Wayfarers
A history-based, family-style homeschool curriculum by Kathy Jo DeVore that blends Charlotte Mason and neo-classical methods across a four-year history cycle, with day-by-day term plans from preschool through 12th grade.
What is Wayfarers?
Wayfarers is a history-based homeschool curriculum written by Kathy Jo DeVore and published by Barefoot Ragamuffin Curricula. It blends two popular methods. From Charlotte Mason it takes living books, narration, copywork and nature study. From neo-classical education it takes a four-year chronological history cycle with grammar, dialectic and rhetoric levels.
The whole family studies the same era together. Each child reads at their own level, and younger siblings get preschool activities.
How Wayfarers works
Each history course comes as three term books. Each term covers 12 weeks, so a full year is 36 weeks. Every week sits on a two-page spread: a "Signposts" supply list to start, daily plans in a chart, and "Milestones" pages to wrap up.
A typical day mixes family read-alouds with independent reading for older kids. Children narrate what they read, copy short passages, map places from the reading, and spend time on nature study. Online extras like maps and color images unlock with a password printed in each book.
The guides mostly schedule, not teach. You'll gather books, pick your math and decide which optional pieces to use. One parent reviewer called it easy and open-and-go once the books were on the shelf.
What it covers
| Course | Terms | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Ancient History | 3 | 36 |
| Medieval History | 3 | 36 |
| Revolution History | 3 | 36 |
| Modern History | 3 | 36 |
After four years the cycle repeats, and each child moves up a level. Younger levels use Story of the World for history, middle levels use Guerber's histories, and rhetoric students read Bauer or Diana Waring.
Subjects include history, geography, science, literature, Bible, and optional art, music and picture study. Language arts can be scheduled with DeVore's own English Lessons Through Literature or Rod and Staff. Math is not included, and lab science is optional.
Who it's best for
Wayfarers suits families teaching several ages who want a Charlotte Mason feel with a classical structure. It's a good step up for families who found free booklists like AmblesideOnline too much to plan alone.
Look elsewhere if you want a teacher's manual that explains each lesson, or if you need math and lab science built in.
Pricing at a glance
Wayfarers is sold per term in print and PDF. We couldn't confirm current prices on the publisher's site in October 2026, so check the publisher or major booksellers before you buy. Plan to spend more on the books each term schedules.
Can a scholarship or ESA pay for it?
Possibly. ESA programs such as Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account and Florida's FES-UA often allow curriculum guides and books, but each program decides. Some limit religious materials, so check your rules before buying.
Save Wayfarers and its books to your wishlist, then apply once on Edulist to the scholarship programs in your state.
How Wayfarers compares
- AmblesideOnline is free and purer Charlotte Mason, but you build your own daily plan.
- Tapestry of Grace uses a similar four-year cycle with deeper teen discussion and heavier prep.
- Simply Charlotte Mason offers family-style history guides with more teaching notes.
- Build Your Library is a secular, literature-based alternative.
Browse more Charlotte Mason homeschool curriculum, literature-based curriculum or the best homeschool curriculum.
Who Wayfarers is for (and who it isn’t)
Best for
- Families teaching several ages together
- Charlotte Mason families who want a scheduled plan
- Parents who like a classical, chronological history spine
- Families with good library access
Look elsewhere if
- Parents who want a teacher's guide that explains every lesson
- Families who want math included
- High schoolers who need a traditional lab science sequence
- Families who want a single-subject program
Wayfarers pros and cons
Pros
- Covers preschool through 12th grade in one family-style plan
- Day-by-day schedules are quick to read
- Parallel book options keep later cycles fresh
- Blends Charlotte Mason and classical ideas
- Cathy Duffy lists it among her top picks
Cons
- Requires many outside books
- Math has only recommendations, not lessons
- Lab science is optional
- Heavy reading load in the first stage, per parent reviewers
- Official site was hard to reach in October 2026
What’s included
- Four history courses: Ancient, Medieval, Revolution and Modern
- Each course published as three 12-week term books, 36 weeks in all
- Grammar, dialectic and rhetoric levels plus preschool activities
- Day-by-day plans on a two-page spread for each week
- History, geography, science, literature, Bible and optional art and music
- Online extras like maps and images unlocked with a password in each book
- Sold in print and PDF formats
Wayfarers levels
| Level | Grades | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Grammar | K–5 | Read-alouds such as Story of the World, narration, copywork and nature study. Preschool activities are included for younger siblings. |
| Dialectic | 6–8 | More independent reading, including Guerber histories, plus written narration and logic. |
| Rhetoric | 9–12 | Adult-level history, theology, philosophy and worldview reading, with choices on origins science. |
How much does Wayfarers cost?
Wayfarers is sold as separate term books (three per history course) in print and PDF. As of October 2026 the publisher's site was not reachable for us to confirm current prices, so we don't list one here. Cathy Duffy's 2018 review listed lower prices for PDF than print, and term books have also been sold through Amazon and Lulu.
Prices from the provider, checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site.
Future opening updates
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View wishlistWhat parents say
A summary of public parent feedback we read on forums, app stores and review sites. It is not a set of Edulist family reviews.
Reviewers like how easy Wayfarers is to open and use and how well its books are chosen. The main complaints are the amount of reading, especially in the first stage, and the need to plan math and gather many books yourself.
Common praise
- Open-and-go daily layout with little planning
- Well-chosen living books that work together
- Teaches multiple ages at once
Common complaints
- A lot of reading in the first stage
- Long science readings some families skipped
- Many outside books and little math guidance
Sources: cathyduffyreviews.com · wayfarers history based complete curriculum · unhurriedhome.com · wayfarers made charlotte mason homeschooling easy
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Wayfarers FAQs
Who writes Wayfarers?
Kathy Jo DeVore writes Wayfarers, published by Barefoot Ragamuffin Curricula. She also wrote English Lessons Through Literature, which Wayfarers can schedule for language arts.
Is Wayfarers Charlotte Mason or classical?
Both. It uses Charlotte Mason tools like living books, narration and nature study, organized around a neo-classical four-year history cycle with grammar, dialectic and rhetoric levels.
Does Wayfarers include math?
No. It recommends programs such as Math-U-See, Miquon and Singapore but leaves math teaching to you.
Is Wayfarers Christian?
Yes. Cathy Duffy lists it as Protestant, and Bible reading is scheduled. Many books are secular, and rhetoric students read several views on origins.
How is Wayfarers organized?
There are four history courses: Ancient, Medieval, Revolution and Modern. Each has three 12-week terms, for 36 weeks a year. Daily plans fit on a two-page spread per week.
How does Wayfarers compare to AmblesideOnline?
AmblesideOnline is free and assigns books by Year, leaving daily planning to you. Wayfarers costs money but gives day-by-day plans and lets the whole family study the same era.
Sources and last checked
Checked 2026-10-13 against these sources: