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Thoughtful Classical Homeschool Curriculum & Supplies: Curated picks for elementary students
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items Creating a peaceful and effective elementary homeschool doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. This thoughtfully curated list brings together the best elementary homeschool curriculum and supplies to help you build a simple, organized, and intentional le...
Sections
9
Supplies
Morning Time
Language Arts
Math
Geography
History
Supplies
This collection includes the best elementary homeschool supplies to support focus, independence, and a smooth daily routine—from pencil grips and quality writing tools to planners, checklist pads, and motivation stickers. You’ll also find practical s...
These are by far the best pencils for writing. I love that they are octagan shaped so they encourage proper pencil grip without feeling awkward or uncomfortable. Affiliate link.
Ticonderoga Pencils
Most young kids will benefit from a pencil grip in the early years of learning to write. This one holds the fingers firmly in the correct position so they can learn to write in a way that won't be so tiring to the hands. Affiliate link.
CLAW Pencil Grip
I always keep these on hand because the eraser gets worn down way faster than the pencil. Affiliate link.
Cap Erasers 25ct
This is the sharpener that I have and it works perfectly. I appreciate that it stops sharpening when the tip is sharp so that you don't wear down the pencil prematurely. Affiliate link.
X-ACTO Powerhouse Electric Pencil Sharpener
Give your child a checklist everyday with all the things you want them to do. If you haven't tried this, you have no idea how motivating this is for them. Instead of dragging their feet through every lesson they will be anxious to check off their lis...
6 pack Checklist Notepads
High quality colored pencils great for coloring, checking students'' work, or for tracing and marking letters in phonics lessons. Affiliate link.
Prang® Colored Pencils, 24 colors/pk, Set of 3 boxes
These simple little timers are perfect for speed drills in math. The standard in my day was 100 math facts in 60 seconds or less. They'll never get there without consistent speed drills, and a timer is essential. Affiliate link.
Digital Timer
Check every workbook page with colored pens and if it's 100% correct reward them with a sticker. It's just a little thing but it's amazing how motivated children are by a sticker. Affiliate link.
Small Reward Stickers for Kids, 1008 Pc. Sticker Pack
Where to keep all the pens and pencils and flashcards and so on? Why, on a rolling cart, of course. This handy dandy little device can follow you wherever you go and be wherever you need it to be. No more wondering where the eraser is. Affiliate link...
3-Tier Rolling Cart
Every child benefits from a desk and chair that allows their feet to rest fully on the floor. This is better for writing posture, proper pencil grip, and back support. These sets are fully adjustable and therefore grow with the child. Affiliate link.
Kids Study Desk and Chair Set, Height Adjustable
Colored pens are perfect for checking schoolwork, so everyone understands which writing is the child's and which is tbe teacher's. If you don't have any stickers handy, you can also draw some doodles as a reward for good work. Affiliate link.
Paper Mate InkJoy Retractable Ballpoint Pen, Assorted Colors, 8 Count
Put one of these on every child's desk or place at the table. Let them write their names on them and decorate with stickers to make it theirs. Then it becomes their personal stash of pencils, crayons, scissors, etc. Affiliate link.
Large Capacity Round Metal Pencil Cup with Handle
I use these all the time in place of bookmarks, especially in our homeschool books, mainly because they stay put! Otherwise I'd lose track of where I am all the time. Affiliate link.
Post-it Page Marking Flags
Planners do not need to be complicated or expensive to be functional. Literally all I need is a schedule and a to-do list. And maybe a spot to write down today's menu. That's it. If the black cover is too boring for you, decorate it. I am never going...
Staples 7" x 8.75" Undated Daily Planner
Morning Time
This Morning Time collection is designed to gently begin the day with truth, beauty, and meaningful conversation through short daily readings and reflection. With a blend of Scripture, classic stories, and character-forming works, these resources enc...
Make reading one Aesop Fable each day part of morning routine. Read it, have them tell it back to you, and then discuss why he chose these particular characters, and try to extract the moral. Don't tell them the moral right away. Let them ponder and ...
Aesop's Illustrated Fables
This is the best children's Bible I've found. Nothing problematic in it for Catholics, and it covers the entire story from Genesis to Revelation. The illustrations are beautiful and the text is understandable for the child without being dumbed down. ...
The Golden Children's Bible: A Full-Color Bible for Kids
This is great for copywork or just for a little course in etiquette. Originally written in the 16th century, These words were later copied down by George Washington many years ago and therefore his name is associated with it. I read one a day after o...
George Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior
This translations is the best Catholic one by far. We give them as gifts to our kids for their First Holy Communion, and then use them daily for Scripture meditation during our morning prayer time. My kids love looking up the Mass Readings of the day...
Douay-Rheims Bible
This beautiful gilded journal is great for Scripture meditation. Read aloud the Bible readings of the day and discuss, then allow for 5-15 minutes of silent prayer and meditation. Kids can write or draw to help them ponder the Scriptures better. Affi...
Gilded Ivory Small Journal
If you don't know how to do Lectio divina, thos is a concise little book that can teach you how. All of us need to do this everyday, but most of us have never been taught. Learn it and teach it to your kids. Affiliate link.
Holy Reading: An Introduction to Lectio Divina
I read one story or poem to my kids each day after our morning prayer time. It includes so many good readings of fables, fairy tales, famous short stories or chapters from novels, and even some sections from famous speeches. A wonderful resource. Aff...
The Book of Virtues: 30th Anniversary Edition
Great for morning time, this book brings Shakespeare down to a readable level both for children and adults who may need help making sense of his plays. Read a little bit everyday and soon your children will be fluent in Shakespeare. Affiliate link.
Tales from Shakespeare book by Charles Lamb
Another good one for morning time because of its relevance for moral formation. Each of his characters illustrates a bit of the human condition and allows us to examine the virtue or vice found therein. Affiliate link.
The Characters of Theophrastus
Language Arts
This Language Arts collection brings together time-tested resources to help elementary students build strong skills in reading, writing, spelling, and composition. With a blend of classical materials and practical tools, these selections support clea...
It's always good to have a stack of handwriting paper. You don't need to buy fancy handwriting curricula. It's so easy to create your own. Use it for copywork as well. Let them copy Bible verses or quotes from famous people. It's not complicated. Aff...
Handwriting Practice Paper
I wouldn't use this as my main phonics curriculum, but it's great for standardized test prep because it will reveal any gaps your child has before he or she takes the test. Affiliate link.
Spectrum Phonics
After my kids have learned all their letters and short and long vowels, we start the Bob Books. It's a rite of passage in my house to make it through the first 5 boxes of books. They're short and not too demanding for a new reader. When they finish a...
Bob Books Set 1: Beginning Readers - by John Maslen
All the phonics flashcards you could ever need. These are meant to go along with Memoria Press' First Start Reading and Classical Phonics.
Memoria Press Phonics Flashcards
The McGuffey Readers are a classic source for reading instruction and practice. Once my kids have finished the Bob Books, I move them into McGuffey, and we do all the volumes. By the end of that series, you will have a very fluent, articulate and int...
McGuffey's New Third Eclectic Reader|Paperback
Great phonics and reading program for beginners ( kindergarten and up). Introduces letter sounds a few at a time and provides reading practice as soon as the child has learned a few letters.
First Start Reading A-D Set Memoria Press Classical Curriculum
Top tier dictionary necessary for any child learning to spell. Make sure your child knows how to navigate a dictionary. Don't just let them Google it. Affiliate link.
Merriam-Webster's Elementary Dictionary, (Hardcover)
Highest ranked typing program I know of. This is the one my daughter learned on ( and she became a prolific typer, even writing her own trilogy. She never could have done that by hunting and pecking. Teach you children to type quickly. Get that timer...
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing [Digital Download]
Grammar is not optional! And this is a great way to introduce it. This book can be used with children as young as first graders. You can also get the English Grammar Practice workbook for applied practice.
Introduction to English Grammar Set | Memoria Press
Very good spelling program that helps the student understand better why words are spelled the way that they are. If you've finished phonics, it's time to start spelling.
Memoria Press Traditional Spelling 1 Set
This is the first step in Memoria Press' writing program, which follows the classical progymnasmata pedagogy. It starts in 4th grade with fable narratives and continues through high school with all sorts of different types of writing. By the time you...
Classical Composition: Fable Stage Student ...
Math
This Math collection combines hands-on tools and structured practice to help students build a strong foundation in arithmetic and real-world problem solving. With resources like flash cards, an abacus, teaching clock, and play money alongside trusted...
You definitely inelegant to be using flash cards for math facts. Do not skip this step in the learning process. Speed and accuracy are so important. Affiliate link.
Multiplication 0 - 12 Flash Cards
The humble abacus is not just for preschoolers, but is also still super effective for teaching addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It's a little neater than individual counters too because of the rods the beads are on. I'm a fan. Affi...
10-Row Wooden Frame Abacus with Multi-Color Beads
Make sure to have a ruler on hand for learning measurement, and it's great if it's transparent. Affiliate link.
Westcott 12" Clear Acrylic Ruler
Every child should learn to read an analog clock ( and Roman numerals) because let's face it: analog clocks are way better looking than digital ones. Affiliate link.
Learning Demonstration Clock
The most effective (and cheapest) math curriculum I know of. The Mennonites really know how to teach math, and wisely have not embraced modern methods, which have proved themselves disastrous. Check it everyday and insist on the child correcting ever...
Grade 1 Math "Beginning Arithmetic" Set
We have had this play money set for years and it has served us well. Very helpful, especially since I don't always have cash on hand to demonstrate. Affiliate link.
Melissa & Doug Play Money Set
Geography
This Geography collection brings the world to life through interactive tools, music, and memorable hands-on learning. With maps, puzzles, songs, and engaging resources, these selections help students build a strong sense of place while making geograp...
Have your kids learn their 50 states and capitals with this color-by-number book. I love that I don't have to pause the lesson to search the internet for an appropriate image of the flag for them to reference. Everything they need is in the book. Aff...
U.S. State Flags: Color By Number
A good puzzle map is helpful for teaching geography. You want them to recognize shapes and where those shapes are in relation to each other. Markings for capital cities is also important. I use this alongside individual readers for each state. Affili...
Melissa & Doug Map 51-Pc. Floor Puzzle
This is one of a lovely series of picture books, each focused on a different state. The illustrations are beautiful and the simple poetry points out a small handful of noteworthy aspects of the state that fall under each alphabetical letter. Additional information is in the sidebars. My children love these. Affiliate link.
Y is for Yellowhammer: An Alabama Alphabet
Great workbooks for solidifying everything you've taught. Memoria Press can't be beat.
The United States: States and Capitals Review
It's always good to play a game to help reinforce learning. I wouldn't consider this the curriculum itself. It's a support. Affiliate link.
The USA Card Game Tuck Box: Educational Geography Board Game for 2-4 Players
Nothing makes memorized information stick like a good song. You could also try Wakko's America. ;-)
Geography Songs CD Kit
This song is the best. My kids learned their states and capitals with this song, no problem. It's so catchy it doesn't feel like memory work at all. Affiliate link.
"Wakko's America" from 'Animaniacs' Sheet Music in G Major - Download & Print
There's a song for every state, so why not learn them? Here's a book with all 50. You can play them on the piano or find them on your phone and sing together. Affiliate link.
State Songs of America book by M.J. Bristow
This 3-D globe puzzle is easily done if you follow the numbers on the backs of the pieces, perhaps a little more complicated if you don't. You choose based on your kids. Affiliate link.
Ravensburger Children's Globe 3D Puzzle 180pc Ages 7+
History
This History collection makes the past engaging and memorable through stories, hands-on activities, and creative play. With rich narratives, interactive projects, and timeline-building tools, these resources help students connect with historical even...
If you're looking for a chronological approach to history that is going to tell the whole story from a Catholic point of view, this is a good series to start with. It tells history like a story, not just a series of facts, and the audio books are ver...
The Story of Civilization
Practice creating messages with this hieroglyph stamp set. Great way to reinforce learning about Ancient Egypt. Affiliate link.
Fun with Hieroglyphs
Hand-on activities are always fun if you have time. This is a fun 3-D puzzle that will show your children what the colosseum looked like before it fell into ruins. Affiliate link.
Colosseum 3D Puzzle: World History DIY STEM Toy
Want to make a Viking ship? Try this paper model. Just download, print and cut. Instructions included. Affiliate link.
3D Paper Model of VIKING Norse Longship (Langskip)
History songs to help your kids memorize their timeline. These are actually pretty good in terms of music quality. Rhyming always helps.
History Sing-Along CD/Card Set
This is a simple book but so helpful to keep track of everything that is being learned in history. A picture frame on one side, and a lined page on the other for sketching and writing down important events within a designated period of time.
Timeline Composition & Sketchbook
Great to have your kids memorize the presidents in chronological order. These are beautiful. Information on the back is very simple, not interpretive. Affiliate link.
Presidents of the United States flashcards: From George Washington to Joe Biden
Love this book for all of its hands-on suggestions to help bring the inventions of history alive. This could work in conjunction with a STEM curriculum too.
Inventions: Hands-on History Projects w/ 20 Projects & 300 Photos
I love the Dover books, just about all of them. Their paper dolls are great if you have kids who like paper dolls. Very detailed artistically and accurate. Act out a Shakespeare play with these!
Great Characters from Shakespeare Paper Dolls
My kids love coloring books, and the more details, the better! Dover is the best in this category. Always has been. Affiliate link.
Life in a Medieval Castle and Village Coloring Book
If you can swing it, this would make a great gift for birthdays or Christmas. Especially if you have boys, they will get hours of fun out of this, and maybe some educational value too. ;-) Have them act out a historical battle. Affiliate link.
Medieval Castle Knight & Toy Soldier Set
I think it's a great idea to let your children hold in their hands these copies of the original documents. Between the paper and the penmanship and the messages they hold, there is so much to be learned. You can have them pretend that they are delive...
Four Documents of Freedom
If you're looking for a solid book on the Catholic Bible, look no further. This one is the gold standard. Written in the 19th century buy Bishop Richard Gilmour, it's purpose was to educate children in the Catholic faith to help combat growing secula...
Bible History: Containing the Most Remarkable Events of the Old and New Testaments to Which Is Added a Compendium of Church History for the Use of the Catholic Schools in the United States|Paperback
Music
This Music collection introduces students to the beauty and structure of music through stories, listening, and hands-on practice. With composer biographies, chant and vocal resources, and foundational tools, these selections nurture both musical appr...
These wonderful composer biographies by Opal Wheeler focus heavily on the childhood of the famous composers and make great afternoon reading. They do have coordinating CDs with the music on them, but I usually just keep my phone handy and pull up the...
Mozart, The Wonder Boy
I love that someone has thought of this. Yes, kids need music theory skills. And Catholic kids need Gregorian chant skills. They should be able to read chant notation as well as modern notation so they can sing in church and in their own prayer time....
Square Notes
Beautiful set of books from Memoria Press to familiarize your children with Latin prayers and chants or songs from church. Every child should know these.
Lingua Angelica Prayers and Hymns Audio (CD)
My children took this course at ages 6 & 8. It was a great introduction to Chant, and convenient because they could do it from the comfort of home. Now they sing in a schola, so it was truly beneficial. Affiliate link.
Chant for Children: The Premiere Homeschool Classically-Based Music Course
Great book for introducing opera to your kids-through the stories they tell. I think there's about 10 or so operas represented here, and each story is told in a way that even young children can understand. I recommend reading the story aloud and paus...
Sing Me a Story: The Metropolitan... book by Jane Rosenberg
Another great book to introduce your child to ballet in a very approachable way- through stories. Once you've read the story, get a DVD from the library or find it on YouTube. Now you can appreciate it a whole lot more. Affiliate link.
Dance Me a Story : Twelve Tales from the Classic Ballets
Great book to introduce the orchestra to your kids. Comes with music, too. Affiliate link.
Child's Introduction A Child's Introduction to the Orchestra: Listen to 37 Selections While You Learn
Carnival of the Animals is so much fun to listen to. Your kids will be enthralled. And it highlights different instruments or sections of the orchestra so the kids can see how the music is made to sound like a particular animal or character. So much ...
The Carnival of the Animals - by Jack Prelutsky (Mixed Media Product)
Teach your child (and maybe yourself) what all those signs and symbols mean. Every child should be music literate. Affiliate link.
Complete Color-Coded Flash Cards: For All Beginning Music Students
This is an excellent resource for teaching music theory to your children. A whole series of workbooks guide them through each and every thing they would ever need to know as a musician, or even as a music listener. The Royal Schools of Music is high ...
Discovering Music Theory, The ABRSM Grade 1 Workbook
If you're not sure if you can or want to commit to a real piano, this is a great starter piano which feels and plays as much like a real piano as it possibly can. It's also nice to look at and has MIDI capabililties. Affiliate link.
Zimtown 88 Key Keyboard Piano Weighted Action, Digital Piano with 3-Pedal Unit
Art
This Art collection provides everything young artists need to explore creativity while building strong foundational skills. With quality supplies, step-by-step instruction, and beautiful works of art to study, these resources encourage both artistic ...
Teach your child how to draw. Just get them practicing everyday or at least a couple times a week. Get a good book that teaches the essential elements of a good drawing like line, light and shading, perspective, etc. And a basic sketched. Doesn't nee...
Crayola Heavy Weight Sketchbook
Good quality drawing pencils for the beginner. Everything you need to get started with a serious drawing course. I encourage you to do a drawing along with your child so you can improve your skills and model for them. Teach them to have a positive at...
KINGART 13-Piece Sketching & Drawing Kit
High quality sketch pad for your at-home drawing lessons. These are premium. Affiliate link.
U.S. Art Supply 11" x 14" Heavy-Weight Paper Spiral Bound Sketch Pad
Drawing books are a dime a dozen, but I always look for ones that focus on real techniques, not just easy cartoonish drawings that never progress to more realistic renderings. Don't get overwhelmed. Just master one step at a time. Affiliate link.
Drawing for the Absolute and Utter Beginner by Claire Watson Garcia
Simple lessons in watercolor that don't take hours or days to complete. I want my kids to have decent painting skills because I don't want them to feel like they “just aren't artistic”. It's not about that. It's just about learned skills, which most of us were not taught in school. Affiliate link.
30-Minute Watercolor Painting for Beginners - by Rockridge Press
In my homeschool we don't really do construction paper crafts and other things that will likely be thrown away. Instead I focus on teaching real drawing, painting and sculpting skills. I want them to feel competent, not “unartistic”. And what kid doe...
Hello Hobby EZ Shape Non-Drying Modeling Clay, 12 Pieces
Pastels are lovely because of how well they blend on the paper. Mistakes? What's that? Affiliate link.
Pentel Oil Pastel 50-Color Set
I love that this watercolor brush has the water inside it, so that it is distributed evenly while you paint. Learning how not to oversaturate the brush is a bit of a learning curve. Affiliate link.
Watercolor Paint Set with Water Brush
Make sure you give them real watercolor paper, so the paper doesn't curl when it dries. This is inexpensive, but still the real thing. Affiliate link.
Bee Paper - Bee Inspired 5.5"x8.5" Watercolor Paper Pad, 30 Sheets
Want your child to learn how to “do” art, but don't feel like you're the one to teach it? Try St. Michael's Art Academy. For $25/month they teach real skills and bring the faith into each lesson.
St. Michael's Art Academy
Paper designed especially for oil pastels will make for a better pastel experience. This is good quality paper. I would prefer this to a spiral notebook to prevent smudging. Affiliate link.
Strathmore Pastel Paper Pad
Whether you get the older or newer version, this book has great ideas for art projects that actually follow in the footsteps of the great artists. Use their techniques to create something new. The most memorable one from this book is the one where yo...
Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters|eBook
Art cards to study the great artists. Use these for picture study, and for memory work to identify and remember the names of the great artists and their most well-known works.
Art Cards & Posters
Science
This Science collection fosters curiosity and wonder through rich reading, hands-on experiments, and meaningful nature study. With engaging books, simple tools, and guided observation resources like a nature journal and classic field studies, these s...
I like this science course because it's chronological, so it fits in with your history studies and kids can see how ideas progressed through time. Every lesson has an experiment, which is cool, but can become tiresome over time. And it caters to diff...
Science in the Beginning
These wonderful books are simple enough for young readers yet convey so much valuable information about the nature of everyday things, where they are found, what they are useful for, how they grow or form, etc. Unlike modern science books which push ...
Science Readers, Vol. 1 (Classic Reprint)
A child friendly introduction to nature, this book focuses on patterns found therein. Patterns are a big part of what makes nature so beautiful. Children are enchanted to discover them for themselves when out on a nature walk.
Patterns of Nature Set
Wonderful introduction to the world of nature outside the home: Mammals. Every kid loves learning about mammals. Memoria has sets for birds, trees, insects, astronomy, and even the history of medicine.
Mammals Set | Memoria Press
This book is pretty well known amongst Charlotte Mason aficiandos, but it's great for classical education folks too. If you want to teach your child first about the nature that they find around them, and then about the wider world beyond them, this b...
Handbook of Nature Study
Highly recommended beginner microscope for kids. Easy to use and enough bells and whistles to keep them curious for many long days. Affiliate link.
AmScope Kids Beginner Microscope
Children love to color, and a coloring book is a great way to reinforce learned concepts, such as human anatomy. Affiliate link.
Human Anatomy Coloring Book: An Entertaining and Instructive Guide to the Human Body - Bones, Muscles, Blood, Nerves, and How They Work
A good set of flashcards/memory cards for the bones of the body. Learn their names and match them to the task they perform. Affiliate link.
Skeleton Flashcards for Kids -PDF
You can't see under your skin, but you can see under this model. Just 30 pieces, so not overwhelming detail. Affiliate link.
Transparent Human Body Model Kit - Removable Organs & Bones
Download and print this beautiful nature journal with prompts with things to look for and pay attention to. Bring along your watercolor kit too and paint what you see. Affiliate link.
Charlotte Mason Nature Study Journal for Kids - PDF
Every beginning astronomer needs a beginner telescope. Study the stars up close, with the helpful phone attachment. Affiliate link.
Juyafio Telescope, 70mm Aperture for Astronomy
Every kid needs a chemistry set. Here are 35 activities to get them started, before they get their creative juices overflowing. Affiliate link.
ScienceWiz Chemistry Kit
If you haven't tried Snap Circuits you are missing out. My boys had so much fun creating their own radio, among other things. Affiliate link.
Snap Circuits Jr.
If you haven't made your own volcano, have you had a real childhood? Debatable. ;-) Affiliate link.
National Geographic STEM Build Your Own Volcano Science Kit for Child
Rocks may seem boring but they can be so cool! Kids will love exploring with this kit, and learn some identification too. Affiliate link.
Piano Potato 250+ Rocks Minerals & Fossils Collection Kit
I remember growing sugar crystals when I was a kid. My mom was so patient to let me put my little experiment in the kitchen window for---well, maybe a year or so? This is fun one. Affiliate link.
National Geographic Giant Crystal Growing Lab