Secular Homeschool Curriculum
An honest map of what's actually secular — written by someone who scored 1,307 homeschool curricula on 10 dimensions, including religious content.
The short version
Most homeschool curriculum is religious, often more than the marketing suggests. Truly secular options exist, but you have to filter for them deliberately, and within "secular" there's a real spectrum.
Religion-neutral means the program just doesn't bring it up — common in math (Singapore, Math-U-See, Beast Academy). Explicitly secular means the program was built for non-religious families and teaches evolution, an old earth, and comparative religion as history (BookShark, Build Your Library, Oak Meadow). Most families want the second category for science and history, and either category works fine for math and language arts.
What to look for
- Evolution-positive science — life science teaches common descent, earth science teaches deep time
- Comparative religion as history — religions covered as cultural and historical phenomena, not as truth claims
- Book lists you can actually read — check the literature selections for scripture-based readings or worldview framing
- Self-identified as secular — programs that say so usually mean it; programs that say "non-denominational" usually don't
- Active secular community — if a program shows up in Secular Homeschool Forum threads with positive reviews, it's been vetted by people like you
Programs that actually work
BookShark
The explicitly secular alternative to Sonlight, built by the same company. Literature-based, evolution-positive, no scripture readings on the book list. The closest thing to a turnkey secular all-in-one for grades K-8, and the single most common recommendation in secular homeschool groups.
Build Your Library
Charlotte-Mason-inspired, literature-heavy, fully secular. Smaller and more flexible than BookShark, with strong reading lists. Good fit if you like the Charlotte Mason approach but don't want the religious framing that usually comes bundled with it.
Oak Meadow
Waldorf-inspired, secular, very gentle pacing. Strong on arts, nature study, and rhythm. Works well for younger kids and families who want a slower, less workbook-heavy approach without the anthroposophy that comes with actual Waldorf schools.
Blossom & Root
Nature-based, secular, beautiful materials. Lighter than BookShark, more open-and-go than Build Your Library. Good early-elementary option if you want something that feels handmade and intentional without DIY-ing the whole thing.
For math and science: religion-neutral picks
Math is the easy subject — most options are religion-neutral. Singapore Math, Math-U-See, and Beast Academy / Art of Problem Solving don't mention religion at all. For science, Real Science 4 Kidsis explicitly secular and evolution-positive. Pair one of these with a secular humanities core and you're covered.
What to avoid (if you want secular)
- Apologia — popular and well-made, but explicitly young-earth Christian. The science books teach creationism directly.
- Easy Peasy All-in-One — free and convenient, but Christian throughout despite the generic name.
- Most "classical" curricula — Memoria Press, Veritas Press, and the broader classical-Christian tradition default to a Christian worldview. Secular classical exists but you have to look for it specifically.
- Sonlight — a Christian literature-based program. Use BookShark instead if you want the same approach without scripture.
- Story of the World — often listed as neutral, and Susan Wise Bauer doesn't proselytize, but it does present religious events matter-of-factly. Most secular families use it and add their own framing; some prefer to skip it.
Find your match in 5 minutes
Our matcher asks 7 questions about your child — grade, learning style, what you've already tried, budget, and how you want religion handled — and ranks options from our database of 1,307 curricula scored on 10 dimensions including secular vs. religious content. Free, no signup required to see recommendations.
The religion filter distinguishes religion-neutral from explicitly secular, so you can pick your spot on the spectrum.
Common questions
What does "secular" actually mean in homeschool curriculum?
There's a spectrum. Religion-neutral programs (like Singapore Math or Math-U-See) just don't mention religion either way. Explicitly secular programs (BookShark, Build Your Library, Oak Meadow) are built for non-religious families and teach evolution, an old earth, and comparative religion as history. Secular humanist goes further and centers a non-religious worldview.
Why is it so hard to find secular homeschool curriculum?
Most homeschool curriculum was built by and for Christian families, and a lot of programs that look secular on the marketing page slip in young-earth creationism or biblical worldview framing inside the actual lessons. The marketing rarely makes this obvious until you're a few weeks in.
Is BookShark really secular, or is it just Sonlight without God?
BookShark is the explicitly secular alternative built by the same company behind Sonlight. Book lists were rebuilt to remove Bible-based readings, and the science is evolution-positive and old-earth. It's the most common recommendation in secular homeschool groups.
What about science specifically? That's where religion sneaks in.
Science is the highest-stakes subject for secular families. Avoid Apologia (young-earth, explicit). For evolution-positive, old-earth science, look at Real Science 4 Kids, Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, or Elemental Science's secular track. Mainstream secular textbook publishers also work for older kids.