Our Top Picks for the Best 4th Grade Homeschool Curriculum
Looking for 4th-grade homeschool curriculum? This comprehensive list will give you everything you need for a successful school year!
Before I give you my opinion on the best 4th-grade curriculum, please note that not everyone agrees with me! There are many differing views on what should be taught and when it should be taught. I’m not seeking to refute anyone or call names. I’m sharing only what has worked well for our homeschool after combining my experience in the classroom with teaching at home. Remember, that’s your job too. Seek out what works best for your family, and don’t worry about what everyone else says!
Table of Contents
How many hours do you homeschool a day?
I know you are wondering about this because everyone does. It typically takes 2–3 hours to complete a 4th-grade homeschool curriculum. Isn’t that wonderful? In the classroom setting, kids are expected to focus and pay attention for much of the day, but you don’t have to do that at home. There’s no need to stand in line, sharpen 28 pencils, or participate in that fire drill one more time.
At home, your fourth grader gets undivided attention on his or her level, so it really just doesn’t take all day to get it done. In fact, if it’s taking that long, chances are you are frustrating your child with busy work or unnecessary subjects.
Of course, this doesn’t mean your child is finished learning in 2–3 hours a day and will waste the rest of the day vegging in the land of no knowledge. If you encourage enriching activities (and limit screen time), your child will literally NEVER stop learning. Kids at this age are like sponges. They can’t help but learn!
What should my child be learning in 4th grade?
Fourth grade is when things start getting “big.” This is the year when your child will continue taking on responsibility. If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend that you make responsibility your focus in 4th grade because later on, the focus needs to be the academic content. You won’t want to have the hurdle of responsibility too. They are old enough to handle it and still young enough not to have too many bad habits. If you wait any longer, it WILL be harder.
Fourth graders should be able to take an assignment and then complete it on their own. Most of the time, they’ve gained enough reading skills to do so. They can often “teach” themselves several subjects, such as math and science. If you don’t know where to start, this post will give you 5 simple steps to teaching responsibility.
Typical 4th Grade Homeschool Subjects
- Language Arts (specifically reading)
- Math
- Bible
- Social Studies
- Science
- Art
- Physical Education
- Music
- Life Skills
The most important subjects in fourth grade remain the same as they were in all the grades up to this point: reading and math. Until you’ve conquered these, keep making them your focus. Don’t worry—your child isn’t behind. If you press ahead, they won’t get the necessary foundation to build upon.
In the next section, we will take a look at each subject’s recommended curriculum, as well as when and why you should teach it.
But first, we need to make sure you are legal. It’s very important that you know your state requirements. The most reputable place to find these laws is the HSLDA website. Note that I didn’t say to ask your friend who has been homeschooling for many years (that’s a big mistake—look them up yourself).
Most states are pretty light on requirements for elementary school. Some have general guidelines for core subjects. Occasionally, you’ll find a strict state that requires specific hours to be completed. Again, the only way to know what rules you have to follow is to check the site yourself.
One thing to note is that even if you are required to teach science, for example, it doesn’t typically say that you must use a textbook that covers 180 days’ worth. As homeschoolers, we have the freedom to teach the way our kids need us to teach them!
4th Grade Homeschool Language Arts Curriculum
Reading
By 4th grade, your student will be getting much of their reading from science and history. So they don’t really need a specific reading curriculum. Instead, I have my kids keep a journal.
Reading Journal
The reason I love this Reading Journal is because it gives kids the freedom to choose books on whatever topic they find interesting.
This journal will help track comprehension and hone their thinking skills.
There are 30 different half-page writing prompts to get kids thinking about what they read that day. The purpose of reading is to understand. Find out more about creating your own DIY Reading Curriculum here.
Reading Eggs
For all children under 5th grade, we also use Reading Eggs. It’s a systematic method for teaching reading using a computer program. It’s not free, but it’s great fun. The kids don’t always realize they are learning, and Mom can focus on the others during this time too.
If you’re looking for book ideas, here are some other great reading resources for kids:
- Best Children’s Audio Books Your Family Will Love
- Good Horse Books for Kids
- 11 Wholesome Chapter Book Series Your Kids Will Love
- Free Printable Homeschool Booklist for Every Age Level
Spelling
Once my kids reach the 3rd grade, we start IEW’s Phonetic Zoo. We use this program through middle school or even high school, depending on how long it takes each child to complete. There are three leveled CDs that are self-paced for independent learning. They teach rules and jingles. Kids write the words and keep practicing them until they are mastered. This program was a game-changer for my 4th grader who really struggled. I won’t say she’s now a perfect speller, but it helped tremendously.
Once these CDs are mastered, spelling is no longer a subject in our homeschool. Occasionally it comes up naturally in writing, and we learn from there, but no additional curriculum is needed.
Grammar and Writing
For 4th-grade language arts, we pick up formal writing. We have enjoyed using IEW or Institute for Excellence in Writing as our writing foundation. The method they use to teach seems a little weird at first, but when you compare it to the way we learn to speak, it makes the most sense.
At this time, we also add in a grammar curriculum. Between 4th grade and high school, this is a skill you want to focus a bit more time on. This will enable you to focus on writing killer essays when it’s crucial instead of needing to figure out an adverbial clause in the thick of it.
If using IEW, stick with Fix It! Grammar from IEW. It keeps things simple with a warm-up for each day. If not, try Easy Grammar. It’s, well, easy!
4th Grade Homeschool Math Curriculum
There are probably 100 great 4th-grade homeschool math curriculum options out there. But if you skip to that, you’ll miss the point. Math is a subject systematically built on tiny blocks of information. If you miss the foundation, the top will crumble. Period. Sadly, this is why so many kids struggle in math.
Math mastery is about basics.
Hopefully, you took the time to lay a solid foundation in the early years! By now, you want your 4th grader to know addition and subtraction facts without thinking about it at all. You also want him or her to be on the way to mastering multiplication and division. Yes, there are LOTS of other skills in the math book, but if you don’t get these down perfectly, the rest of the book will just be frustrating.
For multiplication and division math facts, daily practice is required. Be careful because most math curriculums do not cover this in-depth enough. They move on to other topics, and kids are lost. Don’t let that happen. Focus here, EVEN if nothing else gets done. Remember, math is a cycle, and the same concepts are taught year after year. They just go a bit more in-depth as kids get older. If you focus on getting the basic facts very strong, the other stuff will be simple to pick up on.
We use XtraMath for daily fact practice. I’ve used so many different things, but this one wins every time because each child has a log-in and can practice the exact facts he or she is struggling with. The website is smart, and that makes mastery much easier. Oh, and it’s totally FREE!
I’ve used many fun programs and apps in the past (like Math Bingo), but this program far surpasses its rivals in that it’s tailored to the specific facts that your child needs to work on. It’s like personal flashcards with a built-in accountability system to go along with it.
Favorite Curriculum for Math
Teaching Textbooks
Once they’re in 4th grade, my kids are doing Teaching Textbooks. They love that the computer teaches the lesson for them and that there aren’t 500 problems to answer when the lesson is finished.
As a mom, I love the instant grading feature. This makes my homeschool day so much easier. I also love that my kids get immediate feedback when a problem is incorrect. So often, students do the whole page wrong, only to learn they have to start over again. Teaching Textbooks doesn’t allow that to happen.
Read more about why we love Teaching Textbooks here.
One final thought: If math really is more than you can handle as a homeschool parent, rest assured you can always outsource it to a co-op or online class. Sometimes taking the subject outside of your realm is good for your student and your relationship!
If your child struggles with math, I would encourage you to check out this post for ideas.
4th Grade Homeschool Science Curriculum
In the early years, our science and history curriculum is literature-based. In fact, we typically don’t buy a curriculum at all. We just load up on awesome books at the library. By 4th grade, we usually go ahead and pick a more traditional curriculum. But again, only if math and reading are going well. If not, back off on science and focus there.
Master Books
We also love Master Books science. It’s Charlotte Mason-inspired, featuring living books in many cases. I love that it’s lighter in content but gives kids plenty of opportunities to dig deeper. You can choose from a variety of topics, but this is the one we have often done in 4th grade.
4th Grade Homeschool History Curriculum
Fourth-grade homeschool curriculum is a great time to lay a foundation that cultivates interest and excitement for the history of God’s world. Be careful about buying too much curriculum. It’s easy to weave these topics into your day using great readalouds or short, simple studies. I would also recommend the use of audiobooks. They are engaging and teach so much! (See our list of books below to help get you started.)
Our favorites:
To Every Nation
The To Every Nation series is packed with studies about missionaries, countries, and biblical truth. I wrote this series to help us focus on these crucial elements of faith, as well as develop a compassion for the world. Each study covers the lives of 12 different missionaries using a Charlotte Mason approach. They can be done in 12 weeks, or you can go deeper with the novels of each missionary and enjoy it for the whole year!
The Mystery of History
The Mystery of History is a comprehensive journey through all of time focusing on a biblical worldview, done with a classical flair. The awesome thing about this curriculum is its flexibility. You can use it for all ages and make it a family affair. During elementary school, we simply use the audio CDs and listen to the lesson. Then we draw or write about what we learned in a notebook.
America’s Story
America’s Story is a fabulous option for parents who want a little MORE history without going overboard. Written by Master Books, it’s a trusted resource with a strong biblical worldview that provides simple assignments for elementary kids and engaging activities to supplement. This history curriculum is inspired by the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling.
Bible Curriculum for 4th Grade
Our Bible studies teach on a wide variety of topics, including sibling relationships, the power of our words, contentment, guarding our hearts, and more!
Our goal is to get kids into God’s Word in an effective yet fun way. We hope to equip kids with the tools they need for a lifetime of engagement with the Bible.
We’ve designed our Bible studies for all age levels! Your 4th grader can dive into God’s Word in a simple yet powerful way.
It’s never too early to start teaching kids the life-giving truths about God and how He instructs His children in His Word.
4th Grade Homeschool Curriculum for Electives
Elementary electives are generally disguised as “extracurricular activities.” Families often do music lessons, sports, or similar opportunities. This is GREAT! Just be sure you keep your purpose in focus. At this age, it’s less about perfecting a skill and more about dabbling in things your children might want to pursue when they get older.
Try to expose them to all of the fine arts (music, art, drama) through homeschool classes, museums, and shows. You never know how God has gifted them! Exposing elementary kids to sports tends to be easier because there are so many teams to choose from.
Just remember to keep your purpose in focus. I always remind myself that Michael Jordan didn’t even start playing basketball until he was in junior high. Forcing a four-year-old to play soccer against his desires won’t create a prodigy.
Use the elementary years to dabble and explore. Take field trips. Participate in one-day classes. Work hard on life skills. You’ll be thankful you took this approach.
Here are some courses I recommend:
Fine Arts Electives
Still Singing: Hymn Stories for Every Season
Still Singing is a music appreciation curriculum that includes language arts and history too!
- Voice lessons (Here’s a place that does online lessons.)
- Piano lessons (We take local lessons, but this online option is interesting.)
- Art curriculum is for grades 3–8!
- Artistic Pursuits
- Academy of Arts Ministries (drama)
Health and Life Skills Electives
- Bitsbox (computer coding)
- Latin for Children
- 4-H gardening, animal care, etc.
- Sewing, crocheting, knitting, etc.
- Care of their space (make their bed, tidy their room, empty the dishwasher, etc.)
More Christian Homeschool Curriculum
Using my expertise as a certified educator and 12+ years of homeschooling, we’ve created a comprehensive list of the BEST Christian homeschool curriculum for each grade level. You’ll find each of them linked below.
- Preschool Homeschool Curriculum
- Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum
- First-Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- Second-Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- Third-Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- Fourth-Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- Fifth-Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- Sixth-Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- Seventh-Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- Eighth-Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- High School Homeschool Curriculum
Still struggling to see how everything fits together? Get a better overall vision for Christian homeschool curriculum in this post.
Through practical tools & Bible-based resources, Kim Sorgius is dedicated to helping your family GROW in faith so you can be Not Consumed by life’s struggles. Author of popular kid’s devotional Bible studies and practical homeschooling tools, Kim has a master’s degree in education and curriculum design coupled with over 2 decades of experience working with kids and teens. Above all, her most treasured job is mother and homeschool teacher of four amazing kiddos.
Please tell me what you used to teach cursive. Many thanks!
Handwriting Without Tears 🙂
Suzanne@NotConsumed
Hi there!
Which programs for IEW did you use exactly? Was it Structure and Style? We’ve been using TGTB for language arts but the lessons are a bit much at times and I’m unsure if it’s getting the specific focus on writing that my son, going into 4th grade, needs.
Thank you!
yes
What does your typical week look like?
You can read about our typical schedule on this post: How to Create the BEST Homeschool Schedule for Your Family.