best critical thinking homeschool curriculum

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Critical Thinking & Logic
The Amazing Dr. Ransom’s Bestiary of Adorable Fallacies: A Field Guide for Clear Thinkers
An Introduction to Logic and Philosophy
The Art of Argument, The Argument Builder, and The Discovery of Deduction
The Basics of Critical Thinking
Brain Teasers
The Consequences of Ideas (DVD or CD series)
Critical Conditioning
Critical & Creative Thinking Activities Series
Critical Thinking Company
Critical Thinking Detective: Math Series
Critical Thinking Detective Series
Critical Thinking Detective: Vocabulary Series
Crypt-O-Words
Developing Critical Thinking through Science, Books One and Two
Dish ‘em Out Game
The Fallacy Detective
A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking with Statistics and the Scientific Method
Fourmation Game
Good Ideas from Questionable Christians and Outright Pagans: An Introduction to Key Thinkers and Philosophies
Heroes & Villains: The Quest for Civic Virtue
How to Lie With Statistics
Introductory and Intermediate Logic Courses
Logic I: Tools for Thinking
Mind Benders
Philosophy for Kids: 40 Fun Questions That Help You Wonder About Everything!
Philosophy for Teens
Practical Critical Thinking for Grades 9-12+
Primary Analogies
Prufrock Press Logic and Thinking Skills books
Reading for Young Catholics (grades 3-8) and Thinking Skills (grades 4-8)
Ridgewood Analogies
Royal Fireworks Philosophy Curriculum
Scammed by Statistics
Science Detective
Science Mind Benders
SimplyFun Games
Skill Sharpeners: Critical Thinking
Smarty Pants Puzzles
Take 5! for Language Arts
The Thinking Toolbox
Traditional Logic
The Tuttle Twins: Choose Your Consequence Series
The Tuttle Twins Guidebooks
When Math Matters
Z-Guide to the Movies

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Featured Critical Thinking & Logic Resource

The Bluedorn family, longtime promoters of Christian classical education, encountered content problems in most critical thinking and logic resources. So the Bluedorn brothers, Nathaniel and Hans, put their heads together and came up with this excellent introduction to practical logic from their conservative Christian homeschoolers’ perspective.

Read full review for The Fallacy Detective

Popular Reviews: Critical Thinking & Logic

Note: Publishers, authors, and service providers never pay to be reviewed. They do provide free review copies or online access to programs for review purposes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guidelines Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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Critical Thinking Reviews

According to publisher’s materials, "Critical thinking is the identification and evaluation of evidence to guide decision making. A critical thinker uses broad in-depth analysis of evidence to make decisions and communicate his/her beliefs clearly and accurately." The resources are designed to help students develop analytical thinking processes. The various curricula including Grade Level Solutions in Math, Language Arts, Science and Reasoning sell for less than $40 each.

Website: Critical Thinking

( 7 Reviews )

Before investing in any homeschooling resources, please read " How to Choose the Best Homeschool Curriculum ."

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I would recommend for Preschool and first grade, especially.

We used Organizational Thinking in Elementary school. In junior high grades, we bought and used Riddle Spiders.

We bought a Science critical thinking book, but did not use. It was too involved a study for us with other curriculum we were using.

I have used several of their CDROM's as extra fun practice for my kids. I have not used them as a complete curriculum, only because we love what we are doing now 🙂 It has been a great add on to our current studies and my kids often ask for more.

It is hard for my children to stop working in these books and move on to other subjects. One page isn't enough. They really enjoy these.

My son has worked through most of the Critical Thinking, Book 1 and is ready to start Book 2. He uses these books in conjunction with an online class. Looking them over, it would be difficult to use with one student. The class discussion he does is highly valuable and with one student and one teacher, would be lost.

He is learning a great deal about propoganda, reasoning techniques, and how to think through ideas logically. He really enjoys the challenge of identifying different theories in what he reads and hears both in the book, and in real life, mostly with TV commericals and info-mercials. By the time he completes the second book, he will have a very good handle on the subject which will carry him through high school and beyond.

One of my biggest goals is to teach my children to think. These books are great for that. You can get the best value if you put them in clear protective pockets to reuse over and over. We recently installed the Word Builder CD rom. It is great for vocabulary skills.

My preschooler loves it! My 3rd grader has been using the program since preschool and thinks it's great. He does the core books for school and other books for fun (they are on his Christmas list). This is my 7th graders first year homeschooling and she hates the program. She says she just doesn't get it and it is a struggle for her. I don't know if it because it is her first year with critical thinking or the program.

These are addicting. My children can't do just one page; they love to keep working in these books. The younger children look at them like fun activity books, while the older ones look at them like mysteries to solve.

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My Favorite Workbook Based Homeschool Curriculums

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you). Please see my full Disclosure policy

As a homeschooling parent, one of the most critical decisions you’ll make is choosing the right curriculum for your child.

One popular option that provides structure, flexibility, and a wide range of key skills is the workbook based homeschool curriculum.

In this blog post, we will explore the advantages of using homeschool workbooks across different subjects, discuss their benefits for various grade levels, and provide an overview of my favorite homeschool curriculum workbooks.

Overall, the workbook-based curriculum is on the opposite spectrum of a Charlotte Mason-type curriculum . Honestly, I’ve blended these homeschool styles together with no issues.

Flexibility Across Different Subjects:

Homeschool workbooks offer a comprehensive range of subjects, allowing parents to tailor the curriculum to their child’s specific needs and interests. It’s easy to use a grade/level 3 in language arts and level 5 math for the same student. You can use any grade level you want or need to fit your child’s skills.

You can even buy different books for different subjects. There are no rules to follow when picking out a curriculum.

Easy Organization and Progress Tracking:

One of the greatest advantages of workbook-based homeschooling is the easy organization it offers. Each workbook contains a detailed table of contents, making it simple to navigate and plan lessons.

Most workbooks are sectioned out by days or lesson plans. It’s very open and go with little to no planning on your part.

Suitable for Different Grade Levels:

Workbook-based curriculums cater to homeschool students of all ages. Whether you have younger children just starting their educational journey or older kids in high school, there is a wide variety of workbooks available to suit their specific needs.

From essential homeschool 2nd-grade workbooks to comprehensive high school resources, these curriculums serve as a one-stop resource for families with multiple children at different grade levels.

Fun and Engaging Learning Experience:

Homeschool workbooks offer a range of fun curriculum-based exercises that engage your kids and make learning enjoyable. These workbooks can recommend hands-on activities, puzzles, and interactive page activities that not only reinforce key concepts but also keep students motivated and interested in their studies.

In general, I would say the workbook-based curriculum is lower on experiments and hands-on activities than most curriculums.

Workbook Based Homeschool Complete Curriculum

Abeka is a widely recognized homeschool curriculum known for its strong emphasis on traditional teaching methods. Their workbooks provide comprehensive coverage of every grade and subject area your child would need to learn.

Abeka workbooks are designed to build a solid foundation of knowledge and skills while promoting Christian values.

With a structured approach and rigorous content, Abeka workbooks are a popular choice for homeschooling families seeking a traditional and academically rigorous curriculum.

Abeka definitely has a “school at home” feel to it.

I do like Abeka for some children but in my opinion, it’s not the best fit for dyslexics or kids who need hands-on learning. Abeka has a tendency to be a bit dry if you use it for every single subject.

I also don’t think the teacher’s manuals are necessary for the younger grades. The “grade kits” can be pricy so we skipped those. I would rather my kids do the workbook and then we can add in our own hands-on projects.

Bob Jones BJU

Bob Jones BJU offers a comprehensive workbook-based curriculum that combines academic excellence with a biblical worldview, similar to Abeka.

Their workbooks cover a wide range of subjects, including language arts, math, science, social studies, and more. BJU workbooks integrate practical applications, critical thinking exercises, and engaging visuals to enhance the learning experience.

This curriculum places a strong emphasis on Christian values and provides a well-rounded education for homeschooled students.

The workbooks are less dry than Abeka overall but still lack some hands-on learning.

Both Abeka and BJU offer a strong and rigorous curriculum and those with learning disabilities may struggle with these companies. Both companies sell a lot of expensive extra stuff that may not be necessary.

Masterbooks

Masterbooks is a popular workbook-based homeschool curriculum known for its commitment to a biblical worldview and academic excellence.

Their workbooks cover a wide range of subjects, including language arts, math, science, and history.

Masterbooks workbooks emphasize critical thinking, character development, and a deep understanding of God’s creation.

With colorful illustrations, engaging activities, and age-appropriate content, Masterbooks provides homeschool students with a well-rounded education that integrates faith, knowledge, and practical skills.

This curriculum is more gentle than Abeka and BJU and incorporates Bible into the subjects instead of it being a separate subject.

I like the fact that it isn’t full of busy work and it gets right to the point of the lesson which makes it great for children with ADHD.

Lifepacs is a unique workbook-based homeschool curriculum offered by Alpha Omega Publications. Lifepacs are individual workbooks that cover various subjects, allowing homeschooling parents to customize their child’s education based on their specific needs and learning style.

Each Lifepac workbook focuses on a specific subject, such as language arts, math, science, history, or elective courses. With clearly structured units, self-paced lessons, and hands-on activities, Lifepacs provide a comprehensive and flexible curriculum that promotes independent learning and mastery of key concepts.

Lifepacs are super easy to take places and very open and go but can be a bit daunting and dry to use day after day. The content is strong but isn’t presented in an engaging manner.

This would be good for a child who is a self-learner.

Christian Light Education (CLE)

Christian Light Education (CLE) is a workbook-based curriculum that combines academic rigor with Christian values. CLE workbooks cover subjects such as math, language arts, science, and social studies.

The curriculum follows a mastery-based approach, allowing students to progress at their own pace and ensuring a solid foundation in each subject.

Christian Light Education workbooks incorporate engaging activities, real-life examples, and practical applications to facilitate understanding and retention of concepts.

With a focus on character development and a biblical perspective, CLE provides homeschooled students with a well-rounded education that integrates faith and academic excellence.

I loved using CLE’s math and language arts with my little kids. It was well-organized and rigorous. I don’t care for upper middle school and high school with this company.

Complete Grade-Level All In One Workbooks

There are several companies that make all in one grade level subject workbooks. I don’t think there is anything wrong with using these with younger kids here and there to fill in gaps or get extra practice.

I don’t think it’s a good all-in-one homeschool program or should be used year after year. Most of the all-in-one workbooks lack critical thinking skills and are more fill-in-the-blank.

These “complete” grade-level workbooks often found on Amazon will work in a pinch but I don’t think you should rely on them for your only curriculum.

If budget is the issue, I have a list of completely Free Homeschool Curriculum to choose from.

Making Workbook Based Homeschool Curriculum More Hands-On

Workbook-based homeschool curriculum provides homeschooling parents with a flexible and organized approach to education, catering to students across different grade levels but can be boring.

Honestly, it’s pretty easy to add field trips, science experiments from HomeScienceTools , library books, and videos to any of these workbook curriculums.

The workbooks make a great foundation for learning so all you need to do is spice things up when it fits your busy schedule.

Each of these curriculums offers unique features and approaches to homeschooling through workbooks.

It’s important to consider your child’s learning style, educational goals, and the values you wish to incorporate into their education when choosing the most suitable curriculum for your homeschooling journey.

Tell us about your favorite workbook based homeschool curriculums.

workbook based homeschool curriculum reviews

Thanks for sharing!

christian liberty press curriculum reviews

2 thoughts on “My Favorite Workbook Based Homeschool Curriculums”

Hi. We are new to homeschooling and this post has helped me tremendously. Thank you for taking the time to prepare it. It has helped answer so many questions in just minutes. So thank you. We are very appreciative of you for this.

Kind Regards, The Bryant Family

What math curriculum do you recommend following CLE, for the middle/high school years (or 4th grade and up)? My eldest transitioned out of CLE math in LU 605 due to overwhelm and lack of retention, and I anticipate my rising 4th grader will phase out even sooner due to lack of attention span/motivation, especially as CLE 4 math takes quite a jump. My eldest transitioned from CLE to Math-U-See; however, MUS is thus far boring or confusing to my rising 4th grader (finishing up CLE LU 310). Is something like BJU math the logical next step for her, perhaps? I appreciate your insight.

Critical Thinking Skills for Homeschoolers

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Critical thinking means evaluating an issue to form a judgment about it. A simple definition would be: thinking about the thinking behind something. Critical Thinking means challenging assumptions, those of other people and those in your own mind.

Critical Thinking for Homeschoolers

It’s important to equip homeschoolers with the observational and critical thinking skills that will make them great thinkers because these skills will serve them in all arenas for the rest of their lives.

Sure, some academic learning requires the memorization of facts that must simply be spit back to prove mastery of the material. But many subjects like literature, history, science, and social sciences are exciting places to instead focus on the art and skill of critical thinking.

What is critical thinking?

The definition of critical thinking is: the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue or of information in order to form a judgment.

Critical thinking skills are so very important for homeschool high schoolers! They had some good role models in the past:

Socrates was a Greek philosopher who loved conversation with his students. His idea of good teaching was to encourage his students to think for themselves rather than to simply repeat back what they had heard from him or any other teacher. He would ask them questions, and more questions, and more questions, until they would come to a wise conclusion. Sounds like a good approach to me!

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin tried to help young America to develop critical thinking skills. He famously wrote: “It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.”

Poor questions lead to poor critical thinking but good questions lead to good critical thinking

Counter-culture leader Timothy Leary later completely misused that idea in the late 1960’s in the United States. A Harvard professor, he questioned authority all the time while encouraging his students to experiment with drugs like LSD. Made sense to him but proved to be faulty critical thinking.

However, going back to Socrates, he probably provided the richest, most intelligent application of the healthy way of questioning authority a couple thousand years ago. It was the questioning leading to wisdom that made his questioning good. Questions that lead to wisdom are good questions that develop critical thinking for homeschoolers even today.

Give your teens an introduction to critical thinking with Socrates with 7Sisters literature study guide to accompany Books I and II of Plato’s Republic . Plato was a student of Socrates, and it is from his ancient writings that we have the most information about this wise and influential teacher.

7Sisters Literature Study Guide for Plato’s Republic follows our no-busywork format. Like all our user-friendly guides, instead of attempting to examine every element of a book, Plato’s Republic study guide chooses a couple of respected literary devices and use them as a focal point of study (in this case:

expository writing
delves into the philosophical ideas debated
evaluates Socratic method of instruction by dialogue

These lead to critical thinking skills development.

Like all our guides, The Republic of Plato contains information that makes it easy to adapt for use for teens with varying interests, abilities and needs:

Average High School
College Prep or
Honors level

This product downloads as two separate PDF files. One file is intended for student use. This document contains fillable fields so students can type their answers directly into the guide. The other document is the answer key, intended for the parent.

Teens can learn healthy questioning skills to build good critical thinking skills by learning from Plato and Socrates. Use 7SistersHomeschool's literature study guide for The Republic of Plato.

Godly critical thinking for homeschoolers

I remember seeing graffiti once that said, “Question Authority.” Underneath, some other person with no respect for bathroom walls had written, “What will you do if Authority answers?” As a Christian, I want my children to grow up questioning authority in an appropriate way. Before you decide I’m a heretic who is raising a generation of heretics, allow me to explain.

God loves conversation. He is not made uncomfortable by questions. Over and over again in the Bible we see people who were eager to follow after God who dared to ask Him questions. Our limited human minds, muddled by sin, lack the perfect understanding to always understand God’s wisdom. God invites, even encourages us to question Him when we do not understand. That questioning must be done in an attitude of humility, because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but it is not a sign of weak faith when we question Him because we TRULY DESIRE to hear His answer.

There are many earthly authorities, and none of them are right in EVERYthing they are saying. My children are growing up with the internet. Things that are published on the internet appear to speak with authority. They need the ability to discern truth from error regardless of the tone of authority in which something may be asserted.

By helping my students to observe and think critically about

the literature they are reading
the historical accounts they are studying
the current events they are observing
the scientific research they are examining

I can be much less afraid that their minds will be ruined by exposure to something contrary to God’s word. As students grow in wisdom and approach adulthood, I can equip them for thinking critically about the many words that will be spoken to them with authority, genuine or feigned.

And as far as the bathroom graffiti goes, doesn’t it stand to reason that students who question authority in an appropriate manner will RECOGNIZE and RESPECT it when true Authority answers? God loves to reveal truth to those who seek Him!

For a World History e-text full of encouragement for critical thinking, take a look at History and Philosophy of the Western World. This was my youngest son’s favorite History course in high school. Great stuff! Follow up the next year with Philosophy in 4 Questions (the basic how-to’s of philosophy for beginnings, believe it or not, this text makes it FUN).

Philosophy in 4 Questions. 7SistersHomeschool.com

Want to get started with critical thinking for your homeschoolers? Read this fun post about textbook errors from our friend, Susan at The Sparrow’s Home.

Now you can start critical thinking for your homeschoolers! They will be better prepared for life!

7Sisters email subscribers receive periodic practical encouragement, special offers and NO SPAM EVER.

Sabrina Justison

Well, bless your heart. What we always say is: There’s not ONE right way to homeschool.

Some interesting explanations Too much emphasis on the socrates/plato foundation for learning

The Joy of Teaching

Sharing creative ideas and lessons to help children learn.

best critical thinking homeschool curriculum

Critical and Creative Thinking Homeschool Curriculum Guide

August 17, 2017 by Evan-Moor | 0 comments

Click here to download Evan-Moor’s Critical and Creative Thinking Homeschool Curriculum Guide.

Critical and creative thinking skills are fabulous tools that kids can use to apply the skills they have learned.

If you are looking for resources for your kids to practice critical and creative thinking skills, Evan-Moor has resources that are kid-approved!

Each of these Evan-Moor titles invite kids to use thinking skills in realistic ways with simple activities.

There are a variety of ways you can use each of these Evan-Moor titles in some engaging activities throughout your homeschool day.

For a quick warm-up to your school day, Critical and Creative Thinking Activities offers imaginative activities to motivate students as they practice thinking in multiple ways.

The book is organized by theme-based topics that interest kids.

The pages are just the right balance of fun and challenge that kids can accomplish. My kids ask to do extra pages because they enjoy these books so much!

When you are ready to teach your child strategies for both logic and creativity, Thinking Skills is a great choice. Thinking Skills teaches your child creative, critical, and logical thinking skills with fun and engaging activities.

It is organized into short units that focus on a specific type of thinking skill. Each unit includes a teaching guide and shares ideas of modeling and practicing the thinking skills that go with each unit.

One of my absolute favorite Evan-Moor titles is Hands-on Thinking Activities . My kids enjoy these activities so much that they think we are just playing games! It makes logic and problem-solving a delight.

First, we do the activity together. Most of the time the kids can figure out the puzzle themselves, and I am there just to ask a guided question if needed.

They always ask to play it again after they are finished.

Then, I put the activity in our rotation of independent activities. For example, the kids can use these fun activities as a review activity in our workboxes.

Here is a blog post I did about using Hands-on Thinking Activities in our homeschooling.

Skill Sharpeners: Critical Thinking is organized into kid-friendly units. Each of the units practice a variety of critical thinking skills, which are listed on each activity page.

There is also a “Test Your Skills” page that can be used as an assignment if needed.

Both Hands-on Thinking Activities and Skills Sharpeners: Critical Thinking have colorful, hands-on activities that are great for workboxes!

ONE FINAL NOTE:

For additional guides by subject area, see Homeschool Curriculum Resources and Guides.

If you want to use any of these resources in your homeschooling, you can buy each of these titles individually.

You can also access all of the lessons in these books in Evan-Moor’s TeacherFileBox .

TeacherFileBox is a digital collection of lesson plans and activities from over 450 Evan-Moor titles in all subject areas. We use it every day of our homeschooling!

Click here to learn more about accessing TeacherFileBox instantly for $13/month or $99/year.

How to Choose the Best Homeschool Curriculum for Your Family

October 12, 2021 by Jenna

child looking over best homeschool curriculum

Shopping for the best homeschool curriculum can be a lot like shopping for a computer or even a car. You need your curriculum to fit your family’s needs and wants, especially if you’re looking for a Christian homeschool curriculum to support you in leading and discipling your children. Homeschool curriculums differ in their packaging and presentation, and it can be difficult to know what to look for with so many options. We’ll help you explore some popular curriculum choices, what they can offer your family, and how to choose the best curriculum for different grade, subjects, and learning abilities.

Homeschool curriculum comparison chart
Choosing the homeschool curriculum
Curriculum options by grade
Curriculum options by lifestyle
BJU Press Homeschool curriculum reviews

What is the best homeschool curriculum?

The best curriculum for your homeschool depends on your family’s needs and wants. To choose the best option for your family, you will need to consider your budget, your lifestyle, your children’s learning abilities and academic concerns, and your family’s spiritual goals. Your children’s preferences and interests may also be a significant factor in choosing a homeschool curriculum. When possible, make curriculum decisions in collaboration with your family.

The BJU Press homeschool curriculum specializes in offering biblically based, customizable material that meets learning standards, provides options for homeschooling families with busy schedules, and supports all learners with a multisensory approach.

Homeschool Curriculum Options

Different curriculum providers support or prefer different learning options, typically either independent learning or parent-led learning . With independent learning, the curriculum provides a resource that enables students to take charge over their own education, giving the parent or guardian more time to help other children, work, or complete other tasks. Either they provide student materials with video lessons to give the student a teacher, or they offer materials that a student could reliably use without teacher instruction. Parent-led learning means that you, the parent, or another adult, is present doing the teaching.

What to Look for in Independent Learning Curriculum

A curriculum provider with an independent learning option typically offers either online or DVD lessons. Online streaming lessons are convenient, but DVD lessons may be necessary if you don’t have a reliable internet connection or have limited computer availability.

If the curriculum’s independent learning option is textbook-only or assignment-only with no video instruction, review the curriculum with your child to ensure that instructions are clear enough for you and your child to use and that the reading level matches your child’s abilities. It is inadvisable to expect a child who struggles with reading comprehension to pursue independent learning with a program that relies heavily on textbooks and written assignments.

A curriculum should also equip parents for facilitating and supporting their independent learners. The curriculum should include access to teaching material, answer keys, and grading guides so parents are able to answer questions and provide additional insight if the student doesn’t understand initially.

What to Look for in Parent-Led Curriculum

Parent-led homeschool curriculum will give you everything you need to teach the course yourself—teacher editions with starting points for lesson planning, any additional insight you may need to teach the topic effectively, and options for assignments. For parent-led homeschooling, the teacher edition or instructor’s guide will be your best friend, so you should become familiar with it and pick a curriculum that you’re comfortable with using. In parent-led curriculum, you may find that less is not more. To teach children effectively, you need more than a one-size-fits all approach that tells you exactly what to do and when.

Whether you’re teaching your children yourself or using video lessons to allow for independent learning, you should be able to take out material or add material to customize your child’s education based on their needs. The best homeschool curriculum options will provide additional material for assignments, opportunities for enrichment, and options for challenging advanced learners—all so you can create a customized, multisensory learning experience that meets your child’s needs.

All-in-one homeschool curriculum package

Many curriculum providers also offer all-in-one options. An all-in-one homeschool curriculum provides all the materials needed to teach a child for a whole grade, or it provides all the materials needed to teach a child a single subject for a whole year. Some families may prefer to mix-and-match subjects from different publishers, while others might prefer to get it all together at one time.

Homeschool Curriculum Comparison Chart with All-in-One Options

Curriculum Publisher	Independent Learning Options	Parent-led Support	Biblically Based
BJU Press
Abeka
AOP
Sonlight	Math only
My Father’s World
Time4Learning
Easy-Peasy All-in-One Homeschooling
BookShark

How to Choose a Homeschool Curriculum

Keep several factors in mind as you’re shopping for curriculum.

1. Set your budget.

A homeschool curriculum isn’t as expensive as private school enrollment, but it’s also not free. If you’re operating on a single, limited income, you’re going to want your first choice of curriculum to be the right choice. Take your time when choosing and don’t be afraid to ask the company if they have opportunities for discounts.

2. Consider your lifestyle.

Your lifestyle may have more to say about your choice between parent-led and independent learning than your preferences do. If you’re an on-the-go family, you may not want to be tied to a bunch of books and resources, so an independent-learning streaming option with digital books may enable you to stay on-the-go and homeschool.

3. Integrate your worldview.

If you’re eager to disciple your children through their education, a secular curriculum publisher may work to cross purposes against your goals. Look for a curriculum that teaches each subject with the Bible as the foundation and starting place rather than treating the Bible like icing on the cake that is only loosely related to the subject.

4. Consider your child’s learning ability.

Learning should be challenging to students without undue stress. Your homeschool curriculum should encourage your children to grow while still being age and developmentally appropriate. It should also take multisensory learning into consideration.

5. Learn your state’s regulations.

The state you live in may have strict regulations for homeschooling families. Homeschooling in a state with heavy regulations can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Homeschool regulations affect your curriculum because your curriculum set up may make it easier or more difficult to comply with state regulations. States expect you to homeschool for a set amount of time per day or per year, and they expect to cover the required subjects. In some cases they may expect you to submit your curriculum or lesson plan for the year for evaluation.

6. Think about the size of your family.

If you have one or two children, you’ll have a lot more time and freedom for parent-led homeschooling or using a more hands-on approach. If you have multiple children, you may need a curriculum that supports group learning or other independent learning options.

Questions to Ask when Selecting a Homeschool Curriculum

What kind of discounts are available? Do they offer multi-course or multi-grade discounts?
Does the curriculum allow for flexibility? Can I use it however I want?
Does the curriculum include more than I may need so I can choose what I want to do?
Does the curriculum teach from a biblical worldview?
Does the curriculum encourage critical thinking skill development?
Will this curriculum enable me to meet my state’s standards while also leaving me in charge of my children’s education?
Am I looking for a new teaching approach or a familiar experience?

Best Homeschool Curriculum Options

Best curriculum for preschool.

Preschool is not a requirement for homeschooling parents in any state, and preschoolers should be focusing on the type of skills learned through play, so it’s typically best to avoid rushing into school. If your preschooler is eager to start learning like the big kids, look for a curriculum that develops gross and fine motor skills, introduces letter sounds and numbers, and develops communication skills by teaching color words, position words, and other helpful vocabulary.

Best Curriculum for Kindergarten

Kindergarten is also generally not required, but it can be important for equipping students for first grade. Don’t look for a curriculum that promises to teach your child to read. Children will read when they are ready. Instead, look for a curriculum that encourages learning through play, stories, and songs. For reading readiness and early writing practice, a good kindergarten curriculum will teach letter sounds, phonemic awareness, basic phonics skills, as well as fine motor skills related to pencil grip and tracing skills. To introduce math skills, kindergarten curriculum should focus on number sense and creating associations between number words and amounts through manipulatives.

Learn more about when to start homeschooling for kindergarten.

Best Curriculum for Elementary

Look for a curriculum that still encourages learning through play with many visual elements and uses manipulatives and hands-on activities to teach. Elementary curriculum should also focus heavily on reading comprehension and early critical thinking skills. Age-appropriateness will be a key factor for elementary students. Kids need to see the joy of learning, and overly complicated or dry textbooks will easily squelch their desire to learn.

Shop elementary homeschool curriculum by grade.

Best Curriculum for Middle School

Look for a curriculum that encourages study skills and critical thinking. These skills will be imperative for success in high school classes and will be key throughout your child’s life. Learning should be fun throughout a child’s education, but it should also be fun in an age-appropriate way. Middle schoolers are still kids, but they don’t want to be treated like kids. Curriculum should still be colorful and engaging, with hands-on, manipulative-based learning without silly, theme-based characters.

Shop middle school homeschool curriculum by grade.

Best Curriculum for High School

High school homeschool curriculum is often a question of academics, and your choice for high school curriculum will also depend on your child’s goals. If your child is college-bound or if you’re pursuing an accredited homeschool diploma, you’re also going to want to look for an academically rigorous homeschool curriculum that recognizes the standards and expectations students that attend a traditional school are held to. While you do not need to also meet those standards and expectations, a curriculum that recognizes those standards and prepares students to meet them will better prepare students for further education later.

Shop high school curriculum by grade.

10 th grade
11 th grade
12 th grade

Best Curriculum for Math

For a solid homeschool math curriculum, look for a curriculum that provides a manipulative-based, multisensory learning experience. Many parents also find that a spiral-approach is also preferred to give students consistent opportunities to review math skills and develop strong foundations. Math curriculum should also consider opportunities for STEM learning.

Best Curriculum for Science

The best homeschool science curriculum will provide abundant opportunities for hands-on and STEM learning. A Christian based science curriculum should cover the scientific method and basic scientific processes, and it should adequately cover both sides of controversial arguments that involve science. Critical thinking development will also be crucial for developing student scientists.

Best Curriculum for Language Arts

For a good language arts curriculum, look for English (writing and grammar), reading and literature, spelling, handwriting, and vocabulary curriculum that show the relevance of language arts for teaching communication skills and teaches phonics (in kindergarten and early elementary) and focuses on reading comprehension (throughout elementary, middle school, and high school). English programs should teach grammar in context and should show students how grammar applies to communication. Reading and literature curriculum should teach students strategies that help them read with comprehension.

Best Curriculum for History

Look for a history curriculum that shows the big picture and encourages children to see the connections between events. Children should also be able to understand historical perspectives by considering how people used to live and how events and beliefs influenced decisions. History curriculum should also encourage critical thinking.

Choosing a homeschool curriculum based on lifestyle

Large families.

Look for a homeschool curriculum that allows for independent learning and can be used for group learning.

Working Parents

Again, homeschool curriculum with independent learning options will typically work best if both parents are working, so long as at least one parent can spend some time assisting young learners.

Learning Disabilities

Look for a homeschool curriculum and curriculum provider that encourages customizability with video programs that can be used whenever and rewatched as needed (if you want to use video support). You will also want a program that can be customized according to your child’s needs, so you may want to add in or take out assignments based on areas your child struggles in or is successful in.

Gifted Children

Look for a homeschool curriculum that can be made more or less challenging as needed and that can be adjusted to your child’s pace. Gifted children may need to proceed through parts of a curriculum more quickly while they may want to slow down and take their time in other parts. Their curriculum, whether independent or parent-led, should be able to adjust to their pace.

Searching for a Christian-based homeschool curriculum?

BJU Press Homeschool provides biblically based homeschool video courses and textbooks. We create each textbook starting with a biblical worldview and using what the Bible says to direct how we teach each academic discipline. Our videos are all taught by Christian teachers with a heart for helping children serve the Lord through their teaching.

Our Top-Rated Homeschool Curriculum

What do our homeschooler families have to say about our materials?

BJU Press Grade 4 review

If you are hesitant, just buy it. The teacher is great! She is great at explaining each math section. The video lessons are not boring and it is very interactive despite being a recording. My kid feels like she is there with the teacher. Highly recommend this product!

BJU Press Grade 5 review

This is my 7th year homeschooling. BJU Press came highly recommended, and it did NOT disappoint. BJU Press is engaging, thorough, and filled with opportunities to use critical thinking skills. BJU Press makes it easy to follow along without getting overwhelmed or confused. We will definitely be using BJU for a long time. Thank you!

– Stephanie

BJU Press Cultural Geography review

This is my 2nd year homeschooling my 3 boys. 1 in high school and 2 in elementary. I absolutely fell in love with the curriculum BJU Press offers! Each page is so colorful and the organization it provides is phenomenal. It definitely makes it easier on a newbie homeschooling parent like me. My kids are actually excited about doing their schoolwork! For the first time my high schooler is having fun reading and learning the material. Every page keeps him interested. I definitely would recommend BJU curriculum to anyone. In fact, I already do!

– Crystal

BJU Press English 6 review

We’ve tested other curriculum and my kids all asked to return to BJU Press English student worktexts this year. We love the worksheet format and the ease of use. It’s also the most comprehensive we’ve found.

– Amanda

BJU Press K5

I loved the Focus on Fives BJU Press curriculum! It was thorough, fun, and engaging. The phonics program uses creative, fun and helpful characters to help kids learn to read . . . . The whole program is well organized, engaging, and a lot of fun! . . . All the curriculum is thorough, biblical, high quality, engaging, and very enjoyable!! I highly recommend!

– Katie

BJU Press Math 3

We first found out about BJU Press at a homeschool fair. Previously, we thought we were happy with our current curriculum company. After seeing BJU Press on display, we quickly purchased their materials and have loved them ever since! I love that you can purchase the entire set with tests included. That makes it super convenient! We also love the bright colors and fun pages that each lesson contains. Learning should be fun, and the BJU Press math set is a super fun and thorough 3rd grade set!

– Linna

About Jenna

Jenna, lead copywriter at BJU Press, holds a BA in creative writing and an MA in English. Though her homeschooling experience was somewhat unstructured, she appreciates the flexibility of homeschooling since it allowed her to spend most of her time reading. Now Jenna enjoys reading and writing fiction in her spare time. Read more posts by Jenna .

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Are Your Kids Exceeding State And Federal Standards?

Homeschool Curriculum

May 16, 2005, by The Critical Thinking Co. Staff

Homeschooling has become an increasingly popular option for parents as the public school system in the US has steadily declined. Though someday--hopefully--that downward trend will be reversed, parents needing immediate results often turn to homeschooling rather than paying expensive, private school tuition. These parents then come up against the problem facing professional educators, making certain that students meet or exceed state and federal standards.

The Critical Thinking Co. provides both core-curriculum and supplemental homeschool solutions that meet federally mandated standards as well as many state standards. The Critical Thinking Co. books and software go even further, though, to produce students who perform beyond what the government expects through curricula that focus on critical thinking, reasoning, and problem solving in all subjects.

Logic and reasoning obviously apply to math and science, but their application to other subjects like history, language, and social studies is just as important. The Critical Thinking Co. products teach children the facts and fundamentals, but they also encourage students to ask questions and to formulate answers based on those fundamentals. Whether for a Pre-K head start or for college preparation, The Critical Thinking Co. helps students learn to think for themselves.

The Critical Thinking Co. has been producing products and curricula for homeschool and gifted programs for 50 years. Unlike many other products, The Critical Thinking Co. guarantees better grades or your money back.

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Critical Thinking and Logic in Your Homeschool

Critical thinking and logic aren’t quite the same things, although we often treat them as if they are. They are related. Think of how correlation and causation are related. Don’t run away in fear; this isn’t too academic although I could totally nerd out on this stuff.

Critical thinking hinges around questioning information and data. Logic is more of the art (or science) of reasoning. Logic is used to evaluate the answers to the questions you asked.

In science, we talk about evidence-based protocols. The evidence is evaluated through a lens of reasoning. You’ve probably come across terms like deductive and inductive reasoning before. (Maybe on Baker Street- for you Sherlock Holmes fans) In fact, there is a whole area of science education focused on the claim-evidence-reasoning cycle.

Basically, when we are trying to build critical thinking skills, we are doing it by building our kids’ logic muscles.

Just to let you know, this post may contain affiliate links.

Help Kids Become Better Critical Thinkers

So…this depends on age. What we expect of a 5-year-old and what we expect of a 10-year-old are going to be quite different. The same is true for all of the stages. One thing to keep in mind is that many of the skills we think of as essential to critical thinking don’t fully develop until a person is in their early to mid-twenties.

This is also a reason that having mixed ages groups, like our typical homeschool families and groups, can be so beneficial. Younger kids are always seeing how older kids are reasoning out bigger problems and can begin to mirror that back at relatively young ages. If you’ve ever had your child repeat something you wished they hadn’t, you know all too well about the ability of little kids to mimic.

So, with that being said, the best way to create critical thinkers is to create an atmosphere that supports problem-solving. This can be done organically with chores around the house, in our academic lessons, and in various games that use strategy as a central component.

Critical Thinking and Logic Around the House

Chores always seem to create a perfect environment for the creation of problems. It doesn’t matter how many chore lists and job charts you make, a problem can always be created, I mean found . Our go-to in these numerous situations with four kids is, figure it out . Emphasis intended.

It is easy to see problems. That is the first step, but now we ask our kids to figure out solutions. You can’t reach it? Get a stool. You don’t know where it goes? Create a basket or pile and put things that you don’t know where they go there while you continue to do everything else. Toilet clogged? Well, that is a different thing, but you see the point.

Evaluating and problem-solving are essential to the development of critical thinking and logic skills.

Academic Lessons & Critical Thinking

Everyone loves a good mystery. It can turn boring academic lessons into something exciting, and when our brains are excited we are learning more. Win=Win. I like to include both logic puzzles and academic escape rooms in our homeschool. Leading questions can even start the ball rolling. Remember again to keep the kids’ ages in mind. Logic is a skill that develops over time to create strong critical thinkers.

Critical Thinking Games

We are a game household and immediately began embracing gameplay to help strengthen the executive function and critical thinking skills of our family. Our favorites include games like Sherlock, Ticket to Ride (they have Junior and Older editions), Forbidden Island (cooperative, yes), and Catan. All of these games include components of metacognition (thinking about thinking) that help build that logic muscle.

How do you increase critical thinking and logic in your kids? Share with us below! We’d love to know what you do!

About the author

Kim is writer and owner of The Learning Hypothesis. She is a “retired” professor and K-12 educator that now homeschools her own children. She has a passion for the sciences and wants to help ignite that passion in kids. Her goal is to provide support to parents, teachers, homeschoolers, and community educators so that they can create enriching and engaging science experiences.

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10 Best AMERICAN Homeschool Curriculum Programs & Packages

February 8, 2023
Homeschool Curriculum & Reviews

Homeschooling is an increasingly popular educational option for families, and can offer a unique learning experience for students. With an American homeschool curriculum, parents are able to provide their children with quality instruction and content, allowing them to learn at their own pace in a comfortable environment. An American homeschool curriculum provides a range of educational resources to help guide instruction, including online courses, textbooks, activity books, and more.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog post. If you want to do my course on how to homeschool, click here .

Also, if you’re new to homeschooling join the Homeschool Mastery Program for new homeschoolers. It offers comprehensive knowledge and helps build confidence in homeschooling. The course is engaging and enlightening.

Checkout these fantastic American homeschool curriculum programs.

Affiliate links are used on this website.

Why Choose an American Homeschool Curriculum Program

Choosing an American homeschool curriculum is one of the best decisions a parent can make when it comes to their child’s education.

American homeschool curricula are some of the most comprehensive, well-rounded, and up-to-date selections available in the world .

American homeschool programs are great because the United States has been producing homeschool material for many more years compared to other countries (which have only just started seriously producing curriculum programs in the last decade).

With an emphasis on critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and global perspectives , these curricula stand out from traditional schooling methods as being particularly beneficial for young learners.

American homeschool curricula allow students to explore a wide range of topics beyond just math and reading.

From language arts to science, history to art, students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning process and discover subjects that interest them most.

American programs also have more electives that are based on the American way of thinking (patriotism etc).

Also, an American homeschool program is more likely to be strongly rooted in a biblical worldview .

By contrast, Australian homeschool curriculum options tend to be more secular and encourage less critical thinking.

Also, if you’re trying to keep to the homeschool laws and requirements in your state, you may find an American curriculum hits more of the syllabus goals than another country’s curriculum does.

BJU Press (The Delux Version)

BJU Press is a Christian publisher that provides educational materials for K-12 students.

The company emphasizes a strong biblical worldview in its curriculum and aims to instill biblical principles and values in students.

BJU Press is known for offering high-quality educational materials, including video lessons for busy parents and teacher manual options for those who prefer to homeschool their children.

Compared to other similar Christian curriculum providers such as Abeka , BJU Press is often considered more affordable while still maintaining its commitment to academic excellence and a biblical worldview.

Abeka (The Good Version)

Abeka is a Christian publishing company that provides educational materials, including textbooks, videos, and support resources, for homeschoolers and private schools.

It offers a comprehensive curriculum for kindergarten through 12th grade, with a strong emphasis on traditional academic subjects and biblical values.

The curriculum is known for its rigorous academic standards and comprehensive coverage of subjects.

Abeka also has a distance education option called Abeka Academy .

The academy offers live, online classes taught by certified teachers (BJU Press also offers distance education like AA), as well as access to the complete Abeka curriculum materials.

This program allows students to experience a traditional classroom setting from the comfort of their own homes, while still having the flexibility to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule.

See a review of Abeka here .

Compass Classroom (Online Classical* American Homeschool Curriculum)

Compass Classroom is an online homeschool curriculum that teaches through video lessons. What is really cool about CC is the teachers they use.

All the lessons are by lecturers who know their stuff! They’re entertaining and engaging.

Students learn more things in less time. They also have a comprehensive classical curriculum that is designed to be used in homeschool settings .

With four levels and over 500 lesson plans, Compass Classroom offers students a well-rounded educational experience.

I use their Latin program myself and I love it!

*(Make sure you take the free homeschool-style quiz to identify the right method for you .)

You can read a Compass Classroom review here .

LifePac (Self-Paced Mastery-Based American Curriculum)

LIFEPAC is a boxed homeschool curriculum produced by Alpha Omega Publications (AOP) that is designed for grades K-12.

It is a mastery-based curriculum , meaning that students must demonstrate mastery of a subject before moving on to the next unit. This approach helps students retain what they have learned and develop a deep understanding of the subjects they are studying.

LIFEPAC covers a range of subjects, including language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and Bible, and is designed to provide a comprehensive education that is both rigorous and engaging.

The curriculum includes a variety of activities, including reading and writing exercises, hands-on projects, and critical thinking questions, that help students apply what they have learned and develop a love of learning.

Parents choose LIFEPAC for a number of reasons.

Firstly , the mastery-based approach helps students retain what they have learned and develop a deep understanding of the subjects they are studying .

Secondly , the boxed format of the curriculum makes it convenient and accessible for homeschooling families, and the comprehensive coverage of subjects makes it a popular choice for families who want a complete education for their children.

Thirdly , the curriculum’s rigorous and engaging approach helps students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as a love of learning.

You can read a Lifepac review here .

Schoolhouse Teachers (The Super-Affordable, Get-Everything American Curriculum)

Schoolhouse Teachers is an online homeschooling program (with printable PDFs) that provides a full curriculum for families who want a more flexible and affordable way to homeschool .

It offers a HUGE range of electives , including courses in

foreign languages, and
life skills,

These are in addition to the core subjects of math, science, history, and language arts .

The program also provides open-and-go homeschool curriculum boxes, which include all the materials and resources needed for each subject, making it easy for parents to get started with homeschooling right away.

In addition to the open-and-go curriculum boxes, Schoolhouse Teachers provides a wealth of resources and support for homeschooling families, including lesson plans, quizzes, and assessments , as well as a community forum where members can connect with other homeschooling families and exchange ideas and support.

I can recommend this program and am currently using it myself in addition to BJU Press.

You can read a Schoolhouse Teachers review here .

Classical Conversational (A Community-Centered Classical Approach)

Classical Conversations is an excellent program for students who want to learn Latin and Greek in a community-centered and classical approach .

Classical Conversations combines in-person classes with at-home study and is designed to be used in conjunction with a range of other homeschooling resources.

The program provides a comprehensive education in the classical disciplines, including history, science, mathematics, language, and the arts .

Parents choose Classical Conversations for a number of reasons.

Firstly , the program provides a comprehensive and challenging classical education that helps students develop a deep understanding of the liberal arts and sciences.

Secondly , the combination of in-person classes and at-home study makes it a flexible and accessible option for homeschooling families.

Thirdly , the focus on language, history, and the arts helps students develop critical thinking and communication skills, as well as a love of learning.

Overall, Classical Conversations is a popular choice for homeschooling families who want a classical education for their children. This American homeschool curriculum combines in-person classes with at-home study and provides a comprehensive education in the liberal arts and sciences, as well as critical thinking and communication skills.

You can read a Classical Conversations review here .

Heart of Dakota (A Charlotte Mason Option)

Heart of Dakota is a Charlotte Mason option for homeschooling . This program is designed to promote independent study and personal growth for students. The aim is to prepare them for adult life!

According to the website, “Every student has something unique to offer the world!”; this curriculum offers numerous options for each student so that they can learn from their own strengths and interests.

Students are encouraged to read and write in their free time as well as throughout their lessons.

The program also emphasizes the importance of thinking and speaking in an active manner through games, activities, conversation starters, projects, presentations, and discussions.

This program is perfect for children who enjoy being creative while learning!

Memoria Press (Classical American Homeschool Curriculum)

Memoria Press is a Christian classical education publisher that provides educational materials for homeschooling families and private schools.

The company’s curriculum is based on the classical education model, which emphasizes the Trivium.

The Trivium is a three-part approach to learning that consists of:

the Grammar Stage (kindergarten to 6th grade),
the Logic Stage (7th to 9th grade), and
the Rhetoric Stage (10th to 12th grade).

In the Grammar Stage, students learn the fundamentals of each subject through memorization and repetition.

In the Logic Stage, students learn to analyze and logically deduct information.

In the Rhetoric Stage, students learn to communicate effectively and persuasively.

Memoria Press also emphasizes the study of Latin, which is considered a cornerstone of classical education. Latin is taught as a means of strengthening students’ understanding of grammar and vocabulary, as well as enhancing their ability to read and understand classical literature.

The curriculum provided by Memoria Press is designed to help students develop a strong foundation in the liberal arts and prepare them for college and beyond. The company’s materials are known for their high academic standards and traditional approach to education, and are used by homeschooling families and private schools across the United States.

You can read a Memoria Press review here .

Apologia (Best Creation Science American Curriculum)

Apologia is a Christian publisher that provides an American homeschool curriculum for students in grades K-12.

The curriculum is designed to provide a comprehensive and rigorous education with a focus on science . It emphasizes hands-on learning and encourages students to explore their interests and develop critical thinking skills.

Apologia is known for its clear and concise writing style, as well as its thorough coverage of subjects. The curriculum includes a range of subjects, including biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, botany, zoology, and more .

People choose Apologia for a number of reasons.

Firstly , the curriculum is written from a biblical worldview and is designed to help students understand the world and their place in it from a Christian perspective.

Secondly , Apologia’s hands-on approach to learning makes science and other subjects more accessible and engaging for students.

Lastly , the clear writing style and thorough coverage of subjects make it a popular choice for homeschooling families who want a comprehensive and high-quality curriculum for their children.

Notgrass History (Best American History Curriculum)

Notgrass History is a Christian publisher that provides a homeschooling curriculum in American and world history .

The curriculum is designed to provide a comprehensive and engaging education in history and is known for its unique approach to the subject.

Notgrass History emphasizes storytelling and focuses on the people, events, and ideas that have shaped history.

The curriculum includes a range of primary source materials, including letters, speeches, and poems, which are used to bring history to life for students .

People choose Notgrass History for a number of reasons.

Firstly , the curriculum is written from a biblical perspective and helps students understand history in the context of God’s story.

Secondly , the focus on storytelling and primary source materials makes history more engaging and accessible for students.

Thirdly , the curriculum covers a wide range of historical periods and events, providing students with a comprehensive education in history.

Overall, Notgrass History is a popular American homeschool curriculum for homeschooling families who want a comprehensive and engaging program in American and world history.

The curriculum is designed to help students understand the past, think critically about history, and see their place in the larger story of God’s work in the world .

Saxon Math Curriculum

Saxon Math is a comprehensive American mathematics curriculum for grades K-12.

It is known for its incremental approach to learning mathematics, where new concepts build on previously learned concepts .

This approach helps students retain what they have learned and develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts.

Saxon Math is also known for its emphasis on problem-solving and critical thinking .

The curriculum includes a wide range of exercises and activities that help students apply mathematical concepts to real-world situations and develop their problem-solving skills.

Parents choose Saxon Math for a number of reasons.

Firstly , the incremental approach to learning helps students retain what they have learned and develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts.

Secondly , the emphasis on problem-solving and critical thinking helps students apply mathematical concepts to real-world situations and develop their problem-solving skills.

Thirdly , the comprehensive coverage of mathematical concepts, from basic arithmetic to advanced topics like calculus, makes it a popular choice for homeschooling families who want a high-quality and complete mathematics education for their children.

You can read a review of Saxon Math here .

Explode your homeschool skills!

So, you’ve learned a lot about American homeschool curriculum programs.

But you may want to learn more about homeschooling in general. There are two great ways to learn more about homeschooling: one is free, and one is a $67 fundamentals course .

1. The Ultimate Homeschool Parenting Program

Transform your homeschooling experience and take it to the next level with our comprehensive online course .

Led by expert educator Rebecca Devitt, you’ll learn the strategies and techniques you need to succeed in homeschooling. This program is packed with valuable resources, a personalized curriculum, and an effective way to manage your time that will help your children thrive.

You’ll have lifetime access to the course for just $67.

2. The Free How to Homeschool YouTube Channel

Want something better than a homeschool blog? Look no further than the How to Homeschool YouTube channel !

This channel is designed to help homeschooling parents with expert tips, educational content, and a wide range of resources.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or new to the homeschooling world, you’ll find something valuable on our channel. And the best part? It’s completely free!

Starting homeschool
Homeschool Methods
Homeschool Curriculum and
FAQs on Homeschooling

I know you’re going to love the channel!

Conclusion on American Homeschool Curriculum Programs

In conclusion, choosing an American homeschool curriculum offers numerous benefits. Not only will it help provide a solid educational foundation for your children, but it also allows you to customize their learning experience in American ways that are tailored to their individual abilities and interests. Furthermore, the flexibility of homeschooling ensures that you have the freedom to choose a curriculum that works best for your family’s lifestyle and budget.

I love comments. Please comment below.

Rebecca Devitt

Most adults don't particularly want to relive their schooling experience on a daily basis. They would gladly move on to a new life devoid of homework and teachers. Very, very few adults will passionately blog about their schooling some 15 years after graduating. This makes Rebecca Devitt somewhat unique. As it happens, she was homeschooled. And she loved it. Still does. And she wishes every kid could get a taste of homeschooling at its very best. Her website How Do I Homeschool , is a springboard for parents to see what a life of homeschooling could be for both them & their children. When she's not blogging Rebecca is still homeschooling her-adult-self by learning Latin, growing weird vegetables and most importantly looking after her two children Luke & Penny. She has a husband Tristan and is a participant at Wollongong Baptist Church. She's also written a book about why parents should homeschool called 'Why on Earth Homeschool' .

Best Cheap Homeschool Curriculum Options. Choose a budget-friendly Homeschooling program that will not break the budget.

10 Affordable Homeschool Curriculum PICKS [2024]

What is Miaplaza Inc Always Ice-Cream, Clever Dragons, and Miacademy.

Miacademy Review || Homeschool Curriculum [MUST-READ] 2024

$We used this kindergarten maths for homeschool and we loved it. My son thrived and enjoyed the manipulatives so much.$

BJU Press Online Math K5 REVIEW (with Mrs. Rulapaugh)

Critical Thinking

Across the disciplines, foster your students' critical thinking, skills with our free curriculum.

Developed by active high school humanities and STEM teachers, Zach Cresswell and William Reusch , this free critical thinking curriculum is a game-changer for K-12 education .

Generously funded by heterodox academy , this comprehensive curriculum equips students with essential critical thinking skills that are desperately needed in today's society., flexible and adaptable, this curriculum is designed to integrate seamlessly into your existing courses as a supplemental element. it provides a framework and a curated collection of resources , allowing you to make it your own and tailor it to the unique needs of your students., we understand that educators often feel shackled to rigid curricula, but with this curriculum, you have the freedom to eliminate or extend content , encourage deeper classroom discussions , or incorporate additional resources ..

Grade Recommendation: 11th & 12th grade

Estimated Instructional Time: Varies based on pacing, reading resources & modifications made.

What's included ...

These are some of the features and resources included in the curriculum:.

Comprehensive Lessons & Activities: The curriculum provides a structured framework with detailed lessons and activities designed to promote critical thinking skills.

Recommended Resources: The curriculum suggests relevant books and resources to supplement learning, including titles such as "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman and "You Are Not So Smart" by David McRaney.

Teacher Guides: The curriculum includes teacher guides that provide additional support, explanations, and guidance for implementing the lessons effectively

Slide Presentations: Slide presentations accompany various lessons, offering visual aids and engaging content to enhance student understanding.

Videos: The curriculum incorporates video resources, such as videos on System 1 and System 2 thinking, to further illustrate key concepts and engage students.

Worksheets and Activities: Various worksheets and activities are included to reinforce learning and encourage students to apply critical thinking skills in practical scenarios.

Key Terms: The curriculum provides a list of key terms, ensuring students grasp important concepts and develop a shared vocabulary related to critical thinking.

Assignment Options: The curriculum offers different assignment options, including debates, discussions, and written assignments, allowing teachers to tailor activities to their students' needs and preferences.

Our curriculum is designed to equip educators with a well-rounded and easily accessible toolkit to foster critical thinking skills among their students and promote engaging and thought-provoking discussions and activities.

What information is covered in this curriculum, featuring a breakdown of five comprehensive units, our curriculum covers a wide range of critical thinking topics that empower students to evaluate, analyze, and reason effectively. let's take a closer look:, unit 1 - thinking clearly: exploring human nature and moral frameworks.

In this unit, your students will delve into the complexities of human nature by studying the works of Enlightenment Thinkers, including Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. They will apply their understanding of how the mind works and develop the skills to evaluate and compare different moral frameworks.

Key topics covered include:

- Humility and Productive Uncertainty: Fostering an open mindset for critical thinking.

- The Two Systems for Thinking: Understanding the dual processes of intuitive and deliberate thinking.

- Critical Features of Our Brain: Unveiling the intricacies of cognitive processes.

- Bias: Fooling Each Other, Fooling Ourselves: Recognizing and overcoming cognitive biases.

- Moral Foundations & Philosophy: Exploring the ethical dimensions of human behavior.

Estimated Duration: 5-6 weeks

Unit 2 - Civics: Understanding the Constitutional Structure and Political Thought

In this unit, your students will gain a deep understanding of the Constitutional structure of the United States and develop the ability to represent perspectives from across the spectrum of political thought.

- Constitutional Structure: Exploring the foundations of the United States' governmental system.

- Rights & Responsibilities: Understanding the rights and duties of citizens.

- The Spectrum of Political Thought: Analyzing diverse political ideologies.

Estimated Duration: 3 weeks

Unit 3 - Logical Reasoning: Mastering Formal Logic and Reasoning Techniques

In this unit, your students will sharpen their logical and reasoning skills by applying the rules of formal logic. They will learn techniques such as straw manning, steel manning, devil's advocate, tautologies, ad hominems, and more.

- Foundations of Reasoning: Building a solid foundation in the principles of reasoning.

- Foundations of Logic: Understanding the fundamentals of logical thinking.

- Applications of Logic: Applying logical reasoning in different contexts.

- Applications of Reasoning: Developing persuasive arguments through effective reasoning.

Estimated Duration: 4-5 weeks

Unit 4 - Media: Analyzing Media Bias and Current Events

In this unit, your students will critically analyze the biases that influence the flow of information in the era of social media. They will construct a coherent interpretation of current events and understand the role of journalism as the fourth estate.

- Journalism: The 4th Estate: Examining the role of journalism in society.

- Rights & Responsibilities: Understanding the rights and responsibilities of journalists and media consumers.

- The Spectrum of Political Thought: Exploring how different perspectives shape media narratives.

Estimated Duration: 2 weeks

Unit 5 - Social Structures: Unveiling Societal Structures and Patterns

In this unit, your students will utilize probability and statistical reasoning to identify societal structures and patterns, enabling them to develop a macro-level view of the world.

- Reasoning with Probability: Understanding the role of probability in making informed decisions.

- Reasoning with Statistics: Analyzing data and drawing meaningful conclusions.

- Game Theory: Exploring strategic decision-making in different scenarios.

- Navigating Complex Systems: Understanding complex systems and their impact on society.

Get started today!

Join us in nurturing the critical minds of the future..

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Teaching Critical Thinking Skills In Your Homeschool: Logic Made Easy

How can we foster critical thinking at home? Teaching critical thinking skills in your homeschool can be a lot of fun! Teaching logic to our homeschoolers is important because it’s the best way we can help our kids learn to be problem-solvers who make sound judgments.

Critical thinking skills don’t come naturally, but I’ll admit that adding another thing to our homeschool day wasn’t appealing to me in the beginning. Thankfully, there are lots of quick and fun ways to incorporate logic and build critical thinking skills with your homeschoolers.

Check out all our favorite critical thinking resources, games, and activities to get some great ideas for your homeschoolers. These fun activities will make it easy to practice logic in your homeschool this year.

Can Critical Thinking Skills Be Taught?

Being able to think critically is a skill that I assumed just came naturally. It definitely does not come naturally though. It is a skill that needs to be exercised, frequently.

Teaching our homeschoolers to use logic will help them to develop critical thinking skills they can depend on throughout life. Critical thinking skills help us to solve problems and make good decisions.

You can teach critical thinking skills in your homeschool in all sorts of creative ways. We like to use games to help sharpen our critical thinking skills here at the Waldock Way. Believe it or not, video games are great for teaching logic too.

Video games present players with complex problems and a variety of outcomes. Solving these on-screen dilemmas helps kids learn to formulate solutions, consider viable alternatives, and make good decisions.

How We Foster Critical Thinking At Home

There are lots of ways we can help foster critical thinking at home with our family. Playing games is a fun way to learn all sorts of things and logic is no different. You can read more about how we use gameschooling for other subjects in our Guide to Gameschooling .

You can foster critical thinking in your homeschool in all kinds of ways! Check out some of my favorite simple ways to teach logic at home:

Debate Everything

If your kids love to argue, channel that energy into teaching them how to debate effectively. Debate helps homeschoolers look at alternate explanations and outcomes. Plus, it’s an excellent way to develop communication skills.

Read Diverse Material

Another way to help kids learn to consider lots of possibilities is to provide them with lots of diverse reading material. Look for books from different perspectives. Twisted Fairytales , classic fairytales written from the villain’s perspective, are a great way to do this with elementary homeschoolers.

Learn From Everything

As homeschoolers, we naturally seek out learning opportunities in every scenario. Helping our kids see that learning is a mindset is an important first step to teaching them to approach things critically.

We can learn from time spent in nature, great conversations, fun games, and observing the world around us. Teach your homeschoolers to consider what they see and experience and provide supporting evidence for their claims.

Playing games is one of our favorite ways to learn everything! We love learning through games and discovering ThinkFun games was a lifesaver for us.

Develop Critical Thinking Skills With Games

ThinkFun is the world’s leader in addictively fun games that stretch and sharpen your mind. They have a large variety of games but some of our absolute favorites for logic are the single-player games because Emily can play them independently. When you’re homeschooling an only child , independent activities are really important.

I can leave a ThinkFun game out for Emily to play alone or we can take turns playing the game. It’s fun to challenge each other to “level up” each time we play. We call it leveling up because the cards are labeled from easiest to hardest.

Adding these games to our homeschool days has been such an easy way to incorporate logic lessons and build critical thinking skills. We don’t play them every day, but I try to make sure we are playing one of them once or twice each week. Check out our favorites:

Hoppers – Hoppers is a peg solitaire jumping game – set the frogs on the pond, then jump frogs until only one is left standing.

Shape by Shape – Shape By Shape is an advanced tangram-style pattern game, made more difficult because you also fill in the frame around each shape you make.

IZZI – This pattern matching puzzle consists of 64 square tiles, each printed with a black and white geometric pattern. Your goal is to assemble the tiles into an 8×8 square following the IZZI rule: In order to place two tiles adjacent to one another, their colored edges must match up precisely.

Rush Hour – You have to battle the gridlock as you slide the blocking vehicles out of the way for the red car to exit. For younger children, there is Rush Hour Jr. and for older children who finish the included challenges, you can buy additional challenge cards .

Gravity Maze – Gravity Maze is a gravity-powered logic maze game that builds reasoning skills and visual perception. Dropping the marble and watching it go through the maze successfully is so satisfying.

Laser Maze – Laser Maze requires you to use mirrors, beam-splitters, a little science, and brainpower to direct the laser through a series of mind-challenging mazes and light up the target.

Roller Coaster Challenge – With this game, you get to build your very own roller coaster. Choose a challenge card and set up the beginning pieces, then add the missing ones to complete the coaster.

Balance Beans – Balance Beans is a logic game and math game all in one. Set up the Red Beans according to the Challenge Card. Then carefully place the colorful Beans on the Seesaw to keep it from teetering.

Cat or Dog Crimes – Use your problem-solving skills to figure out where each animal was at the time of the crime. These games are equally amazing and the gameplay is very similar. I suggest buying based on which you like more cats or dogs.

Chocolate Fix – Using the clues, fill the tray with all nine chocolate pieces in their correct positions. Similar to Sudoku, you must examine all clues on the challenge card before making a move.

ThinkFun also has fun downloadable logic games and brainteasers that you can use in your homeschool today for free. How do you teach logic in your homeschool?

Share your favorite ways to build critical thinking skills at home in the comments. I can’t wait to read them!

One Comment

We love these types of games! Before our little was born they were recommended to me for brain injury recover to help rebuild some of those vital logic skills! We really do appreciate what they can do for your mind!

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Home School (Grades K-12)

"...the intellect, which has been disciplined to the perfection of its powers, which knows, and thinks while it knows, which has learned to leaven the dense mass of facts and events with the elastic force of reason, such an intellect cannot be partial, cannot be exclusive, cannot be impetuous, cannot be at a loss, cannot but be patient, collected and majestically calm, because it discerns the end in every beginning, the origin in every end, the law in every interruption, the limit in each delay; because it ever knows where it stands, and how its path lies from one point to another . John Henry Newman, The Idea of a University, 1852

Kindergarten through 3rd Grade

LINKS FOR YOUNG STUDENTS

For Young Students (Elementary/K-6)
Children's Guide Video Series (K-6)

Junior High and High School Home Study

Which STEM Curriculum Should I Use for Homeschooling?

Hey, just so you know ... This post includes affiliate links. That means if you use them to make a purchase, I may earn a commission. You can read my full affiliate disclosure HERE.

STEM curriculum focuses on teaching science, technology, engineering, and math and can be a huge foundation for encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving.

STEM has become very popular in the homeschooling community because it allows students to gain valuable skills that can be used in all areas of their education, real-life and future careers. The skills students learn through STEM activities and curriculum can help solve complex problems with creative thinking and hands-on experience.

But, many homeschool families are unsure of what STEM curriculum to use. Which ones will benefit their kids most and prepare them for life in our techie world?

… RELATED POST … Are You Homeschooling For The 21st Century?

Well, here are a few options to explore. Each teaches 21st-century learners in the ways they learn best and will be a great addition to your homeschool plans.

5 STEM Curriculum Options for Homeschoolers

CodaKid is an award-winning program that teaches kids how to use real programming language and tools to create games, apps, websites, and more.

The online kids coding courses are self-paced so kids can take them when they want. Courses are set up through levels, so even if your child is a beginner and has no coding experience, they can learn the basics and move up from there.

What can kids learn with the CodaKid curriculum?

Unreal Engine Blueprints

CodaKid has won many different awards and has become very popular in the homeschool community because of its exciting approach and learning material.

CLICK HERE to learn more.

Science4Us brings science to life through different interactive games, hands-on activities, and digital lessons. The STEM curriculum was created by the same educators behind Time4Learning and teaches elementary-aged students how science connects with different subjects such as physical education and art.

Science4Us offers courses in the following subjects:

Physical Science
Inquiry Science
Life Science
Earth and Space Science

The program offers thousands of online and offline activities and short lessons that are specially designed for K-2 students. The lesson plans are easy to use and incorporate literacy skills, science vocabulary and sight words.

$best critical thinking homeschool curriculum$

UZinggo is an award-winning STEM curriculum for middle and high school students that uses the latest technology to implement real-world thinking and cutting-edge technologies. These experiences are created to make learning more fun, engaging, realistic, and exploratory.

What UZinngo offers:

Engaging Lessons that use real-world examples to help students explore different concepts, create and test hypotheses, and manipulate items to learn. The methods taught will help students to solve real-world programs and better retain the information being taught.

Subjects that are part of the curriculum:

Pre-Algebra
Middle School Science

Throughout the course, the program utilizes assessments to keep track of the progress. Full explanations that are clear and reinforced with audio, visual, and text on solving and understanding the concepts being taught. More practice opportunities are available once the concept is learned so that students can gain additional practice and perfect their understanding.

It can be daunting choosing the right STEM curriculum for homeschooling. Find out what some of the top rated ones are in this post.

Electronical Engineer, Mechanical Engineer (EEME)

EEME is a curriculum that teaches kids electronics by creating hands-on projects.

There are two ways children can learn with EEME:

Free interactive lessons available online. If you’re new to the EEME curriculum, this is the best way to introduce EEME into your curriculum and give them the starter learning and building experience they need.
A monthly hands-on project subscription. With this monthly subscription, you will receive an electronics project kit to work on each month. Each project is paired with an online curriculum that shows you how to build the project and teaches the concepts that are applied during the building process. Each month will build concepts from the previous month, so children will continue to build their skills and advance as they move forward.

To give you an idea of what’s included in the monthly subscriptions, here are a few examples of what the first three months look like.

Month 1: “Genius Light”. With the first kit, children will be learning about LEDs, currents, and resistors by building their very own LED circuit that lights up when it’s dark and dims when it’s bright.

Month 2: “DIY Display”. The second project will teach your child how to use the LED display from the first month and wire it up to a switch system, so they learn about segmented LEDs and switches.

Month 3: “Tentacles”. The third month will aim to build up on the previous two projects and move them on to a more advanced topic of transistors as they build an alarm system that is hooked up to a buzzer.

The best thing about the EEME STEM curriculum is that each project uses real electronic components and with each month they will continue to develop a more solid understanding of the electrical engineering concepts until they are able to design and build their very own gadgets.

TeachEngineering

TeachEngineering is a standard-based engineering curriculum for K-12 that makes applied science and math come alive through engineering design.

TeachEgineering is free for educators and homeschoolers so there are no fees or special kits that you need to purchase to use the curriculum. With most projects and activities, the materials used are ones that you can find in your home, school, grocery store, or hardware store. At the top of each lesson, you’ll find what is needed for the activity as well as an estimated cost of the materials.

Each lesson and activity is aligned to Common Core Match, Next Generation Science, and ITEEA standards. The curriculum comes from over 70 different educational institutions, professors, graduate students, and teachers associated with top engineering schools from across the country.

By no means is this a complete list of STEM curriculum available for homeschoolers. I just wanted to share a few of the highly recommended options that have great reviews from both parents and educators.

Tell me, what STEM curriculum have you used for your homeschooling?

STEM Subscription Boxes for Homeschoolers
Choose an Online Homeschool Science Curriculum Your Kids Will Love
Educational Games for Kids that Teach STEM

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One comment.

This is such an informative blog and would help many to provide their kids with STEM education. Since kids are growing up in a digital environment, this will help them in future. Thanks for sharing!

The Best Critical Thinking Games for Your Homeschool

Critical thinking games are the perfect way to teach and practice important thinking and decision making skills in your home. I’ve been using games as part of my plan of attack for years and it’s been such a fun and challenging way to strengthen my children’s ability to think and reason.

Critical thinking is extremely important for everyone because it’s the process by which we analyze and process information to solve problems and make decisions. Little people and adults alike need critical thinking skills.

When we specifically practice critical thinking with our children, we set them up for success in a lot of ways. First, they are more likely to make good decisions when given the opportunity whether they’re 6 or 16. (That can surely make parenting easier!) Second, they can feel less stress when faced with big issues because they know how to think through the options. And third, all that thinking practice can help them to do better on school assignments.

The brain training activities we’ve talked about before definitely include critical thinking practice. Most of the games I’ve suggested for gameschooling do, too. In fact, almost all games inherently require critical thinking and make great opportunities for practice.

These critical thinking games will help your children develop deep thinking skills almost effortlessly.

This post includes affiliate links.

Some games are especially made for the express purposes of teaching, stretching, and strengthening critical thinking and others just so happen to be amazing whether that was an original intent or not. Each of the games I’ve included in this list is tried and true in our homeschool. We’ve used them during school hours, family game nights, and even in co-op classes.

Independent Critical Thinking Games

When you have a kiddo that needs something to do, these independent games are perfect. They can wake up tired brains, keep bored kids busy, and strengthen critical thinking skills without much (if any) help from you. (A partner is never a bad thing if one wants to tag along and play, too!)

ThinkFun Rush Hour Traffic Jam Brain Game and STEM Toy for Boys and Girls Age 8 and Up – Tons of Fun With Over 20 Awards Won, International Bestseller for Over 20 Years

Rush Hour (Also, consider Rush Hour Jr. and My First Rush Hour)

Dog Crimes and Cat Crimes

Gravity Maze

//Code: Rover Control

Invasion of the Cow Snatchers

Smart Cookies

Relatively Calm Games

These games practice critical thinking with relative calmness – as opposed to the games in the next list that require a little more action. Don’t confuse calm with boring. These games are still tons of fun!

Ticket to Ride

Carcassonne

Chess or Checkers

Family Game Night Fun

Critical thinking is the name of these games, but the entire family or groups of friends can have a lot of fun at the same time. We’ve had a lot of Friday game night fun with these.

Chicken War

Apples To Apples

Settlers of Catan

Learn More About Brain Training

I’ve included critical thinking activities in our home for years. We actually call them brain training activities because they focus not only on critical thinking, but logical thinking and other activities that generally boost cognitive skills, too.

Our brain training time has been so much fun because it’s mostly focused on games that work hard to strengthen the brain. Since we typically begin our school days with a brain training game or two, that’s made for a fun and purposeful start that sets a great tone to our days!

If you’d like to learn more about brain training, please enjoy this practical Homeschool Masterclass!

Brain training curriculum cover with a colorful brain on an iPad.

How to Choose the Best Reading Comprehension Curriculum for Homeschool Children

Homeschool , Important Information , Language Arts Homeschool , Subjects

Choosing the right reading comprehension curriculum for homeschool children can be a daunting task, but not impossible with the right guidance. With countless options available, it’s crucial to find a program that not only fits your child’s learning style but also complements your homeschooling approach.

The importance of reading comprehension goes beyond simply understanding words on a page; it encompasses critical thinking, vocabulary building, and a lifelong love for reading. Let’s explore some key factors to consider when selecting the best reading comprehension curriculum for your homeschooler.

If you are looking to becoming a centered, organized homeschooling parent, nurture happy, independent children and want to create smooth, successful homeschool days, then you are in the right place!

Let me know in comments what you know about this topic, what you have applied, what you have tried that worked, what you have tried that didn’t work and if you have any questions as we get into this training.

Choosing the right reading comprehension curriculum for homeschool children can be a daunting task, but not impossible with the right guidance.

Understand Your Child’s Learning Style

Every child learns differently, and understanding your child’s learning style is key to choosing an effective curriculum. Some children may thrive on visual aids and interactive activities, while others may prefer a more structured, text-heavy approach.

Observe how your child engages with reading materials and take note of what methods excite them or hold their attention. For example, auditory learners might benefit from curricula that incorporate read-aloud sessions, while kinesthetic learners might prefer activities that involve movement or hands-on projects.

Evaluate the Curriculum’s Structure

It’s important to review the structure of any reading comprehension curriculum you are considering. A well-structured program should include a balanced mix of reading practice, comprehension exercises, vocabulary building, and critical thinking activities.

Look for curricula that offer detailed lesson plans, clear goals for each unit, and a progression that challenges your child as their skills develop. The Memoria Press Literature Guide Set, for example, provides a comprehensive structure with student and teacher guides, quizzes, and tests, ensuring that both parents and children have the tools they need to succeed.

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

Prioritize Flexibility and Customization

A good reading comprehension curriculum should allow for flexibility and customization to cater to your child’s unique needs and interests. Some programs offer the option to choose from various reading levels or allow you to select specific novels or texts that appeal to your child.

This personalized approach not only keeps your child engaged but also empowers them to take charge of their learning. Consider how easy it is to adapt the curriculum to fit your schedule and any additional subjects you may want to incorporate alongside reading comprehension.

Sixth Gra de

Seventh Grade

Eighth Grade

Ninth Grade

Tenth Grade

Eleventh Grade

Check for Comprehensive Support Materials

Support materials like teacher guides, answer keys, and supplementary resources are essential components of a successful homeschool curriculum. These materials not only make it easier for parents to teach and assess progress but also provide additional content that can enrich your child’s learning experience.

When evaluating a curriculum, ensure that it offers ample support for both you and your child. Look for resources that include discussion questions, vocabulary exercises, and enrichment activities to enhance the core lessons.

Reusable Printable Homeschool Mini Planner (36 pages)

$ 18.00 $ 9.99

This homeschool mini planner (36 pages) includes:

subject planner (2 pages)
12 month calendars (24 pages) vertical & horizontal
weekly homeschool reflections (1 page)
field trip reflections (3 pages)
weekly meal planner (1 page)
homeschool budget (3 pages)
reading tracker (2 pages)

Seek User Reviews and Recommendations

Before finalizing your decision, seek out reviews and recommendations from other homeschooling parents. Personal experiences can offer valuable insights into how a curriculum performs in real-world settings.

Online forums, homeschooling communities, and educational blogs are great places to gather feedback. Additionally, consider reaching out to fellow homeschoolers for their opinions on specific programs. Hearing about others’ successes (and challenges) can help you make a more informed choice that aligns with your educational goals.

Good Reading Comprehension Curriculum

Selecting the best reading comprehension curriculum for your homeschool child involves thoughtful consideration of their learning style, the curriculum’s structure, flexibility, support materials, and user reviews.

By taking these factors into account, you can choose a program that not only improves your child’s reading skills but also fosters a lifelong love for learning. Don’t hesitate to reach out to educators or curriculum providers for further guidance. With the right resources and dedication, you’ll be well-equipped to support your child’s reading comprehension journey.

12-Month Vertical AND Horizontal Homeschool Calendars

$ 14.99 $ 6.99

This homeschool calendar includes one page for each month of the year.

There is one full year (12 months) of a vertical calendar and one full year (12 months) of a horizontal calendar.

It has a total of 24 pages.

The calendars are beautiful, colorful and cactus-themed.

Both come in a PDF downloadable file.

Print one page per sheet, 2 per sheet or 4 per sheet.

FIND GOOD ONLINE RESOURCES

And last, but not least, don’t forget that a good just as a strong human connection is important for support in your homeschooling journey, so is a strong connection with great online resources.

VISIT www.TheNaturalHomeschool.com and Shop.TheNaturalHomeschool.com

“The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home.” – Harold b. lee

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STEM Homeschool Curriculum: What’s Best for your Child?

Oscar Pedroso February 2, 2021 Homeschooling

Homeschooling isn’t a thing of the past. In 2019, 2.5 million children were homeschooled in the United States. Today, that number has nearly doubled . Pandemic or no pandemic, there’s an avid interest in alternative forms of education.

While homeschooling offers plenty of advantages , building strong homeschool lessons can feel overwhelming. To help, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to incorporating effective STEM teaching into your student’s at-home studies.

What are the benefits of STEM/STEAM education?

Note the interchangeability of STEM, STEAM, and STREAM education. While the traditional term stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEAM and STREAM strive to be slightly more holistic, with STEAM incorporating the arts and STREAM including reading.

All this to say — any form of STEM education empowers students with the creative and critical thinking skills that they need to be successful in any profession. What’s more, STEM careers are at a surplus. That’s right…we have more STEM jobs right now than available candidates, and experts only expect this number to grow .

For many public schools, implementing effective STEM curriculums is a challenge . That’s why it’s so important to get students involved with STEM inside and outside of the classroom. And if your student is homeschooled, there are a multitude of activities that they can pursue, all loaded with real-world applications.

Grade level-appropriate STEM topics

If you’re building a STEM homeschool curriculum, you want age-appropriate topics. Use this chart as a starting point. Just know that it’s not exhaustive. The more popularized STEM becomes, the more we find ways to teach foundational skills early so that solving complex problems becomes easier and easier.

Grade	Topic	STEM “branch”
K-2	Simple machines	Engineering
	Weather	Science
	Shapes	Mathematics
3-5	Robotics (foundational skills)	Engineering / Tech
	Complex machines	Engineering
	Gaming	Arts / Tech
6-8	Web-based apps	Arts / Tech
	Energy	Science
	Design (foundational skills)	Engineering / Arts / Tech
9-12	Robotics (advanced)	Engineering / Tech
	Coding	Tech
	Graphic design (advanced)	Arts / Tech

Tips for effective STEM homeschooling

You are not alone in building a homeschool science curriculum. Heed this advice and make use of the treasure trove of free resources available.

1. Review pertinent STEM standards

It helps to be privy to prominent STEM-based standards, that way your lessons and activities can be built around them. We have a few posts about building effective STEM/STEAM/STREAM curriculums. Check them out for helpful directions!

Also review the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and familiarize yourself with 21st century skills . Both are crucial in STEM education. If you explore free STEM resources online, chances are you’ll encounter lessons and activities that incorporate these standards and skills.

2. Worry about skills over matter

Similarly, STEM is all about helping students develop uber-important skills. Worry about these more than anything else. Yes, you want riveting subject material, but this material needs to be purposeful.

The best way to do this is by looking at skills first. If you want your student to complete a project on renewable energy, great! Now what skills will be taught? Practiced? Assessed? These are the questions that teachers are faced with everyday.

3. Incorporate project-based learning as much as possible

Project-based learning stands at the zenith of all “learning by doing” teaching philosophies. And because STEM learning often focuses on finding solutions to real-life problems, there’s ample opportunity to include project-based learning in your homeschool curriculum.

Note, too, that projects don’t have to be a group thing. Admittedly, it’s better that way, but we’re also living in a time where social gatherings are…difficult. If homeschooling is a solo endeavor, no sweat. You can still create wonderful project-based learning activities for your student to explore with you or on their own.

4. Borrow from what’s working

Good teachers don’t come up with all of their lesson plans on their own. It’s an impossible practice that leads to 90 hour work weeks, untenable Starbucks spending, and sinister levels of stress. Instead, good teachers gain inspiration from what works.

You should too.

There are SO many online resources (like this post!) for teaching STEM at home. And in our digitally-minded age, students can explore creativity right from their computers and explore incredibly cool online activities .

If you’re feeling weighed down by the stress of teaching your student and teaching them well, start with this STEM teaching checklist , then browse other great STEM-based platforms that you can incorporate into your at-home curriculum.

5. Adjust on the go

Just like good teachers borrow from what’s proven to work, they also adjust on the go when things can be better. Teaching STEM subjects is a challenging and ever-changing endeavor. If you feel like something isn’t working, it’s okay to go back to the drawing board.

Conversely, let a lesson or activity breathe before you do a complete overhaul. Sometimes the best lessons do take a bit of time to get right. If you’re searching for tips on how to be an effective at-home instructor for your student, check out our post on how to be a better STEM teacher .

6. Connect with like-minded parents

While we mentioned projects not having to be a “group” thing, there’s still opportunity to do so if you desire. Think back to the statistics we provided in the beginning of this post — between 4 and 5 million children are homeschooled in the United States.

In other words, you’re not alone. Connect with other parents online to trade tips and strategies for homeschooling your student. If you still want your student to be able to practice teamwork and complete projects with others, consider fostering a micro-school environment .

Pandemic pods have also proven popular over the past year, and with COVID-19 still around and schools unopened, we can expect these small learning groups to stick around.

Simple STEM projects that you can do at home

girl using magnifying class to look at her STEM project

One of the best things about STEM education is its accessibility. You really don’t need much to start practicing STEM skills. Check out each of these simple projects that you can complete with your student in the comfort of your own home! Then, if you’re interested in learning more, check out our ultimate STEM supply list .

Explore how to purify water with this super simple experiment. All you need is a plastic cup, glass jar, scissors, 3-4 coffee filters, clean sand, and some gravel.

Step 1: Cut a small hole in the bottom of the plastic cup.

Step 2: Line the inside of the cup with coffee filters, followed by sand, then gravel.

Step 3: Place the plastic cup into the top of your glass jar. Use another jar to pour dirty water into the cup. Watch purification right before your eyes!*

*A nearby pond, stream, or retention area is the best place to gather “dirty,” unpurified water. However, you can also dirty water yourself with a bit of dirt and sediment.

Turn on your favorite Star Wars film and channel your inner-jedi when you make a lightsaber using this quick how-to guide . All you need is paper, duct tape, straws, a paper clip, and a few project-specific supplies that you can gather at the local hobby store: an LED light, copper tape, and coin battery.

Step 1: Print our lightsaber template here .

Step 2: Lay the copper tape where instructed.

Step 3: Stick the LED light through the template at the top of the lightsaber. Flip the paper over and bend each leg over the copper tape. Push a little of the tape over the legs to hold them in place.

Step 4: Place your battery (positive side down). Wrap the template’s corner over it to hold and use your paper clip for extra support.

Engineering

Build a simple machine with just four paper plates, glue/tape, a pencil, and string.

Step 1: Glue two paper plates together with the tops facing each other, creating a dome-like shape.

Step 2: Repeat with the remaining two plates. You now have your wheels.

Step 3: Poke holes directly through the center of each wheel and connect them with the pencil. The pencil acts as the wheels’ axle.

Step 4: Wrap the string around the pencil and leave enough to grip like a leash. Slowly pull. As the string unravels, your simple machine will move forward.

Teaching probability? PBS Learning Media has a fantastic activity that uses just two dice, a pencil, and a chart for recording results. Read through the full professionally designed lesson here .

Free online STEM resources for K-12 homeschoolers

As we mentioned before, there are endless STEM resources available for homeschool families. We’ve compiled a few of our favorite resource-based posts below, as well as some other fantastic online resources to help with your planning and teaching.

Thimble’s resource posts

STEM toy ideas

Simple machine projects

STEM kits for elementary students

Easy STEM activities for 5th graders

8th grade science fair projects

At-home robotics

Other online resources

Khan Academy

Girls Take the Lead

Smithsonian Science Education Center

National Geographic Kids

PBS Learning Media

Bill Nye the Science Guy

Virtual field trips

Try one of Thimble’s STEM subscription kits

Our affordable, play-at-home STEM subscription kits are a great way for your student to develop strong STEM skills and have a blast while doing so. Perfect for any homeschool STEM curriculum , each kit comes with hands-on materials and access to live instructor-led classes that help students learn the methodology behind using creative and critical thinking skills to solve real-world problems. Check out our kits today!

Open access
Published: 11 September 2024

Curriculum, competency development, and assessment methods of MSc and PhD pharmacy programs: a scoping review

Dana ElKhalifa 1 ,
Ola Hussein 2 ,
Abeer Hamid 3 ,
Nour Al-Ziftawi 4 ,
Israa Al-Hashimi 5 &
Mohamed Izham Mohamed Ibrahim 2

BMC Medical Education volume 24 , Article number: 989 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

Background/objectives

We aim to systematically review and evaluate the current landscape of postgraduate pharmacy education to a) identify current evidence, best practices, challenges, recommendations, and solutions; and b) develop a framework to optimize postgraduate pharmacy programs.

A scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were utilized. The search covered studies published from January 2011 to September 2023. Following the principles of Arksey and O'Malley's framework, data charting and extraction were performed using a pre-designed data collection tool, followed by the synthesis and grouping of studies based on common themes.

Of the 5542 articles found, the review included 36 eligible ones focusing on pharmacy postgraduate education (PhD and MSc), grouped into three themes: 1) courses and curriculum; 2) training and skills development; 3) assessment and mentorship methods. Utilized methodologies included descriptive analyses, questionnaires, surveys, trials, and focus groups/interviews. The studies underscored the need for competency-based curricula with regular evaluations, career planning, and diverse course offerings. Identified key skills and competencies in the studies included soft skills, communication, research, desperate skills (e.g., leadership and management), and critical thinking. The studies also emphasized the value of comprehensive evaluation and peer review methods. Challenges included balancing academic and real-world requirements, training, limited resources, time constraints, and faculty workload.

Evidence-based suggestions to improve postgraduate pharmacy education include the implementation of practice-oriented courses, value of tailored/or comprehensive assessments, focus on real-world skills, effectiveness of advanced teaching methods, and mentorship role. The proposed framework can guide program enhancement and highlight the need to improve programs holistically, entailing the three themes.

Peer Review reports

Pharmacy is a dynamic discipline of science, rapidly expanding with a rising number of students pursuing postgraduate studies in the field [ 1 ]. Postgraduate education is pivotal in shaping and advancing pharmacy practice across diverse settings, effectively addressing significant challenges and bridging crucial gaps. Such a specialized knowledge would ultimately contribute to improved patient care and population health outcomes. Further, postgraduate education programs must ensure the provision of teaching across diverse specialized domains. These include, but are not limited to, professional education, drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, biotechnology, biochemistry, pharmacogenetics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacognosy, pharmacology, pharmacotherapy, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, and pharmacoinformatics. Additionally, these programs should aim to contribute to advancing and improving healthcare systems, pharmacy laws and ethics, and proficiency in working with advanced machines and analytical techniques [ 2 , 3 ], all of which have positive impacts for the quality and safety of patient care and the overall health of populations.

Postgraduate pharmacy education faces a range of challenges. These include the surplus of postgraduates in traditional disciplines as compared to available emerging jobs in the market, curricula that fail to align with the demands of pharmaceutical practice settings, maintaining traditional teaching methods despite the dynamic change in the pharmaceutical industry, and advanced global practice and technology [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Notably, pharmacy postgraduate education in low- and middle-income nations confronts numerous challenges and gaps related to education, systems, and practice. Further, teaching methods at different universities are diverse [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. As a result, it is unclear whether these universities are effectively optimizing and tailoring their educational strategies to meet the current needs of postgraduate students and align with the demands of pharmaceutical industries and healthcare systems [ 3 ]. Nevertheless, institutions offering postgraduate education have a fundamental responsibility to provide high-quality education, necessitating the continuous evaluation and enhancement of their curricula to align with the developing needs of future graduates and prospective employers. This holds particular significance as postgraduate students carry the expectation that their universities have designed high-quality educational programs to fulfill their diverse needs [ 4 ].

There is a noticeable absence of a definitive guide on how universities can effectively address the expanding challenges within pharmacy postgraduate education. This is primarily because accreditation bodies focus predominantly on evaluating and reviewing undergraduate curricula, neglecting the unique challenges of postgraduate education in pharmacy. Furthermore, international experiences and needs in pharmacy education vary significantly between countries. This raises the following research question: what insights, perspectives, challenges, and recommendations can inform the optimization of postgraduate (PhD and MSc) pharmacy programs at universities worldwide? To answer this question, it is essential to conduct this scoping review to systematically chart the available evidence and understand the current body of knowledge about pharmacy postgraduate education. Through this endeavor, our objectives are a) to identify current insights, perspectives, challenges, and recommendations that can assist various postgraduate pharmacy programs in addressing potential gaps within their systems and possibly refining their existing educational structures (e.g., curricula) and approaches (e.g., educational methods) to enhance the overall learning process for their students; and b) to develop a framework to optimize postgraduate pharmacy programs.

Study design

We conducted a scoping review to synthesize and map the available evidence and identify a framework for improving educational programs for postgraduate degrees in pharmacy. Scoping reviews tackle broad subjects and usually aim to recognize research gaps in the existing literature [ 11 ]. While conducting this review, we followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist, which contains 22 reporting items [ 12 ]. Our filled PRISMA-ScR checklist for this scoping review is included in Supplementary Material 1.

The study protocol was drafted and reviewed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) checklist [ 13 ]. While it was not previously published, it is available as supplementary material (Supplementary Material 2).

Eligibility criteria

Eligibility criteria for studies included in this scoping review: i) Studies published in peer-reviewed journals; ii) The primary focus of the studies should be on curriculum and education development within MSc and PhD Pharmacy programs; iii) Studies needed to discuss related aspects such as competencies, assessment methods, and courses; iv) They need to be published in English between the period of January 2011- September 2023; v) To encompass various aspects of graduate pharmacy education, studies were included if they employed qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method study designs.

Conversely, studies were excluded if they: i) Focused on public health, PharmD, diploma, or clinical practice-based master programs that do not include research/thesis, as these programs often have distinct educational objectives compared to research-based postgraduate programs; ii) Addressed initiatives to improve research unrelated to postgraduate programs, because the focus of this review is solely on postgraduate education; iii) Were centered on dual pharmacy (PharmD)/master of public health (MPH), as these programs are mainly interdisciplinary in nature and do not specifically reflect the unique challenges of research-oriented programs; iv) Focused on genetic counseling, because this field has a distinct aim and is not directly related to postgraduate research-based pharmacy education; v) Were associated with other non-pharmacy-related programs, as our focus is on Pharmacy; vi) Focused solely on university facilities, because our target is the educational content; vii) Were categorized as commentaries or review articles, to avoid bias in reporting and prioritize original research content.

Information sources/literature search

The search for relevant studies was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to identify relevant studies published between January 2011 and September 2023. The search strategy utilized related keywords: postgraduate, higher education, graduate, PhD, MSc, masters, education, curriculum, courses, syllabus, skills, competencies, assessment, evaluation, pharmacy, and pharmaceutical sciences. Search limits were applied to the title/abstract and English language. Three investigators independently performed the initial screening of the titles and abstracts to identify eligible articles. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion and agreement. Specialized journals were also specifically reached to identify relevant articles, specifically the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, Pharmacy Education, European Journal of Education, Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, and Health Education Journal. The final search strategy for each database is presented in Table S1 (Supplementary Material 3). Finally, the removal of duplicates, title/abstract screening, and full-text screening were conducted using the Rayyan application [ 14 ].

Studies selection and data charting

Three reviewers independently screened all included citations and full-text articles and agreed on their eligibility. A standardized data extraction tool was created using Microsoft Excel and utilized to chart data from all eligible articles. In addition, the following information was collected independently by three reviewers: authors, year of publication, focus of the study, title, relevant/irrelevant, objectives, country, challenges, recommendations, and conclusion. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion and agreement between the authors.

We followed the framework proposed by Arksey and 'O'Malley for data synthesis and charting [ 11 ]. Eligible studies were grouped based on common themes. Our grouping focused on the following three themes in Table 1 : i) Courses, curriculum, and syllabus; ii) Training, competencies, and skills development; and iii) Assessment, evaluation, and mentorship methods.

Development of the conceptual model

To develop a comprehensive conceptual model guiding the creation of collective, high-quality pharmacy postgraduate (MSc/PhD) programs, we conducted a rigorous literature review focusing on the challenges, recommendations, factors, and successful interventions. To synthesize this information, we employed the Arksey and 'O'Malley framework for data synthesis and charting. The model development process involved the following steps:

Identification of key themes: Based on the literature review, three primary themes emerged as critical for postgraduate pharmacy program development:

Courses, curriculum, and syllabus

Training, competencies, and skill development

Assessment, evaluation, and mentorship methods

Model construction: A conceptual model was constructed around these themes, incorporating essential components, including:

Curriculum design and development, including necessary and optional elements

Competency-based curriculum development

Training and skills development aligned with student, program, and job market needs

Diverse assessment and evaluation methods to measure program effectiveness, student learning, and job market impact

Successful interventions and international experiences

Model enrichment: To ensure comprehensiveness, the model was expanded to include additional factors and emerging trends deemed important to the study team. For instance, under the "courses and curriculum" theme, we incorporated elements like needs assessment, regular evaluation, and program refinement to promote the concept of program sustainability. Additionally, we explored the potential of using advanced tools like artificial intelligence for assessment, evaluation, and mentorship, based on what has been reported within the included studies.

Overall, this systematic approach, grounded in both literature and practical examples, resulted in a robust conceptual model to inform the development and evaluation of collective, high-quality pharmacy postgraduate programs.

Literature search

After removing duplicates, 5542 articles were identified from the different searched databases (Fig. 1 ). After titles and abstracts screening, 5461 citations were excluded because they matched our exclusion criteria, leaving 81 full-text articles to be further assessed for eligibility. Among them, 45 were excluded and summarized with their exclusion reasons in Table S3 in Supplementary Material 3. The remaining articles ( n = 36) matched our inclusion criteria and were included in this scoping review.

PRISMA flow diagram of the studies selection process

Study characteristics

Based on their primary focus, the included studies were classified into three commonly identified themes, as defined in Table 1 . Study characteristics are summarized in Table 2 , including the study authors, publication year, focus, objectives, place of origin, design, and main findings. Among them, 14 addressed courses, curriculum, and syllabus issues; 9 discussed training, competencies, and skills development; and 13 targeted topics pertaining to assessment, evaluation, and mentorship methods (Fig. 2 ). The studies implemented various designs, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method (Fig. 2 ).

Distribution of the research methods employed in the included studies per identified theme

The included publications on various pharmacy postgraduate educational programs (MSc, PhD, or both) were segregated based on their focus on the three themes (Fig. 3 ). Notably, most research articles concentrated on master’s programs compared to PhD programs, validating that more research is conducted on this program type (Fig. 3 ). In addition, the distribution of research on Master programs across the three themes revealed a larger number of publications focusing on courses, curriculum, and syllabus (Fig. 3 ). In contrast, research on PhD programs disclosed that training, competencies, and skills development garnered the most attention, implying a distinct focus on research efforts and underlining the necessity of competencies/skills development for PhD graduates (Fig. 3 ). Details on the distribution of the articles by country are outlined in Fig. 4 a.

A radar chart comparing the three identified themes based on the postgraduate program type

Distribution of research articles: ( a ) Overall 36 articles by country; ( b ) Articles based on country and identified theme

Courses, curriculum and syllabus

As outlined in Fig. 2 , 14 publications were dedicated to enhancing courses and curricula for various specialized MSc and PhD programs. These originated from nine countries, and as outlined in Fig. 4 b, most of these studies were conducted in the USA ( n = 5, 35.71%), followed by Australia ( n = 2, 14.29%). Additional contributing countries encompassed Jordan, Iran, Portugal, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and China (Table 2 ). Five of the identified studies emphasized the importance of specialized courses for improving postgraduate education (Table 2 ), such as research ethics, preparation for future faculty roles, pharmacoinformatics, and laboratory experience [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. In the context of curriculum development, nine studies specifically addressed the design, format, review, and restructuring of postgraduate pharmacy programs to meet students' present and future needs [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Methodologies utilized in these studies included descriptive analyses, cross-sectional questionnaires, and surveys, as well as the incorporation of focus groups and interviews (Table 2 ).

Training, competencies and skills development

Nine published studies evaluated specific skills necessary for inclusion in postgraduate curricula (Fig. 2 ). Most of these studies originated from the USA ( n = 7, 77.7%), with the remaining two published in India and Poland (Fig. 4 a). Most studies ( n = 8, 88.9%) primarily focused on PhD students, while only two included MSc students (Fig. 3 ). The studies shed light on the need for developing competencies and skills in research, curriculum development, communication, health administration and leadership, industrial training, and critical thinking and problem-solving (Table 2 ). Study designs were varied and encompassed mixed-methods, cross-sectional surveys, retrospective studies, interviews, and descriptive studies (Table 2 ).

Assessment, evaluation and mentorship methods

The third group of studies ( n = 13) embraced approaches and criteria for assessing students' performance, methods for delivering certain lectures, and mentorship (Table 2 ). Consistent with the previous themes, the majority of the studies ( n = 5, 38.46%) were based in the USA, while two articles originated from Jordan ( n = 2, 15.38%) (Fig. 4 ). The remaining studies originated in the United Kingdom, India, Denmark, China, Australia, and Ukraine. Six studies within this group focused on assessment methods, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive evaluation and peer review (Table 2 ) [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]. Two studies specifically emphasized the significance of evaluating students' performance without merely focusing on testing theoretical understanding [ 41 , 42 ] (Table 2 ). Additionally, four studies advocated the added value of artificial intelligence and computer-based tools in delivering lectures and elucidating certain life sciences concepts [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ] (Table 2 ). Three studies evaluated postgraduate mentorship models, highlighting the positive impact of dual mentors [ 48 , 49 , 50 ] (Table 2 ).

The conceptual model content

To visualize the relationships among the identified themes and relevant key components, we developed a conceptual model (Fig. 5 ). Figure 5 presents the final summary derived from our comprehensive literature review of the core elements proposed for a collective high-quality pharmacy postgraduate (MSc/PhD) educational program. To our knowledge, this is the first model to be developed and published on the specific topic of pharmacy postgraduate educational programs. All the identified insights, perspectives, challenges, and recommendations that can inform the optimization of postgraduate pharmacy programs at universities worldwide have been grouped together to allow for the development of this coherent model outlining the following themes:

A conceptual framework for developing a collective high-quality Pharmacy postgraduate (MSc/PhD) educational program. This illustration was developed based on the recommendations discussed in the literature from the relevant identified themes

This theme encompasses curriculum design and development. Studies investigating the key concept of curriculum design and development, particularly emphasizing the importance of aligning the curriculum to concepts of competency-based learning, job market demands, career planning, collaboration, research, specialization areas, and others. It was noted that a number of concepts are needed to develop a comprehensive postgraduate program that is essential for graduates’ success and meets the needs of the job market.

Training, competencies and skill development

This theme included the main components a program could target to implement effective change in students’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, and competencies required in real-world practice. It was noted that skills relevant to other disciplines, e.g., leadership and management, data science, as well as various non-science communication skills, are highly essential for the modern job market. Additionally, the necessity of providing students with training on additional non-academic career skills was deemed crucial and had a positive influence on students’ skills and competencies, as well as the effectiveness of programs to produce graduates who can meet the demands of employers in the modern job market.

This theme features the role of effective assessment and mentorship in program development and student success. Various assessment strategies, such as mentorship, advanced assessment tools, merged assessment, and peer assessment, were all positive experiences reported in the literature with the potential benefit of conducting successful assessments of students learning and intervention effectiveness, both of which are related to successful program implementation and development.

Principal findings

This scoping review aimed to map the existing literature on postgraduate education in pharmacy systematically. We identified 36 primary studies addressing the curriculum, skills development, and/or assessment approaches of postgraduate (MSc and PhD) pharmacy programs on an international scale. The studies were categorized and will be discussed based on their primary focus into three distinct themes: i) courses, curriculum, and syllabus issues; ii) training, competencies, and skills development; and iii) assessment, evaluation, and mentorship methods.

A group of studies explored the importance of different universal and specific courses within diverse pharmacy postgraduate curricula.

One of the crucial topics explored in the literature for its critical value in pharmacy postgraduate education is research ethics (RE). RE education is an integral component that equips students with the necessary skills to adhere to ethical standards when designing and conducting clinical and biomedical research [ 51 , 52 ]. Unfortunately, the findings indicate that ethics training in postgraduate programs related to pharmacy and medical sciences remains insufficient, particularly in developing countries such as Jordan and Iran [ 17 , 19 , 42 ]. Ahmed et al. also reported that, on a global scale, only 10% of research-based master programs offered standalone research ethics courses, and 40% offered some discussions within their curriculum [ 19 ]. Consequently, it is recommended that postgraduate schools consider integrating comprehensive research ethics training into their curricula, especially in developing countries. Furthermore, there is a need for additional studies in developed countries to explore this aspect further.

While many students pursue higher education to enter academia, postgraduate schools often prioritize research skills over teaching skills [ 53 ]. Teaching assistantships can offer students interested in academia practical teaching experiences [ 54 ]. However, not all students can access such opportunities, necessitating a compromise. For instance, integrating embedded lectures and courses into the curriculum can provide a viable solution. Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) was a valuable course to prepare graduate students and postdoctoral fellows for academic teaching [ 15 ]. The course syllabus included practical teaching experience and lecture delivery under dual supervision [ 15 ]. By the end of the course, many PFF graduates could secure faculty positions, and the course was distinguished as sustainable and valuable for students planning to work in academia [ 15 ]. The same course was taught to doctoral public health students and it showed excellent outcomes [ 55 ]. Similar courses can be adopted in postgraduate programs, especially PhD, as optional electives for students interested in academia.

A study by Fox et al. highlighted the urgent need to include pharmacoinformatics courses in pharmacy master's programs [ 18 ]. In particular, careers in pharmacoinformatics require students to have advanced conceptual knowledge and hands-on experiential education [ 56 ]. Recommended lecture topics encompass drug formulary management, advanced pharmacy and medical informatics, supply chain management, evidence-based medicine, and health policy [ 18 ]. Notably, the study revealed higher expectations for pharmacoinformatics knowledge for MSc graduates compared to their BSc counterparts, emphasizing the necessity for developing a comprehensive postgraduate pharmacoinformatics curriculum [ 18 ].

Another important curricular element is laboratory experience, particularly in basic sciences postgraduate programs. For example, the Non-Stop Lab Week (NSLW) was formed as part of the master's program at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, to equip students with real-life lab experience [ 16 ]. Over 1 week, students independently conducted molecular assay projects in an environment mirroring a real laboratory setting [ 16 ]. Most students found the NSLW's intensity very suitable and beneficial for their careers [ 16 ]. After graduation, they found this exposure to be similar to their experience in their current workplaces [ 16 ]. Often, postgraduate students focus solely on specific skills aligned with their thesis supervisor's area of expertise, potentially missing out on essential skills for future roles in the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, experiences like the NSLW help expose students to the actual work environment. Likewise, programs may add curricular modules for students to get hands-on exposure to different research projects during their first semester, offering insights into potential future careers and a great scientific breadth while connecting with potential thesis supervisors.

Concentrating on a few specific courses is insufficient, and crafting a comprehensive curriculum poses a complex challenge [ 57 ]. There is a notable shift towards Competency-Based Education (CBE) in contemporary postgraduate and undergraduate pharmacy and medical education systems due to its demonstrated effectiveness [ 58 , 59 , 60 ]. CBE occurs when a curriculum incorporates comprehensive tasks, such as systems of instruction, didactic and experiential courses, and assessments to demonstrate proficiency in taught skills and concepts [ 60 ]. Various studies advocated incorporating CBE when developing postgraduate pharmacy curricula [ 21 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Keller et al. suggested some curricular components and building blocks to be included in postgraduate pharmacy education, encompassing the decision on core competencies, foundational concepts, lectures, syllabus, thematic training, research seminars, research integrity, supervision, student feedback, evaluation, assessment, stipends and financial support, and alumni networking [ 25 ]. They also proposed a set of competencies to be taught in PhD health sciences programs, categorized into three domains [ 25 ]:

Scientific knowledge: information literacy, research methods, scientific writing, ethics and integrity, and professional conduct.

Management and Organization: self-management, project management, and teaching.

Leadership and personal: leadership and communication.

Pharmacy education continues to adapt to the evolving needs of diverse pharmacy career paths. Initiatives for developing curriculum recommendations have been undertaken, focusing on equipping graduates with knowledge and skills for future career paths. A key initiative is the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Research and Graduate Affairs Committee report [ 20 ]. The AACP report was developed based on data from different universities within the USA [ 21 ]. It addressed universal skills applicable to all pharmacy disciplines to be incorporated into different curricula [ 21 ]. These identified skills were grouped into five domains [ 21 ]:

Foundational knowledge.

Scientific communications.

Leadership and management.

Personal and professional development.

The three key proposals endorsed by the report were the need to concentrate on career guidance, external peer review, and preparing students for roles in academia [ 21 ]. In another study by Koster et al., three distinct pharmacy-related master's programs tailored for community or hospital pharmacists were described [ 27 ]. These programs were adapted to pharmacy education based on the CanMEDS framework, which originally describes the required skills for physicians to effectively address the needs of the individuals they serve [ 27 ]. In addition, the authors highlighted the importance of experiential (workplace) education over traditional on-campus education and the need to expose the students to a mixture of both [ 27 ].

A very important curriculum component is career planning and professional skills development. This is particularly important because many postgraduates move into postdoctoral training, even if they do not plan to take a research career path [ 61 ]. Regrettably, career discussions usually happen close to graduation [ 20 ]. Indeed, early career guidance and mentoring, ideally at the program's commencement, would empower students to make more informed decisions about their future career paths. Traditionally, pursuing a PhD was synonymous with academic positions. Still, this perception has evolved in the last decade, necessitating an educational shift to prepare students for broader career options [ 20 ]. The current job market reveals a growing "supply–demand" gap, with limited academic sector vacancies and an increasing number of postgraduate students graduating annually. Therefore, there must be a shift to diversify curriculum content, gearing it towards paths beyond traditional academic careers. For example, in a study by Fuhrmann et al., biomedical PhD students indicated that they were considering various career paths (research and non-research), which underlines the necessity for a comprehensive doctoral curriculum [ 20 ]. To aid students in achieving their career goals, the development of their plans, including career planning and professional skills training, can be encouraged through discussions with program mentors. Moreover, programs may allow flexible mandatory electives where students can select their preferred courses based on their constructed career plans.

It is crucial to have regular curriculum revisions to ensure that the educational content remains current and aligns with the expanding industry requirements and needs. An example of these revisions was published by Allen et al., in which a pharmaceutical medicine curriculum was reviewed at an Australian university based on cross-sectional survey findings to identify required updates to the program [ 24 ]. They developed a two-year, part-time, fully online program with interactive assessments to support students' career goals [ 24 ]. In another study, Barrett et al. presented a qualitative description of an established Master’s program in drug discovery and development [ 22 ]. The program was initially a course that was refined and expanded based on student and market demands, covering various stages of drug development [ 22 ]. The curriculum encompasses topics delivered as courses by different colleges, including epidemiology, nanotechnology, pharmacogenomics, and project management [ 22 ]. The authors reported that most program graduates secured jobs in the pharmaceutical industry upon graduation, emphasizing the significance of regular program evaluations and refinement [ 22 ]. Similarly, Lypson et al. outlined the newly adopted program evaluation process at the University of Michigan Health System, involving dedicated faculty and formal resident members [ 23 ]. This process also benefits from standardization of meetings, content experts, a transition from paper to electronic committee materials, and a focus on continuous improvement efforts for the program [ 23 ].

To uphold the quality of pharmacy postgraduate programs, supervisors must ensure students meet program requirements and graduate efficiently. Incorporating blended learning, which combines online and on-campus classroom experiences, has been suggested as a valuable learning tool [ 62 , 63 ]. Furthermore, introducing dual postgraduate degrees alongside undergraduate education in pharmacy programs can enable students to attain advanced degrees in a shorter duration efficiently. Implementing a hybrid teaching format can also be helpful, particularly for working professionals.

Training, skills and competencies development

Student preparation should extend beyond curricular coursework to encompass practical training and skill development, including cultivating critical thinking skills. Postgraduate pharmacy students must acquire skills and competencies to excel in their future roles. While some skills may be specific to student specialization, others are universally applicable and should be integrated into most specialized medical and pharmaceutical programs. Furthermore, the current job market demands more than traditional scientific research skills. Students may also need to demonstrate disparate skills in business, policy management, and advanced technologies. Therefore, the curriculum should incorporate relevant course content to address these multifaceted requirements. Competencies are frequently defined as meaningful job-related skills, knowledge, attitudes, and abilities essential for competent performance in distinct professions [ 60 ]. Key skills and competencies highlighted in the literature regarding pharmacy postgraduate education encompass research competencies, curriculum development training, communication skills, health administration and leadership training, industrial training, and critical thinking and problem-solving.

In a study published by Poloyac et al., core research competencies for a PhD program were developed in a clinical pharmaceutical sciences curriculum [ 29 ]. Eight major competencies were identified for students to integrate preclinical and clinical evidence into their research successfully [ 29 ]. These competencies included: i) literature review and evaluation; ii) hypothesis generation; iii) research methods and study design; iv) statistical methods and data evaluation; v) grantsmanship; vi) presentation and delivery of oral and written scientific information; vii) ethical conduct of research; viii) leadership, management, and multidisciplinary teamwork [ 29 ]. Each category features subcategories of competencies, and evaluation rubrics were created to assess students' performance [ 29 ]. These competencies provide a valuable framework that can be adapted for other research-based postgraduate programs.

As previously discussed, some students pursue higher education to enter academia, emphasizing the need to acquire essential competencies to excel in their potential roles. Given that curriculum development and revision are ongoing and dynamic processes, training postgraduate pharmacy students on curriculum development becomes invaluable for those aspiring to pursue an academic career in pharmacy. Newton et al. demonstrated the effectiveness of incorporating a faculty simulation of curriculum development seminar for MSc and PhD pharmacy students, offering a practical and successful tool to prepare them for the responsibilities associated with academic roles [ 30 ].

Research, being a multifaceted interdisciplinary field, demands excellent communication skills. Thus, students must undergo training in presentation, negotiation, and conflict management skills. Additionally, employers' appreciation of diverse soft skills highlights the importance of cultivating a broad skill set in graduates [ 64 ]. Studies have highlighted substantial benefits for doctoral pharmacy students who received training to enhance their communication skills, improve confidence in discussing findings, and enhance public speaking abilities [ 31 , 32 ]. Therefore, integrating courses and lectures focused on communication into the curriculum emerges as an invaluable component, aiding students in cultivating and strengthening their personal and interpersonal communication capabilities.

Specialized programs often require students to develop unique skills and competencies relevant to their areas of study. For instance, a master’s degree in health-system pharmacy administration and leadership training (HSPAL) was a novel program developed within the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill [ 33 ]. That program combined Master’s education with practical HSPAL residency [ 33 ]. The program was designed to provide a balanced curriculum encompassing leadership, management, clinical, administrative, and didactic courses to prepare students for pharmacy administrative positions and leadership careers [ 33 ]. The program indicated attainment of the main core competencies and outcomes by enrolled students and graduates [ 33 ]. Furthermore, supervisors noted a greater likelihood of hiring graduates for administrative positions [ 33 ].

Many pharmacy programs often encompass laboratory components involving traditional basic sciences practice labs. However, there is a recognized need to integrate elements that provide students with the necessary knowledge for pharmaceutical industry practice, particularly those aspiring to work in drug discovery and development. A study revealed that most graduate programs inadequately address industry-related skills, emphasizing the importance of incorporating experiences that better prepare graduates for non-academic careers [ 35 ]. In another study by McLaughlin et al., a qualitative analysis of employers’ expectations for pharmaceutical sciences PhD graduates was conducted to understand the skills sought by employers [ 34 ]. The authors identified themes such as depth and breadth of knowledge, collaboration, communication, adaptability, experiential training, research productivity, and motivation [ 34 ]. Thus, integrating a holistic lab experience throughout the study duration, rather than limiting exposure to technical skills, can add significant value. This could be implemented by placing students in local and international pharmaceutical industries for mandatory practical experiences.

Critical thinking and problem-solving are among the highly desired skills in pharmacy postgraduates and are key to successful research conduct and evaluation of published evidence. However, various barriers may hinder their acquisition, including students' perceptions, limited metacognitive skills, biases, and the need for effortful thinking [ 65 ]. Though challenging, developing and nurturing these skills is not impossible in a thoughtful and encouraging educational environment. Research from India and Poland explored these skills in pharmacy postgraduate education [ 36 , 37 ]. Research from India investigated the performance and perception of students and their instructors regarding utilizing critical appraisal tools [ 37 ]. Both students and instructors reported that journal club (JC) criticism activities were vital in pharmacy postgraduate education, contributing to an enhancement in critical appraisal skills among participating students [ 37 ]. Research from Poland reported that graduates had insufficient knowledge of and attitudes toward evidence-based pharmacy, especially in their critical appraisal of scientific articles and problem-solving skills [ 36 ]. The study suggested that blended learning, combining classroom and online multi-module courses, could enhance the learning experience [ 36 ]. Further research evaluating critical-thinking and problem-solving training in pharmacy postgraduate education across diverse countries is essential to draw wide-ranging conclusions and recommend improvements in relevant curricula.

Assessment, evaluation and mentorship

Competency-based education proves beneficial when students' competence is continually assessed throughout the program [ 66 , 67 ]. A well-defined course syllabus should outline the timeline, assessment approaches, deadlines, and submissions and emphasize feedback and constructive criticism [ 66 , 67 ]. Course instructors should decide on the course objectives and identify potentially relevant embedded assessment tools to achieve these goals [ 40 ]. For instance, a program-level assessment process was developed for an MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences program using an iterative data collection process, peer evaluation, and discussions [ 40 ]. The main assessment domains were cognitive (knowledge-based), affective (emotion-based), and psychomotor (action-based) [ 68 ]. The assessment was developed utilizing Bloom's taxonomy, which includes cognitive (knowledge-based), affective (emotion-based), and psychomotor (action-based) domains, and can guide the setting of course goals based on complexity and specificity [ 40 , 68 ]. Program success can be evaluated through student evaluations and feedback on course content, format, assessment methods, and suggestions [ 40 , 68 ].

A set of publications explored the performance assessment of pharmacy postgraduate students. In a descriptive study by Robinson et al., a comprehensive competency review assessing postgraduates' competencies was discussed [ 38 ]. Students were required to provide written evidence for each competency, and the instructor would either accept it if found satisfactory or reject it while requesting a rewritten version to ensure the development of the required competencies [ 38 ]. Based on students' performance, the faculty member may suggest elective courses during the program's second half [ 38 ]. Similarly, in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant Application Writing Assessment for pharmacology postgraduate students, grades improved considerably upon resubmission, with survey responses indicating increased student confidence in grant writing capability [ 39 ]. The study emphasized improving writing skills through writing, revision, submission, constructive feedback, rewriting, and resubmitting [ 39 ]. Together, these findings underline the importance of midpoint evaluations for various competencies. While this process may be time-consuming for students and faculty, it is considered a worthwhile investment in time, cost, and effort.

Assessing students' understanding of theoretical concepts alone may not be sufficient; they should also be evaluated based on their actions and practical applications. For instance, a study conducted in Jordan reported a high theoretical understanding of plagiarism among pharmacy postgraduate students. However, when given practical assignments, overall performance was unsatisfactory, revealing a high prevalence of plagiarism [ 41 ]. Therefore, educational institutions should ensure students learn various paraphrasing methods and are educated on useful references for plagiarism checking. In another study conducted in the same country, the adherence rate of postgraduate students to ethical standards related to data confidentiality and informed consent when dealing with human subjects was also inadequate [ 42 ]. Hence, assessing students’ performance in applying theoretical concepts is also recommended to ensure they are highly competent in real-world settings.

The careful selection of tools and methods for delivering lectures is crucial, especially in the context of advancing technologies and artificial intelligence. In postgraduate education, 3D virtual computer simulation methods were deemed advantageous [ 44 , 46 ]. In a randomized controlled study, using 3D technology to demonstrate drug-receptor interactions significantly enhanced students’ understanding and performance compared to traditional 2D graphics [ 44 ]. Similarly, a computer-simulated method in experimental animal modeling in postgraduate pharmacology improved the experimental outcomes and confidence when conducted before an isolated live tissue-based bioassay [ 46 ]. Moreover, a pilot study assessing the value of technology (Lecture Tools) as an active learning method in teaching pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics demonstrated a positive experience [ 45 ]. Lecture Tools is a cloud-based system that permits various question designs, student participation, and in-class evaluations [ 45 ]. Students can use any smart device, like laptops, tablets, or mobile phones, and take notes within the same slide of the teaching presentation [ 45 ]. Despite the provision of real-time interactions, there are limitations, including weak faculty preparedness for using this tool, the time required for preparing the lecture slides, and limited lecture time [ 45 ]. Other tools have also proven valuable for undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy education, offering interactive and easily accessible sessions, such as Coursera and EdX platforms, Socrative, Yammer, and the Lecture Capture System [ 69 , 70 , 71 ].

Postgraduate supervision is crucial to students' success, emphasizing the need for high-quality and sufficient mentorship. Swedish PhD students indicated that poor supervision prolonged their studies and delayed the completion of their thesis projects [ 49 ]. Every student has the right to guarantee that their mentorship is provided by qualified supervisors capable of effectively mentoring postgraduate students. When interviewed, supervisors expressed a need for training regarding the required instructions, guidance, and clarification of their roles as mentors [ 49 ]. In a study by Yue et al., which investigated Master’s mentor competence, it was reported that a mentor’s development can be encouraged via supportive policy, time, and appropriate programs [ 50 ]. Secondly, the mentor’s competencies should be assessed through mentor training and evaluation [ 50 ]. Lastly, mentors should endorse all competencies voluntarily [ 50 ]. The dual-mentorship model is a promising key initiative to improve mentorship in postgraduate education. Soucy et al. advocated for the dual-mentored PhD model, where each student is supervised by two expert mentors from different organizations, leading to superior outcomes [ 48 ]. Graduates of this program demonstrated great success, graduating two years earlier than traditional Ph.D. program students without compromising the outcomes [ 48 ].

After discussing each theme in detail, we employed a visual presentation to summarize the major identified challenges (Fig. 6 ), offering educators and readers an overview of the current potential challenges. Understanding these barriers can ensure that postgraduate pharmacy programs are effective and subject to continuous improvement. Table S4 (Supplementary Material 3) provides a detailed explanation of the identified challenges.

A summary of the major recognized challenges from each of the three identified themes

Study recommendations

Based on the insights driven from this scoping review, we have synthesized and developed a conceptual framework outlining an optimal structure for Pharmacy postgraduate programs (Fig. 5 ). This framework elucidates evidence-based recommendations for universities to improve the educational experience for students and for refining pharmacy postgraduate programs. While implementing this framework, it is noteworthy that research and improvement efforts should be tailored to each program context and capacity.

This model can be utilized by various stakeholders. The use of such a model should be tailored to the specific target audience and the overall context. Several stakeholders could benefit from the model; for example, investigators could focus their research on a theme or a subcategory to develop and examine the effectiveness of an intervention. Likewise, postgraduate students could use this model to identify the key knowledge areas, skills, and competencies they need to master in order for them to stay ahead of the continuously changing demands of the job market. Additionally, educators, management teams, and administrators at postgraduate programs could use the model for the continuous development and refinement of their postgraduate programs.

This scoping review highlights various recommendations to be explored in future research efforts. First, all included studies were observational and descriptive, with only one randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a limited number of mixed-method studies. Thus, we suggest the need for well-designed RCTs and mixed-method research studies evaluating postgraduate programs focusing on the three presented themes. RCTs would provide valuable high-level evidence to support future research and practice applications. At the same time, mixed-method studies can facilitate the collection and evaluation of unique quantitative and qualitative data in individual program contexts. Second, future research should investigate educational programs from the need assessment and/or program objective development stage to the final evaluation of programs and their improvements. Exploring the utilization of well-established frameworks from the literature will allow the development of research and/or program evaluation following a systematic and comprehensive approach. Third, there are few publications on the assessment and evaluation methods. Accordingly, investigating this theme can provide valuable information on the effectiveness of the implemented programs and guide the process of program improvement and development. Fourth, our findings suggest that research involving MSc programs focuses more on courses, curriculum, and syllabus topics and less on training, competencies, and skills development. Given the growing need for competent professionals, investigating training and competencies within MSc programs will assist in preparing competent graduates. On the other hand, there were limited studies exploring courses and curriculum topics in PhD programs. Therefore, studies investigating the development or evaluation of PhD-tailored curricula and courses, particularly those focusing on competency-based education, should be considered in future research efforts. Finally, we have identified a need for additional international research efforts, from both developing and developed countries, to advance postgraduate pharmacy education on a global scale.

Study strengths and limitations

Strengths and limitations inherent to the scoping review.

It is noteworthy that this review is, to our knowledge, the first to systematically synthesize and chart available evidence on pharmacy postgraduate (MSc and PhD) education. Such a systematic approach offered many strengths relevant to conceptual and theoretical aspects and other strengths relevant to the standard methodology utilized in this scoping review. Studies discussed educational program implementation in detail, which provided a comprehensive overview and opportunity to learn from programs at various stages of implementation (i.e., both programs at advanced stages with successful implementation practices and nascent programs with identified improvement opportunities). The details provided in this review and in individual studies could be utilized to inform the implementation and improvement of other programs at the international level. Moreover, the included studies utilized diverse research methodologies and offered valuable insights into the current literature landscape on MSc and PhD pharmacy programs. The review also resulted in the development of an evidence-based conceptual framework for enhancing pharmacy postgraduate education. Further, included herein are outcomes of the examination of the postgraduate pharmacy educational curriculum, competency development, and assessment methods. Another strength of this study is the use of these defined themes to guide the framework constriction, analysis and presentation of findings. Additionally, methodological strengths included a) utilization of standard methodology (i.e., PRISMA-ScR) to conduct this review; b) employment of the framework proposed by Arksey and 'O'Malley for data synthesis and charting; c) utilization of a comprehensive search strategy documented in the supplementary material to increase the transparency and replicability of the search strategy; and d) utilization of major databases and journals relevant to the field of pharmacy education research to ensure comprehensiveness. Despite these strengths, this review has some limitations. Firstly, due to its scoping nature, the outcomes of the studies were not assessed using formal quality assessment tools; thus, interpretation of findings and efforts to implement any intervention or recommendation would require further investigation. However, to ensure the inclusion of high-quality data and to mitigate this limitation, we included articles from peer-reviewed journals only. Secondly, the included studies were descriptive and observational, with only one RCT. Thus, well-designed RCT studies evaluating pharmacy postgraduate programs are recommended for future research efforts. Lastly, the inclusion criteria were limited to studies published in English between 2011 and 2023; this might affect the inclusion of articles published in non-English or before 2011.

Limitations of the conceptual model

Although this model can provide a valuable foundation for developing collective, high-quality pharmacy postgraduate programs, there are some limitations to take into consideration before utilizing or interpreting the information provided, which include:

First, concerning methodological rigor, there is a need for a more robust and structured methodology for developing this model, such as the Delphi method, which would ultimately enhance its robustness. Nevertheless, the development of the model relied on a comprehensive literature review and synthesis. The model utilized a rich dataset originating from primary studies and implementing various research methodologies, e.g., survey research, qualitative interviews, and mixed-methods research. The various methodologies used in the primary studies, the various types of data originated and data qualities, as well as the unique experiences of various postgraduate programs, enriched this model and improved its quality.

Second is the issue of contextual applicability. Developing countries can find it difficult and costly to implement or adapt this model into their educational programs, mainly due to the cost and availability of necessary resources. For instance, certain components of the model could require expensive resources that are not readily affordable in low-income countries. Therefore, these educational programs should customize this model in a cost-effective approach, taking into consideration their available resources.

Finally, the consideration of stakeholders’ perspectives is crucial. Various stakeholders are required to provide their perspectives and input effectively to evaluate this model before its utilization. To elaborate, educators, program administrators, and employers representing the job market may find the model or some aspects of the model not applicable to their scope of interest or resources or may identify additional factors or priorities that are not explicitly addressed in the model.

Conclusions

Postgraduate pharmacy education represents a vital transition from undergraduate learning to unique, practice-oriented knowledge, preparing graduates for exceptional service across diverse pharmacy areas, topics, pursuits, and settings. Therefore, tailored pharmacy programs at higher education institutions must constantly evaluate various aspects of their educational systems with ongoing updates to remain relevant. This scoping review offered a wide breadth of evidence-based suggestions, recommendations, gaps, improvement opportunities, and conclusions pertaining to key areas of a) practice-oriented courses, curricula, and modules; b) performance-based assessments; c) real-world competencies, applied skills, and training; d) diverse tools and methods for teaching and learning; e) programs emphasizing the crucial role of mentorship and support in diverse pharmacy postgraduate topics. This review resulted in developing a conceptual framework, which can serve as a reverence for improving and developing Pharmacy postgraduate educational programs. Various opportunities for further research were also recognized to address various challenges and identified gaps in pharmacy postgraduate education.

Availability of data and materials

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article [and its supplementary information files].

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ElKhalifa, D., Hussein, O., Hamid, A. et al. Curriculum, competency development, and assessment methods of MSc and PhD pharmacy programs: a scoping review. BMC Med Educ 24 , 989 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05820-5

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