Before adding anything else to your plate, it helps to understand what is already being covered within the Bear Good Fruits full-year Catholic Homeschool Curriculum, because it is actually a lot more than most people realize!!! Bear Good Fruits is NOT just catechesis for home education and basic faith formation. It’s the entire framework for your homeschool and covers many subjects.

What Subjects Are Covered?

Catechesis

• Liturgical Year
• Saint Spotlights
• Feasts and Solemnities

This is the foundation. Everything flows from here. Your children are not just learning about the faith, they are living it week by week in rhythm with the Church. This is formation, not information.

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Literature

• Living books provide high quality literature to foster a love for learning, critical thinking, and empathy

We are not handing children dry textbooks. We are placing real stories, rich language, and meaningful narratives in front of them. This is what builds thinkers, not just test takers.

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Narration

• After reading, your child repeats what they heard

This strengthens memory, comprehension, and articulation without the stress of worksheets and quizzes. It is simple, but incredibly powerful.

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History

• Salvation History and Church History
• Living books provide context to Scripture and help build a timeline

Children begin to see how everything fits together. Scripture is no longer abstract. The Church is no longer distant. It all becomes part of a living story they belong to. The curriculum now includes a timeline in each volume.

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Science

• Nature Study

Time outside is not optional, it is essential. We combine Scripture and nature to build observation skills, curiosity, and a deep appreciation for God’s creation. This is science rooted in wonder, not worksheets.

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Math

• Taught through real life application in recipes and crafts

Math doesn’t always have to be confined to a workbook. It shows up naturally in daily life, where it actually makes sense to a child. This approach makes math a real life skill instead of just another subject to master.

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Geography

• Taught through living books, Saint Spotlights, and Scripture

Children connect places to real people and real events, making geography meaningful instead of abstract.

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Handwriting and Spelling

• Copywork from Scripture
• Writing prompts for expression

Children learn spelling, grammar, and sentence structure while also developing beautiful handwriting and thoughtful expression.

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Art

• Study of master artists and sacred art

This trains the eye to recognize beauty and builds attention to detail. It also reminds us that beauty matters, because it reflects God. Our art studies also provide prompts to encourage children to create their own art.

Do You Need to Add Anything?

For many families, this is enough, especially in the early years. There is scientific evidence that delaying formal education till age 7 has profound benefits and a play-based education is extremely important for their development.

But as children grow, or depending on your education goals, you may want to go deeper in a few specific areas. That is where supplemental curriculum can serve your family well, without replacing what matters most.

Math Recommendations

For younger children:

• The Good and The Beautiful
• Math-U-See
• Math with Confidence

For older students:

• Teaching Textbooks (use code WILDSAINTS for 10% off)

These programs support skill-building without overwhelming your child.

Saxon, on the other hand, is not something I ever recommend. It tends to be repetitive and heavy in a way that can quickly drain the joy out of learning while causing children to think they aren’t good at math or hate it altogether. I know some people love Saxon and the spiral method, but I am not one of those people and can’t in good conscious recommend that level of unnecessary torture to another parent or child. 🥲

U.S. History Recommendation

• Tuttle Twins American History Books (use code RAISINGSAINTS for 15% off)

These are engaging and easy to digest, especially for younger students. However!

One important note: There is a clear Protestant perspective in certain sections, especially when discussing the Reformation. This is where you, as the parent, step in. This becomes an opportunity to guide your children in truth, to explain the fullness of the Catholic Church, and to correct misunderstandings with clarity and charity.

This is formation. Not avoidance. I love having the opportunity to expose my children to common misconceptions and being able to have the opportunity to explain why some people are misinformed, how to respond during conversations when people disagree, and what the truth on the subject really is. If you aren’t up for those kinds of conversations with your kids, simply skip that entire section of the book. (Book 1 in their America’s History collection)

If you want strictly Catholic curriculum, I recommend Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies.

World History Recommendation

• TAN Books History of Civilization
• Seton History, Social Studies & Government Studies

This is a great option for families who want a more traditional and comprehensive approach, rooted in a Catholic worldview.

Science Recommendations

• The Good and The Beautiful science unit studies
• Treehouse Schoolhouse nature studies (use code RAISINGSAINTS for 10% off)

For families who want something more structured and Catholic:

• TAN Books science
• Seton Home Study School science

But do not underestimate the depth that comes from simply being outside, observing, reading lots of nature books (click here for recommendations) and connecting it all back to the Creator.

Art Education Recommendations

For families that want to introduce art lessons that are strictly Catholic, Ars Fidelium offers a k-12 Catholic art education program that is opening for enrollment soon.

The program offers sequential artistic formation rooted in prayer, observation of God’s creation, geometry and proportion, traditional studio skills, iconography/symbolism of the Church, and the study of Christian masterworks.

Each lesson is explicitly Catholic, beginning with prayer and bringing together Sacred Scripture, artistic tradition, and practical instruction in the fine and applied arts. Latin, art history, hymnody, and the three great living traditions of liturgical art (Iconographic, Gothic, and Baroque) are integrated throughout the curriculum.

One family membership will serve all children in the household, with each student progressing through the sequential curriculum at their appropriate pace.

If this sounds like something your family might value, you can learn more and join the enrollment notification list at arsfidelium.com.

Final Thoughts

1. You do not need to do everything.
2. You do not need to recreate a classroom at home.
3. You do not need to chase every new curriculum that promises results.

What you are building is something far greater.

A home where Christ is at the center.
A rhythm that reflects the life of the Church.
A formation that shapes both the mind and the soul.

Bear Good Fruits isn’t just catechesis and another box to check. It is meant to anchor your homeschool in what actually matters, so everything else can stay in its proper place. It is the framework from which everything else should flow from and connect to.

So just keep it simple. Keep it faithful. And trust that what you are doing inside your home is enough, because it is exactly where God has called you to be!

Need help with your mindset so you can overcome those feelings of not doing enough? Start here and grab How Children Learn and The 5-Hour School Week. I also recommend reading our Catholic Unschooling Guide.