges an extra $50 for Grade 1 video lessons (instead of their cheaper teachers' manual option at $1,004) and an additional $100 for the DVD version (on loan).
Abeka charges an extra $74 for the DVDs on top of the online curriculum option at $1,399.
So pre-recorded teacher lessons cost more on top of basic curriculum sets with teachers' manuals - and if you opt for the DVD instead of a streaming service, that'll cost extra, too.
6. LIVE Lessons
Next, have you ever attended a LIVE theatre production?
About ten years ago, my husband and I attended a dramatic production of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.
As we walked into the theatre, the atmosphere was buzzing. The room was alive and excited.
On top of the great content, having a LIVE performance was thrilling.
By contrast, if we'd watched the reply on YouTube, the experience would have been underwhelming.
Again, homeschool curricula are like this.
Adding LIVE lessons to the curriculum can make things way more exciting.
Your child can ask the teacher questions right then and there.
They can also chat with their classmates, swap lame jokes, and discuss the latest fad.
Say, did you know Yoyo's are coming back into fashion? [ me playing with Yoyo]
But the price increase with LIVE lessons compared to pre-recorded teacher lessons is HUGE!
With Ignite Christian Academy (technically an online school), it is around 2-3 times the price (but this also includes other bells and whistles we'll get into later).
Veritas Press prices its curriculum per course, but LIVE lessons are more expensive than repeatable self-paced or You Teach options.
The point is that anything already recorded will be cheaper for the company and you.
However, something that the educational provider has to repeat over and over - as they do for LIVE lessons - generally costs a lot more.
7. Tutors for Personal Help
Next, have you ever started building or cooking something complicated only to find that you've missed something big halfway through?
For example, my husband needed to build a retaining wall in the backyard.
He procrastinated for months, not knowing where to start because he'd never done it before.
After a while, I asked him why he had been taking so long to build them.
He sheepishly admitted he didn't know where to start!
So, we got a tutor - my dad. Dad has built plenty of things, including retaining walls. They haven't always been the most robust creations, but they've done a good job.
My husband ended up building the wall with my dad, and they both did the job!
Since then, Tristan has built another three retaining walls on his own!
And, of course, a homeschool curriculum can be like this.
If you have someone like a tutor to help you, it's so much easier for students.
Additionally—and maybe just as importantly—it takes a huge weight off the shoulders of parents who haven't studied the subject the student is taking.
Algebra or physics, anyone?
But adding a tutor to your homeschool curriculum comes with another hefty price increase (often hundreds to a thousand dollars).
But you probably will only want a tutor in high school.
I've found I'm able to troubleshoot primary and middle school curriclum by sitting down with the books for 10 minutes and figuring out what's happening most of the time.
8. In-Person Classes
One way to get around the need for a tutor is to attend in-person classes.
These can come in the form of homeschool co-ops run by parents or ring-in teachers.
Or they can come in the form of something like Classical Conversations - a sort of school for homeschoolers that kids attend a few times a week.
But Classical Conversations is a real hit-and-miss.
Some people love it, but I've also seen a lot of videos with the title: Why we stopped Classical Conversations (see my video at the top of the page as I scroll through a few of these!).
9. Small Class Sizes
But whether your homeschool classes are in-person or online, sometimes class sizes are too big to get one-on-one attention.
So, you'll also pay for smaller class sizes with some programs.
You see this with True North Homeschool Academy.
Because LIVE classes only have a few children, the price level is high because the lessons aren't reproducible.
Again, this will add a few hundred dollars to a couple thousand for a complete curriculum.
10. IT Help
Next, have you bought a product and needed help with it?
When you went to seek help, you either needed to go to their online chatbot or seek help on some dodgy online forum?
Well, this is the difference between a cheaper and a more expensive program.
The cheaper programs often involve seeking help from Facebook groups (Easy Peasy does this) or—even worse—an online forum that's nine years old!
By contrast, if you choose a premium program, you'll get help over the phone from a real person!
Or they will sometimes have various contact options - email, chatbot, or phone.
This is a nice feature for your tech dinosaurs out there—like my husband.
When I mentioned this article idea to him, he immediately thought of tech help as an important feature!
Of course, this isn't an issue if you're using an offline program like Generations.
11. Graduation Ceremonies and other Trimmings
Now, let's say your child reaches the end of their homeschool journey.
They look at the school kids around them and think, 'What a shame I'm homeschooled. I won't be able to go to prom!'
Well, your premium homeschool programs come with special graduation ceremonies graduates can attend in-person.
For example, Veritas Press and Ignite Christian Academy offer a LIVE regional graduation ceremony.
The venue is usually a lovely church in your region.
They'll formally present your homeschooler with a formal graduation certificate.
A nice touch for an outstanding achievement!
How to Decide Which Curriculum is Best for Your Needs and Value
But how do you decide which type of curriculum is best for your homeschooling needs and budget?
The first thing to do is to determine how much money you have in your budget for homeschooling curriculum.
Budgeting is a really practical way to cut out many different curricula.
Then, figure out what exactly you need in your curriculum.
This can help narrow your search significantly.
Are you a confident homeschool parent who can give your kids a lot of help?
You'll do really well with a curriculum like Schoolhouse Teachers, then (this is only around 200-300 a year).
Or an offline option with workbook is Generations.
Perhaps, though, you're a working parent, and while you can help your kids a bit, you'd prefer to get teacher-led lessons to help you with this.
Then something like BJU Press is a good option.
But maybe you want something really premium, where you get tutors, LIVE lessons, and the opportunity for your children to interact with other students.
Then Ignite or Veritas Press has you covered.
Getting a huge discount
Now, I'm going to share how you can get Veritas Press, a $3,000 curriculum, at a huge discount.
Now, more states than ever in the United States are letting parents use their tax dollars to pay for their child's private school education.
It's like having free money to pay for curriculum.
How can you take advantage of this?
Well, sign up for a free consultation with Veritas Press and ask how you can get involved in the ESA (Education Savings Account).
On average, parents are being allocated $7,000-$7,500—enough to pay for two or three students!
But this is only in some states.
More states are joining this program every month, and there's heavy lobbying going on.
But let's say you want more information about some of the best Christian homeschool curriculums today.
Then, watch the video below.
It gives you a clear breakdown of what's included in each program, how much help and support you get, and - importantly - how much it costs.
Check it out.
