How I Pick Programs (and Affiliate Disclosure)

A quick, honest disclosure first: some links on HSTG are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support my family and build more free homeschool resources for yours. It never changes what I recommend or how I describe a program, and as you’ll see below, I often point people toward cheaper or free options, including for my own kids.

How do you pick the programs on your website?

HSTG is meant to be a neutral, fair resource. That means I cover plenty of curricula I wouldn’t personally use. There are so many good programs out there, and the popular ones naturally get the most attention, but that doesn’t make them wrong for you. A program that isn’t right for my family might be exactly right for yours.

The ethical way for me to help you decide is to break down who each curriculum is for, with real, objective information about it. That’s what HSTG is built to do.

Have a curriculum you’d like to see covered, or are you a curriculum creator? Reach out at contact@homeschoolteacherguide.com. I might add it to the website or the Guide. :)

Does being an affiliate change your rankings or reviews?

No. Whether a program offers an affiliate program does not affect whether I include it, how I describe it, or where it ranks. I don’t accept payment for favorable reviews or better placement. My rankings are based on who a program is genuinely for, and nothing else.

Okay, but which one is the best?

There is no single best curriculum for every family. Anyone who tells you otherwise is mistaken.

Fine. So which curricula are you actually planning to use, and why?

As I build out the site, I’ll mark these as “Val’s Picks.” Eventually, I may publish my full plan.

Just because I’m using something doesn’t mean it’s what you should use. It only means that, for one reason or another, I think it’s the right starting point for my kids, given my priorities, my time, and our family’s worldview.

Here’s an example. All About Reading or Logic of English? Both are excellent. But I’m not starting with either. I’m going with the much simpler and less expensive Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. You might choose differently depending on your priorities and where your child actually is. Everything I’ve built is meant to help you figure out the best curriculum for you.