The Good and the Beautiful Homeschool Curriculum Review
The Good and the Beautiful is a nondenominational Christian homeschool curriculum created by Jenny Phillips. She first wrote language arts courses for her own children, then offered them as free downloads. Language arts is still the heart of the program. The company now also publishes math, science, history, handwriting, electives, and reading books, and hundreds of thousands of families use it.
How It Works
Lessons are open-and-go. Parent directions and the words to read aloud are printed in the course book, so there is no daily lesson planning. Language arts weaves phonics, reading, spelling, grammar, writing, literature, and often art and geography around lesson themes. Math is a separate line, Simply Good and Beautiful Math. History and science are offered as family-style courses that more than one child can share. Full Language Arts and Math courses for levels K through 8 are available as free print-at-home PDFs from the publisher; printed books and most other subjects are sold separately. Placement tests help families choose a starting level rather than assuming a child’s grade.
What Homeschoolers Say
Strengths. Families often praise the full-color books and the way language arts combines several skills in one lesson. Reviewers like that the core K–8 language arts and math courses can be tried at no cost, that lessons are scripted and easy to start, and that art and literature make the work engaging. Some parents use it as a bridge from a reading-focused year into a fuller language arts program, and they note that the placement tests let them start where the child is ready.
Cautions. Early language arts and math are parent-led, so the work is not as independent as “open-and-go” might suggest. Some reviewers find early lessons long and packed with new skills, including demanding literacy and dictation work that can overwhelm a young or struggling reader. Math is not an advanced program, and a child may need to work below grade level. The Christian content runs through the lessons, so it is a poor fit for secular families. High school offerings are still limited, and some courses have few formal tests.
Getting Started
Take the publisher’s free placement tests, download a language arts or math level from the free curriculum page, and teach from the PDF for a few weeks before buying printed books.
Where to Purchase
Buy printed courses, science and history sets, and other materials directly from the publisher at The Good and the Beautiful. Free K–8 language arts and math PDFs are on the same site.
Sources
- The Good and the Beautiful (publisher), its About Us page, and its free curriculum and placement pages
- Cathy Duffy Reviews: The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts, Level 3 (last edited March 3, 2026)
- HomeschoolPicks Team: The Good and the Beautiful Review (April 13, 2026)
- Lauren Schmitz, The Simple Homeschooler: Our Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Experience
- Jaimie Thomas, Simply Learning Together: Homeschool Year Review 2025 – Math and Language Arts (April 29, 2025)
- Kristin, Raising Nobles: The Good and the Beautiful Curriculum (August 7, 2020)
Last reviewed: November 10, 2026