The Best Homeschool Reading Curriculum: Tips to Choose Yours
reviewed by Franz Jerby Delos Santos
Updated on August 21, 2025
Summer is lots of fun, but things are getting busy as autumn is approaching. Now is the right time to start hunting for the best homeschool reading curriculum, and I’m here to help you make the right decision! While working with kids for the last 10 years, I paid scrupulous attention to what they expect and try to avoid. This guide is driven exclusively by my observations and aims to help one find the platform that will suit them precisely.
Key points
- Before you choose a homeschool reading curriculum for yourself, take time to define your needs and expectations.
- Brighterly is the most universal option for homeschooling, which offers 1:1 lessons specifically tailored to your child.
- Reading Eggs and Outschool are perfect for kindergarten and primary elementary learners, who flourish on interactive, gamified activities.
- Kumon and Sylvan Learning appeal to serious high schoolers who aren’t afraid of autonomous work and prioritize group teaching.
What is the highest-rated homeschool reading curriculum?
The highest-rated homeschool reading curriculum is tailored to individual needs, provides extensive support for parents, is flexible and easy to modify, and has top reviews from users. Also, note that the best reading homeschool curriculum should match your individual preferences and homeschooling style.
5 best homeschool reading curriculum
Brighterly online homeschool reading curriculum
Best for: individualized learning in a 1:1 format for learners in grades 1 to 9
What is Brighterly homeschool reading curriculum?
Brighterly homeschool reading comprehension curriculum is a personalized e-learning option that stresses the role of one-to-one tuition based on interactive tasks. It is centered around the individual needs of each kid to reflect their needs, expectations, and learning objectives perfectly.
Brighterly homeschool reading benefits
- Adjustable reading curricula
- Strong tutoring team
- Common Core-aligned schedules
- Lots of free resources
Adjustable reading curricula
Brighterly reading and math platform can create a highly personalized curriculum that will account for all of your needs. Even though the fruits of their work are complex, the whole process can be divided into just two steps:
- An initial evaluation will estimate how well your child is performing currently. For this part, kids pass a post-registration diagnostic test containing questions on all ELA components: reading, speaking, listening, and writing. So, yes, the Brighterly best homeschool reading comprehension curriculum wants to know lots of nuances from the start.
- Then, as you embark on a reading program, tutors step in to do their magic. They scrutiously check a child’s progress and alter schedules as needed. So… more time to master weak topics and also keep pace with academic requirements.
The most important part about the whole thing is that this approach works, as verified by the numeric best homeschool reading curriculum Reddit and Trustpilot reviews.
Strong tutoring team
Reading tutors at Brighterly are the main reason why 200,000+ parents have already chosen this platform. They are caring, passionate about what they do, and inherently willing to help.
But of being excellent in tuition, they do a great job in helping to overcome learning-related fears and insecurities, aiming to create an effective homeschool reading curriculum for struggling readers. Besides, they boast many successful cases in managing students with varied conditions like ADHD, dyslexia, or epilepsy.
As for the approach, all tutors at Brighterly are aligned on creating interactivity-based lessons with real-world context. This e-platform firmly believes that understanding the logic behind any theory can be a big pro for long-term memory retention and overall better reading fluency.
Common Core-aligned schedules
Any reading class at Brighterly complies with the state-accepted Common Core program, seamlessly integrating language arts objectives alongside reading skills. Even though the final list of topics in the best homeschool curriculum to teach reading will be determined individually, learners are still expected to cover the following areas.
Grades 1-5 |
Grades 6-9 |
| Mastery of phonics and developing strong sight word recognition skills | Phonics and recognition of sound patterns |
| Vocabulary development and learning to use new words | Interpreting figurative language |
| Word recognition and decoding | Identifying facts versus opinions |
| Comprehension of written material | Comprehension of written material |
| Developing spelling skills | Reinforcing grammar |
| Exploring fictional and informational literature | Exploring fictional and informational literature |
| Analyzing core ideas and narrative elements | Determining story structures |
Lots of free resources
Another great thing about Brighterly, which makes it the best reading curriculum for homeschool, is that it offers lots of free supplementary resources. You got it right — you don’t even need to register to use them.
- Knowledge-check reading tests are there to help you define the kid’s level in minutes. All you have to do is choose the current grade and answer several questions — quick and peasy.
- Reading worksheets can give extra training on challenging topics. You can print them out or use them on your device, as you wish.
How much is Brighterly reading?
Brighterly reading is available at an affordable price from $17.40 to $21 per lesson.
Reading Eggs homeschool reading curriculum
Best for: achieving short-term learning objectives
Reading Eggs is the best reading curriculum for homeschool, which relies on fun-based tasks and a strong motivational system. Once you enter their page, you can already note their quirky graphics, accompanied by fun animation.
Reading Eggs online homeschool reading curriculum: Benefits
- One of the best reading curriculum for elementary students is specifically tailored for kids in grades K to 5. But containing lots of game-like tasks, they also include a massive collection of 3,000+ books, so that everyone can choose something according to their interest.
- This curriculum does boost motivation. For this purpose, it uses features like songs, golden eggs, and other rewards to keep kids more involved.
- This platform is also convenient for parents, who can immediately track their children’s progress.
Reading Eggs online homeschool reading curriculum: Price
The Homeschool Max plan featured at Reading Eggs includes two billing options:
- $41.9/month with a monthly plan
- $24.92/month with a yearly plan
Sylvan Learning homeschool reading curriculum
Best for: high-schoolers
Even though our third platform, Sylvan Learning, is initially intended for kids in grades pre-K to 12, I’d say it’s the best online homeschool reading curriculum for middle and high schools. Its main feature is an unparalleled level of personalization. Just like Brighterly, it conducts a detailed diagnostic, and just like the former, it means to create perfectly adjusted lessons.
Sylvan Learning online homeschool reading curriculum: Benefits
- You can enjoy a Sylvan Learning curriculum in a group setting and individually. It adds flexibility, allowing you to choose the preferred option.
- This learn to read curriculum conducts meticulous knowledge examination through its unique estimation process called Sylvan Insight™ Assessment.
- Learning here helps develop independence while encouraging autonomous practice. Although it’s the core logic, the tutors are always there to support when needed.
Sylvan Learning online homeschool reading curriculum: Price
Prices for homeschool learning at Sylvan usually start from $50/session. It means that their charge is at least twice as high as Brighterly’s while delivering similar benefits.
Kumon homeschool reading curriculum
Best for: self-organized students
This learning to read curriculum suggests studying through worksheets, predominantly, in an independent format. In practice, it means that kids should be well-organized and capable of taking responsibility for their time. While risky, this approach helps to develop soft skills, forcing kids to become more responsible and methodical.
Kumon online homeschool reading curriculum: Benefits
- Kumon focuses on independent work, which is a noteworthy approach for middle and high schoolers. But can I call Kumon the best homeschool kindergarten reading curriculum? Frankly, I have some doubts regarding that.
- It proposes short sessions of about 30 minutes, making it easier for each young scholar to stay focused.
- A large number of drill-based tasks helps effectively memorize extensive information chunks and also recollect past knowledge.
Kumon online homeschool reading curriculum: Price
This reading curriculum homeschool e-platform estimates prices individually. However, as shown by Reddit reviews, the fees can vary wildly depending on location, expectations, grade, and other specifications. In general, the monthly price can reach $300 and beyond. What I should also mention are additional charges:
- $50 registration fee
- $30 materials fee
Outschool: Homeschool reading curriculum
Best for: learners seeking flexible formats
Outschool is a learning marketplace, meaning that the variety of schedules here is countless. Whether you’re looking for the best reading curriculum for kindergarten or aim to prepare for exams, you’ll find suitable options within their extensive library.
Outschool online homeschool reading curriculum: Benefits
- At this reading homeschool curriculum, you can preview any of the courses available.
- The total number of programs here goes beyond 30,000!
- Such a mind-blowing variety means that you will find the option even for niche requirements. However, you’ll have to spend time seeking it on your own.
Outschool online homeschool reading curriculum: Price
The fee for each session at Outschool is set individually and can vary between:
- $10-$100/session for course-based studying
- $30-$300/session for an individual lesson with a tutor
Best homeschool reading curriculum Reddit and Trustpilot reviews
Best homeschool curriculum to teach reading: Brighterly reviews
Brighterly owns an undisputed 4.5 score on Trustpilot with 85% of five-star ratings. The most complimented part of learning here is the reading tutors.
Sure, you can still find minor drawbacks of studying here. However, these usually come down to technical or organizational concerns, for example:
Best homeschool curriculum to teach reading: Kumon
The general user impression about Kumon is controversial. The 4.0 overall Trustpilot score isn’t bad, though. What users like about this homeschool reading curriculum is its systematic approach, which helps one become a more confident reader.
Conversely, 30% of all Kumon reviews are one-scores complaining about varying tutor experience, fluctuating prices, and poor academic achievements:
Best homeschool curriculum to teach reading: Outschool
Just like Brighterly, Outschool boasts a 4.5 score on Trustpilot. I flipped through lots of reviews and discovered that it’s one of the best homeschool reading curriculum kindergarten and elementary kids can try.
But, to my surprise, I also met lots of opinions that characterized Outschool customer service as the worst they had ever experienced:
How to choose the best reading homeschool curriculum
How to choose the best homeschool reading curriculum: Define your preferences
Before you choose any schedule, you should understand what you need. Does your child better learn through games? Do they prefer independent work? Do they want to study in groups?
But even if you’re successful enough with this step, finding a free homeschool reading curriculum first is always a good option. From the above mentions, Brighterly and Reading Eggs will surely offer some demos.
How to choose the best homeschool reading curriculum: Explore curricula components
Each curriculum sets different focus points. The trick is to align what they offer with what you need. Say, you’re seeking the best homeschool reading phonics curriculum. Then, you should go through varied pages to define the methodologies they use to teach this component.
How to choose the best homeschool reading curriculum: Evaluate the features
The first substantial feature we all check is always the cost. And that’s right! The best homeschool reading curriculum free is a rare thing these days, so we should be cautious about choices.
But additionally, pay attention to lesson duration (which can usually vary from 30 minutes to an hour), adaptability, and a multi-sensory approach. That’s the minimum stack I’d recommend.
Note: These tips should help, but if you’re still hesitating, you can also check the article Best Reading Program for Kids to find some extra clues.
Best homeschool reading comprehension curriculum: Conclusion
As summer is approaching its end, finding the most effective science of reading homeschool curriculum becomes the top priority for many. In this guide, I did my best to simplify the processes for you. So, choose:
- Reading Eggs or Outschool for the focus on interactivity. If you’re asking about the best kindergarten reading curriculum, these two will also fit.
- Sylvan Learning and Kumon for a more independent approach, which allows you to self-organize your time.
But if you prioritize flexibility, give Brighterly a chance! I’m sure that its 1:1 tutoring and customization will appeal to you. After all, you can book reading class and test one lesson for free, so why wait?
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