Why We Chose The Good and Beautiful for Homeschool

When choosing a curriculum I felt pretty lost, in fact, I was probably just going to choose what my husband had used growing up (Bob Jones) as he had liked that a lot and we felt like it aligned with what we wanted pretty well. Honestly though, when looking at that price tag 800+ dollars a month did not feel like something that was worth it to me, especially with multiple children and the inability to reuse materials every year. So we would eventually be paying $800+ a year per child (so x4) EVERY YEAR and sadly that did not fit our budget. Kindergarten was quickly approaching though and I had to make a decision- and FAST.

I was overwhelmed when looking at different sources, either I was having trouble finding what the curriculum actually contained or the price wasn’t in our budget. As much as it stinks to admit, we had a strict budget for homeschooling and I really wanted something that fit both our family needs and budget. I wasn’t interested in totally unschooling but I also wasn’t interested in totally following a strict curriculum. Abeka was out for price and rigidity, AOP was out for price, and Bob Jones obviously didn’t fit our budget. What was something that I could use as needed, make it fit my family, but also cost under $300 per child?

TGB- The Good and The Beautiful. And I KNOW, it’s “Mormon” gasp and I needed to really think about this before implementing some kind of wishy-washy curriculum that was designed to indoctrinate my child into the Mormon religion. Except, it’s not and after thoroughly researching this curriculum I had decided that this was worth trying for my family. It cost me $132 plus shipping for the Kindergarten course (even less for the preschool course) and they also offer their K-8 curriculum online as printables so I can utilize that option after buying the first kit. This is incredibly cost-effective for my family, I have to school 4 kids so honestly my biggest priority is finding something that won’t break the bank.

I looked at the good and the bad reviews, I had to see for myself how much of a Mormon influence this curriculum really had. There was none that I could find, and honestly the biggest complaint really seemed to be that it was “non-denominational” and didn’t really take a stance for any particular branch of Christianity or similar religions. People were not pleased that it did not take a solid stance, that it was “too vague” and not “strict enough” in the Christian aspect. Which honestly, made me like this curriculum even more and was one of my main reasons for choosing TGB. Because, I did not want a curriculum that “took a stance” so to speak. I wanted to teach my child myself, directly from the bible. So this did not seem like an issue at all for me.

After getting the curriculum and using it, I found that it fit our needs. The curriculum was fun, engaging, and in-depth. My kids loved it, they have fun and beg me for school everyday. It is flexible, with lessons that cover what needs to be covered but with options to do more learning and activities outside the set bookwork. I had never went into this purchase expecting this to be it, and to stick with TGB but after using it and seeing how it worked in our family it was pretty awesome. I found the reviews to be accurate, the Mormon influence was non-existent and quite honestly the only thing bothering people about it being “Mormon” was that some of the creators were Mormon. There were also other creators from many denominations as well, and the curriculums overall tone was “God made everything, God loves us, be a kind person” which I am honestly fine with, because again I was not looking for a curriculum to teach my children about God-that was something I was always going to simply do myself.

The only thing left to figure out was their approach to science. I wanted something that was more young earth focused but also covered what is typically taught in schools. After some research, and talking with others who use this curriculum I found that they also take a neutral approach to science and the creation of the world (basically they recognize that families have different values and focus on facts vs stating that the earth is young or everything came by evolution). While I won’t be able to say for sure until I get the science lessons, this is also something that I am fine with. These are things I would prefer to tackle myself, and for the curriculum to only teach the need to know information. For my family, neutrality was the most beneficial because as I said I wanted the freedom to deviate from set curriculums and do other side things for learning. Curriculum will not actually be our main portion of schooling as I feel a hands on learning approach is way more beneficial for us.

So what about the claims that TBG is anti-Christian and will indoctrinate your kids slowly into a Mormon religion? I have yet to see proof of this beyond the creators being affiliated with LDS, but again there are also creators with every denomination affiliation so it’s pretty clear they worked hard to come out with a neutral bible inspired curriculum that was clean and appropriate for children. The claims that it’s too passive, too neutral, and not strict enough have some merit- if you wanted a curriculum to do those things for you. I did not, I wasn’t interested in a curriculum to teach my children what I could teach them and honestly, a school curriculum is just that to me. School. While I don’t take a strict public school approach to homeschooling I do believe that it is more important to spend the family time teaching my children our beliefs than to find a curriculum that will do it for me. This is just what I wanted for MY family, if you decide or decided something different that’s okay too! We all need to pick what works for our own families and for mine, a neutral approached curriculum that left space for my own teachings was definitely something that fit the best. So if you did want a curriculum that was bible heavy and aligned with a specific denomination of the church then this won’t be for you. Otherwise the claims that this is an anti-Christian curriculum do not hold merit and quite honestly the only issues here is if YOU wanted something more biblically based. If you have no plans to teach the bible through a curriculum but do want something that still talks about God and is bible inspired this is a great and affordable option. There is not anything sinsiter though, no alterior motives, no plans to sneak in Mormon doctrines, or anything of that sort (to my knowledge) and we have been using this curriculum for almost a full school year now. It really just is a basic curriculum designed for those parents who wanted a non-secular option for their child that doesn’t break the bank.

As far as the educational contents I find it aligns really well with state standards and be as relaxed or as intense as you want. There is a set 120 lessons in the language and math, around 30 (or less depending on the curriculum) for science, and the older science curriculum is family style and repeatable. They have been coming out with new curriculums each year as well, and they cover all of the basics that a child needs. If you were wanting something more strict or rigid this might not be for you, but for someone like me who wanted the basics covered with the option to add what I needed to the school day this curriculum really fits. The lessons are incredibly adaptable and can be used as is, or taken off the page with some hands on activities. I love this about the curriculum, and I also love that they offer bonus activities if you desire. You can buy extra things or you can skip that, it ‘s entirely up to the parent. You really can get by with using the set curriculum sets, but I do love that they have options to add bonus work.

They also have apps and a youtube channel that you can use with your curriculum but you do not have to. I find these videos and extras to be helpful so we do use them, and I love that they are very kid friendly, engaging, and beautiful. My kids love them, it makes the learning more fun, and they have picked up concepts a lot quicker with the videos that go along with the lessons.

At the end of they day, the choice to use TGB really boiled down to a few things: budget friendly, easy to use, engaging for the child, didn’t overstep in certain areas of the curriculum, and was adaptable or easy to change up to match our school day. As someone who wanted to unschool but still needed the day somewhat scheduled- this curriculum helped with that. It fit for a variety of reasons and checked off all of my boxes. I don’t belive in a single perfect curriculum but this hits pretty close for my family. I am also realistic here, and if something changes or I find that they are sneaking in some unsavory things then I will not hesitate to swap curriculums either. But so far, it stays true to the neutrality claims which does not bother me because I was never looking for a curriculum that was going to be a solid biblical foundation for my kids. I believe that it is my job to teach my children those things, and I simply wanted a curriculum that fit our families needs and was appropriate for children without a huge influence from secular sources. TGB definitely fits the standards I had been looking for in a curriculum, and is very fun for the kids as well.