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Best homeschool reading curriculum with video lessons

A video or app component can take some of the teaching off your plate, especially if you're anxious or short on time. These programs pair video or app lessons with real books and paper practice.

Updated September 2026 · 23 programs compared · rankings from our published scoring rules

What matters for video lessons

The program shares the teaching. A video or app component explains the lesson, so your role shifts toward reading together and checking progress rather than teaching every sound yourself.

It's rarely all-or-nothing. Most of these programs still use real books and paper practice alongside the video or app part, rather than replacing reading entirely with a screen.

Watch a sample first. A child who likes the on-screen teacher or character is far more likely to stick with it, so most publishers offer a free sample lesson worth trying before buying.

Our top 5 for video lessons

1. All About Reading

   Scripted, multisensory Orton-Gillingham lessons with reusable readers

   • Watch for: needs daily one-on-one time
   Grades PreK–4Orton-Gillingham, masteryCost: $159.95 per level (Levels 1–4); Pre-Reading level $119.95. Letter tiles $25.95 one-time, reusable into All About Spelling

2. Logic of English Foundations

   All-in-one phonics, spelling, handwriting and grammar, fully scripted

   • Watch for: four levels add up in cost
   Grades PreK–2Orton-Gillingham, systematicCost: About $88–$115 per level bundle (Foundations A–D); a digital-only version runs about $75 a year

3. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

   One inexpensive, fully scripted book of 100 short reading lessons

   • Watch for: very rigid script
   Grades PreK–2Scripted, systematic (DISTAR)Cost: $21.74 on sale at Christianbook (list $29.99) for the one reusable book

4. BJU Press Reading

   Illustrated, comprehension-focused readers with an optional video course

   • Watch for: cost adds up with videos
   Grades K–6Traditional, comprehension-focusedCost: BJU Press Reading Grade 1 Homeschool Kit (5th Edition): $181.20 at Christianbook (25% off list $241.66)

5. Abeka Reading/Phonics

   Rigorous synthetic phonics with scripted daily lessons and constant review

   • Watch for: fast pace, can overwhelm strugglers
   Grades PreK–6Traditional, synthetic phonicsCost: Grade 1 Phonics: Letters and Sounds 1 workbook + Teacher Edition + Test Book, $85.60 total; the full Language Arts kit with readers, spelling and grammar runs $366.80

Questions parents ask

Can I teach reading if I'm not confident doing it myself?

Yes. Programs with a video or app component are built for exactly that; you'll still read with your child and check progress, but you don't have to explain every phonics rule yourself.

Do these programs replace reading real books together?

Most don't, and shouldn't. Even video-based programs work best paired with reading real books aloud and independently.

How much screen time do video reading programs add?

It varies by program, from a few minutes a day to a fully online lesson. Check each program's format if screen time is a concern.

How this list is made: each program is scored against the needs above using features documented in parent reviews and publisher materials (sources are listed in each program's profile). It's a starting point, not medical or educational advice.