Free Homeschool Curriculum: How to Build a Complete Homeschool for $0 (or Close to It)

What "free" really means

Not every "free homeschool program" is free in the same way. Know which kind you're looking at.

The best complete free homeschool curricula

These are full programs you could use for every core subject.

Easy Peasy is the closest thing to a free boxed curriculum. Kids open the day's lesson and go. The trade-offs are screen time, very short lessons in some subjects and Bible content throughout.

Discovery K12 is the best free secular choice. It's a curriculum platform, not a school, so you're the teacher of record. An optional $99-a-year Parent/Teacher Account adds grade books, answer keys and transcripts.

AmblesideOnline is free to use but not free to run. You'll buy, borrow or find online the scheduled living books, and you choose your own math and phonics.

Khan Academy is a strong free spine for math from kindergarten through calculus, plus science, grammar and test prep.

CK-12 is a nonprofit offering free, standards-aligned K–12 materials, especially in math and science, through its FlexBooks. Its free AI tutor, Flexi, is built in.

For a ranked comparison with pros and cons, see our list of the best free homeschool curriculum.

Free homeschool curriculum with daily lesson plans

If what you want most is "tell me what to do each day," pick one of these two:

• Easy Peasy: 180 numbered days per course. Students can track lessons in free MyEPAssignments accounts.
• Discovery K12: 180 days of assignments per grade in seven core subjects.

AmblesideOnline gives weekly reading schedules rather than scripted days. Khan Academy and CK-12 give course sequences, and you decide how much to do each day.

Free homeschool curriculum by subject

Mixing free resources by subject lets you pick the strongest option for each.

Reading and phonics

• UFLI Foundations: a structured phonics program for K–2. The lesson slides, decodable passages and home practice pages are free in the UFLI Toolbox; the teacher manual costs $70.
• The Good and the Beautiful: language arts for K–8 as free PDFs, combining phonics, spelling, grammar and writing.
• Teach Your Monster to Read: free on computers through the website for ages 3–6.
• Khan Academy Kids: free app for ages 2–8 with no ads or purchases.

Pair any of these with our free sight word lists and the phonics worksheet generator.

Math

• Khan Academy: full K–12 math with mastery tracking.
• Zearn: free digital K–8 math lessons for families.
• XtraMath: free math facts practice for grades 1–6.
• Math Antics: free video lessons; printable worksheets are a one-time $20.

Browse more free math programs or print practice with our math worksheet generator.

Science

• CK-12: free FlexBooks and simulations for middle and high school science.
• Crash Course Kids: free science videos for ages 8–11.
• National Geographic Kids: free science and nature reading online.
• Library field guides and nature study, the Charlotte Mason way.

Coding, typing and extras

• Code.org: every course free, K–12, no ads.
• Scratch: free block coding for ages 8–16; ScratchJr for ages 5–7.
• TypingClub: the full typing curriculum is free with ads.
• Art for Kids Hub: free drawing lessons on YouTube.

For apps specifically, see our guide to free learning apps for kids.

Use your library like a curriculum budget

Your library card may be the most valuable free homeschool resource you have.

• Books for literature-based plans. AmblesideOnline and other living-books programs work well from the library.
• Libby. Thousands of public libraries offer free ebooks and audiobooks through the Libby app by OverDrive. Audiobooks make great read-alouds in the car.
• Interlibrary loan. If your branch doesn't have a book, ask. Many libraries can borrow it from another system.
• Homework help. Many libraries offer free live tutoring through Tutor.com.
• Programs and space. Story times, STEM clubs and quiet study rooms help, especially for families without much space at home.

Hidden costs of free curriculum

Free curriculum isn't zero-cost. Plan for:

• Printing: Workbook-heavy programs like Easy Peasy and TGTB PDFs can use a lot of paper and ink. A laser printer often pays for itself.
• Books: Some free schedules assume you'll buy books you can't borrow.
• Supplies: Pencils, notebooks, glue, science materials.
• Devices and internet: Online programs need a computer or tablet for each child working at the same time.
• Your time: Free programs often need more parent planning than paid boxed sets.

Our homeschool cost calculator helps you add these up.

Free online homeschool vs free online public school

Many searches for "free online homeschool programs" lead to tuition-free virtual public schools such as K12-powered schools, Connections Academy and Florida Virtual School (free for Florida residents). They're excellent for some families, but they're public school at home, not homeschooling:

• Your child is enrolled in a public school and counts in its numbers.
• Certified teachers assign and grade work; you act as a learning coach.
• Students follow the school calendar and take state tests.
• You don't choose the curriculum, and religious content isn't included.

If you want full control, use a free homeschool curriculum and follow your state's homeschool law. Our guide to choosing an online school explains the trade-offs.

How scholarships can make paid curriculum free

In some states, the cheapest path to a premium curriculum is a scholarship.

• Texas: TEFA pays $2,000 per homeschool student for 2026–27. Texas has no state homeschool notice, so families searching "free homeschool programs in Texas" should look at TEFA and free curricula. See Texas scholarships.
• Florida: PEP funds homeschool-style education accounts; Step Up cites about $8,000 on average. See Florida.
• Utah, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, Wyoming: ESA or grant programs fund homeschool costs. See homeschool funding by state.
• Oklahoma: No ESA, but the Parental Choice Tax Credit is worth up to $1,000 per homeschool student. See Oklahoma.
• New York: No state homeschool funding as of October 2026, so free curriculum and the library matter even more. See New York homeschool rules.

Some private microschools build tuition around scholarships. Primer, for example, lists $0 out-of-pocket tuition for Florida and Arizona households earning up to $50,000 after state scholarships.

On Edulist, save the paid programs you'd love to your wishlist. We show how scholarships typically treat each product and help you apply once to programs that can pay. Each program still decides what it funds.

A sample free plan for a 3rd grader

Total cost: printing and supplies.

Programs that help

• Easy Peasy: complete free Christian curriculum with daily lessons.
• Discovery K12: complete free secular curriculum, Pre-K to 12.
• AmblesideOnline: free Charlotte Mason booklists for K–12.
• Khan Academy: free K–12 math and more.
• Zearn: free K–8 math lessons.