Faith-Based 5th Grade Homeschool Curriculum for Large Families: What We’re Using This Year

Planning a 5th grade homeschool curriculum can feel like a lot—especially when you’re teaching multiple ages and striving to keep Christ at the center of it all. As a mom in a large Christian family, I know the pressure of trying to choose curriculum that nurtures independence, is academically solid, and fits our values .

In this short post, I’m sharing our exact faith-based 5th grade curriculum choices for the year — what’s working, why we picked it, and how we’re making it work in our full house. Whether you’re new to homeschooling or looking to tweak your current plan, I hope this gives you some encouragement and helpful ideas!

This post is short because most of our school is done together family style. You can check out this post if you want to know what we are using for the bulk of our homeschool subjects. The way I plan for my 5th grader is Monday is a makeup or get ahead on Math. Otherwise she doesn’t have independent work to on Mondays.

History: History is a family subject but like I shared in my 10th grader curriculum post I add books to enhance history for my 5th grader. I think what we are using as a family is a great resource but there are so many great biographies and books out there and I can’t read them all but want to give my children the chance to read them. Her reading takes place on her own time. This can be during quiet time or really anytime. My 5th grader is reading Lillian Trasher from ywam publishing and will read Mary Slessor also from ywam publishing. The Magna Charta by James Daugherty is on deck for when we move on to middle ages.

Language Arts: In the past we have used the Good and the Beautiful language arts curriculum but last school year I switched to Using Language Well by Simply Charlotte Mason. We used the previous edition but I am linking to the new one because that is what is on the website. It was just updated and released this summer. My daughter is using book 1 and it is a very gentle approach to grammar and copywork.

She is using The Good and Beautiful’s handwriting book and enjoys that one. Something new this school year is written narrations this is to her provide with opportunities for writing. In the past she kept a person journal but now that she is getting older I want her to have a little more formal practice with writing. She also reads aloud to me 2-3 times a week.

This breaks down to 2x a week she is working on Using Language Well and 2x a week she is reading to me and working on handwriting.

Math: My daughter has been using Teaching Textbooks for 3 years now. I am glad for an online course that takes care of it all. She watches the lecture, does her lesson, test are included, and she gets a grade for all of it. If she needs my help and I am working with another child she can skip to another question and then we can go back and work on the problems she needs a little more guidance on.

Math is done Tuesday-Friday with Mondays as I mentioned earlier for makeup day.

Like all things these plans are our habit but life happens and we get busy and some days work doesn’t happen. I just make a note of that in my planner so that I can make adjustments for the next week especially if the cause is a busy week.

Choosing the right 5th grade homeschool curriculum doesn’t have to be overwhelming — especially when you lean into what works best for your family’s rhythm, values, and goals. I hope this glimpse into our faith-based homeschool choices helps you feel more confident and equipped, whether you’re teaching one child or managing a full house like we are.

If you’re a fellow mom homeschooling a large Christian family, know that you’re not alone. There’s no “perfect” curriculum — just what fits your family, fosters faith, and grows a love for learning.

Looking for more help? Check out our curriculum choices for our Family subjects and 10th grade — or subscribe to the podcast for more encouragement and real-life tips from our homeschool journey.