Homeschool math curriculum: nine programs compared
Updated September 2026
There is no single best homeschool math curriculum. The programs differ on who does the teaching, mastery or spiral, faith-based or not, and price. Here are nine side by side, with facts from each publisher's own site, and a short guide to choosing one.
Homeschool math programs side by side
These are the programs homeschool parents compare most. The table sticks to what decides it: the grades each covers, who does the teaching, the approach, whether it is faith-based, and roughly what it costs. Each program name links to the publisher page the facts came from.
| Program | Grades | How it's taught | Approach | Faith-based | Price (September 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saxon Math | K-12 | Print books, parent-led | Incremental, with cumulative review of earlier lessons | No | Complete kits not priced on the publisher's store |
| Singapore Math (Dimensions) | Pre-K-8 | Print books with a parent guide; optional videos | Mastery | No | About $137-$190 per grade, complete set |
| Math-U-See | K-calculus | Video lesson, blocks to build with, workbook; parent guides | Mastery | No | About $190 per level for the full set |
| Beast Academy | Grades 1-5 (ages 6-13) | Comic-style books or online; puzzle-heavy | Mastery | No | $120 per level in books; online from $100 a year |
| Teaching Textbooks | Grade 3-pre-calculus | App teaches every lesson and grades it | Not stated | No | About $49 per course for 12 months |
| The Good and the Beautiful | K-8 | Open-and-go print lessons, parent-led, no prep | Not stated | Yes, general Christian | About $50-$90 per course |
| Apologia Mathematics | Grades 1-6 | Print, parent-led; 30-45 minutes, 4 days a week | Not stated | Yes, Christian | $61 per level (text and workbook) |
| BJU Press Math | K-12 | Video teacher; lessons average 15 minutes | Not stated | Yes, biblical worldview | About $370 per grade, video with books (K5) |
| CTCMath | K-12 | Short video lessons with auto-graded practice | Not stated | No | About $257 a year, one child; $397 a year, whole family |
Checked on each publisher's own site in September 2026. Prices change and kits vary, so confirm before you buy. "Approach" uses the publisher's own words, and "Not stated" means the publisher doesn't say. "No" under faith-based means the publisher doesn't present the program as faith-based.
How to choose a homeschool math curriculum
Five questions settle most of it.
- Who teaches? If you want to teach each lesson, a parent-led program like Saxon, Singapore or The Good and the Beautiful fits. If you want the program to teach, look at Teaching Textbooks (from grade 3), CTCMath, or BJU Press video lessons.
- Mastery or spiral? Mastery programs stay on one topic until it sticks, then move on. Spiral programs keep coming back to earlier topics in small doses. Singapore, Math-U-See and Beast Academy call themselves mastery. Saxon teaches in small steps and reviews earlier lessons all year.
- Faith-based or secular? The Good and the Beautiful, Apologia and BJU Press are openly Christian. The rest don't present themselves as faith-based.
- How does your child learn? Hands-on kids often do well with Math-U-See's building blocks. Kids who like puzzles and a challenge tend to love Beast Academy. Kids who want to work alone often do well on a screen-based program.
- What is the budget? Costs run from about $49 a course for Teaching Textbooks to a few hundred dollars a grade for video programs. A family plan like CTCMath's covers every child for one price.
Three examples.
- A parent working full time, with a 4th grader who is happy on a tablet: Teaching Textbooks or CTCMath, because the program teaches and grades every lesson.
- A 2nd grader who counts on fingers and needs to see it: Math-U-See, which builds each idea with blocks before moving on.
- A Christian family who wants short, open-and-go lessons for a kindergartner: The Good and the Beautiful.
Where daily practice fits
KangarooKiddo is not a curriculum. It doesn't teach new topics or give you a plan for the year, which is why it can compare these programs without picking a side. What it does is the part every curriculum leaves to you: short daily practice so skills don't slip.
A session is five questions on one skill, pitched at where your child is, with a hint and another try on a miss. Skills follow real prerequisites, so a child who keeps missing something gets sent back to what it builds on. You see each child's progress per skill in plain words: learning, practicing, mastered.
It is free during the beta. Use it next to whichever program you choose.
What math KangarooKiddo covers
KangarooKiddo covers grade-level math for kindergarten through 6th grade, aligned to Common Core and built on real skill prerequisites. Here is the shape of the math scope, grade by grade.
| Grade | Math skills covered |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten | Counting to 100, number bonds, comparing numbers, and basic shapes |
| Grade 1 | Addition and subtraction within 20, place value to 120, time and measurement |
| Grade 2 | Two- and three-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping, arrays, and money |
| Grade 3 | Multiplication and division facts, fractions on a number line, area and perimeter |
| Grade 4 | Multi-digit multiplication, long division, equivalent fractions, and intro decimals |
| Grade 5 | Adding and subtracting fractions, decimal operations, volume, the coordinate plane |
| Grade 6 | Ratios and rates, dividing fractions, negative numbers, and expressions (pre-algebra) |
Reading runs alongside math on the same daily schedule, from phonics and sight words in the early grades to inference, theme, and informational text later. Each skill is a short session of a handful of questions, not a full lesson.
If your child is behind in math
A lot of parents come to a supplement because a child is stuck, and the real problem is usually a missing prerequisite, not the grade-level topic in front of them. KangarooKiddo follows a skill graph: every skill knows what it builds on. When a child keeps missing a skill, the practice steps back to the prerequisite instead of drilling the same wall.
For example, a 4th grader stuck on multi-digit multiplication often has a shaky grasp of place value from 2nd grade. KangarooKiddo re-routes them to the foundational place-value practice first, shores it up, then brings them back. Progress shows in plain words (learning, practicing, mastered) so you can see the gap close rather than guessing from a percentage.
One honest caveat: this is a practice tool, not a diagnostic or intervention program. If a child is more than a grade or two behind, pair it with a full mastery curriculum (Math-U-See and Singapore Math are common choices) and use the daily practice to keep the recovered skills sharp.
How KangarooKiddo helps
Five questions a day
A short session on one skill, next to any curriculum.
Per-child progress
Each child's skills tracked as learning, practicing or mastered.
K-6 math and reading
Grade-level skills with real prerequisites, plus science.
Questions parents ask
Which homeschool math curricula are faith-based?
The Good and the Beautiful (general Christian), Apologia (Christian) and BJU Press (biblical worldview) are openly faith-based. Saxon, Singapore, Math-U-See, Beast Academy, Teaching Textbooks and CTCMath don't present themselves as faith-based.
How much does a homeschool math curriculum cost?
As of September 2026, from about $49 a course (Teaching Textbooks, 12 months) and $50-$90 a course (The Good and the Beautiful) up to about $370 a grade for BJU Press video with books. Singapore and Math-U-See sets run about $140-$190 a grade.
How many minutes a day does homeschool math take?
Most publishers don't say. BJU Press video lessons average 15 minutes, and Apologia plans 30 to 45 minutes, four days a week. Add a few minutes of practice on top so skills don't fade.
Singapore Math or Saxon?
Singapore teaches each topic to mastery before moving on. Saxon teaches in small steps and keeps reviewing earlier lessons all year. A child who likes to understand why often suits Singapore; one who needs routine and repetition often suits Saxon.
Which homeschool math works without a parent teaching?
Teaching Textbooks (grade 3 and up) says it does all of the teaching, CTCMath teaches by short videos, and BJU Press uses a video teacher. Most other programs expect a parent to lead the lesson.
What is the best homeschool math curriculum by grade?
Check the grade span first: Beast Academy covers grades 1-5, Apologia 1-6, Teaching Textbooks starts at grade 3, and Saxon, BJU Press and CTCMath run K-12. Within your child's grade, choose on who teaches and mastery or spiral.
Does KangarooKiddo replace a homeschool math curriculum?
No. It doesn't teach new topics or set a plan for the year. It gives your child five short practice questions a day and tracks their progress, next to whichever curriculum you choose.