The Good and the Beautiful: Homeschool Curriculum Guide

Last updated: October 24, 2026

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Table of Contents

Quick Answer

The Good and the Beautiful is a Christian homeschool curriculum founded in 2015 by Jenny Phillips, a former singer-songwriter and homeschooling mother who could not find lessons she loved for her own children. It covers Language Arts, Math, Science, History, and electives from preschool through high school, built on a Charlotte Mason-inspired philosophy of teaching through wholesome literature, nature, art, and strong moral character. Its standout feature is the price: the complete Language Arts courses for Levels K through 8 are free to download as PDFs, while printed books, math, and science sets are sold at deliberately budget-friendly prices.

The Good and the Beautiful homeschool curriculum 3D illustration

What Is The Good and the Beautiful?

The Good and the Beautiful — often shortened by fans to TGATB — is a complete homeschool curriculum with a three-fold mission stated by the company itself: to teach advanced academics while connecting children to the good and the beautiful in life and in learning; to make homeschooling less overwhelming and time-consuming for both parent and student; and to offer high-quality resources at prices ordinary families can afford.

In practice, that means lessons are “open-and-go”: there is no separate teacher manual to study each evening. You open the course book, follow the instructions written for the parent, and learn alongside your child. Language Arts is the flagship — a single course book per level folds together phonics, reading, writing, spelling, literature, grammar, punctuation, geography, and art appreciation, so one subject replaces what might be six or seven separate workbooks elsewhere.

The curriculum leans on the ideas of Charlotte Mason, the nineteenth-century educator who championed short lessons, living books, nature study, and narration. Children encounter poetry, classic art, beautiful illustrations, and stories chosen for clean, uplifting content rather than dry textbook passages.

Who Created the Curriculum?

The curriculum was created by Jenny Phillips, who began her public career not in education but in music. A former Christian singer-songwriter and music producer with an English degree, Phillips stepped away from touring and recording to homeschool her children. Dissatisfied with the reading material and lesson plans available, she spent two years researching educational philosophies, writing, and testing her own lessons.

In 2015 she released her first two levels of Language Arts on her music website — for free, mainly for her own family. The free downloads spread quickly through homeschool communities, and what began as a personal project grew into a global education and media company run with her husband Daniel Phillips, with its own warehouse and a large team. She has said she was told repeatedly that there was no market for value-based educational content, and she built it anyway.

Subjects and Grade Levels

The program spans preschool through high school, though coverage varies by subject:

  • Language Arts: Levels K through 8, plus high school courses. Each level combines reading, phonics, writing, spelling, literature, grammar, punctuation, geography, and art.
  • Math (“Simply Good and Beautiful Math”): Levels K through 6, with hands-on manipulatives, games, and a math box of activities.
  • Science and History: Taught “family style,” meaning one course can be shared across multiple ages instead of buying a separate level per child.
  • Handwriting, electives, and reading boosters: Standalone handwriting courses, reading booster card-and-book sets for early readers, and electives round out the catalog.
  • Pre-K and Kindergarten primers: Short, gentle introductions for ages 3 to 6 covering letters, sounds, numbers, colors, and fine motor skills.

One thing to know: the levels run advanced compared with public school grades. The company’s own comparison chart places Level 1 around advanced first grade or regular second grade, so new families are advised to take the free placement assessments rather than matching the level number to their child’s grade.

The Faith Basis

This is unapologetically a Christian curriculum — faith, prayer, and moral character are woven into the lessons rather than bolted on. But it is intentionally non-denominational. The company states that it teaches no doctrines specific to any particular Christian sect, focusing instead on general principles of honesty, kindness, and good character, and it uses the King James Version when quoting Bible verses.

A common question is whether it is a “Mormon curriculum.” Jenny Phillips is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the curriculum was developed with a team drawn from several Christian denominations, and reviewers across denominations report no sectarian slant. That said, the faith content is real and constant — secular homeschoolers looking for a neutral program will want a different option.

What Does It Cost?

Cost is where The Good and the Beautiful genuinely stands apart. The complete Language Arts courses for Levels K through 8 are available as free PDF downloads from the publisher’s own website — a full year of instruction per level, which the company values at over $100, for nothing. Families who prefer books can buy printed course sets, typically priced between $15 and $40 per course.

Math and science are sold only as physical sets — they are not part of the free downloads. Independent reviewers in 2026 put complete grade-level sets, all subjects included, at roughly $100 to $250 per year, which is still far below most boxed curricula. The one hidden cost: printing hundreds of pages of free PDFs in color on good paper adds up, so many families find buying the printed books is the cheaper route in the end.

Pros and Cons: An Honest Look

Pros:

  • Free Language Arts downloads — extraordinary value at zero cost.
  • Beautiful, durable printed books with full-color illustrations that children actually enjoy opening.
  • Genuinely open-and-go: no daily prep time for the parent.
  • Family-style science and history let you teach several ages together.
  • Literature-rich, Charlotte Mason-inspired lessons with poetry, art, and nature study.
  • Deliberately affordable pricing across the whole catalog.
  • Academically ambitious — lessons pack a lot into short sittings.

Cons:

  • Not the most rigorous option available; families prioritizing heavy academic challenge sometimes add supplements.
  • The gentler approach to phonics may not be enough for children who struggle with reading.
  • A newer program with a shorter track record than curricula with decades of graduates.
  • Advanced leveling can confuse placement — take the assessment first.
  • Math and science are not free, and home printing costs add up.
  • Faith is integrated throughout, so it is not a fit for secular homeschooling.

Who Should Use It?

The Good and the Beautiful is the best fit for Christian homeschool families who want a literature-rich, visually beautiful program without the premium price tag, and for parents who need lessons they can open and teach with no prep. It suits eager, confident learners who thrive in a gentle, story-rich, low-pressure environment, and its family-style subjects are a gift for households teaching several ages at once.

It is a weaker fit for families who want a strictly secular curriculum, for children who need intensive systematic phonics intervention, or for parents seeking maximum academic rigor above all else. The smartest move, given the price of the Language Arts levels, is the one reviewers keep repeating: download it free, try it with your child, and only buy the printed books if your family loves it. The risk is zero.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Good and the Beautiful really free?
The Language Arts courses for Levels K through 8 are genuinely free as PDF downloads from the publisher. Printed books, math, science, and electives cost money, and printing the free files yourself has its own costs — but no other major curriculum gives away this much for nothing.

Is it a Mormon curriculum?
No. Its creator, Jenny Phillips, is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the curriculum was written with contributors from multiple Christian denominations and teaches no denomination-specific doctrines.

What ages does it cover?
Preschool through high school. Language Arts runs from Level K through Level 8 and into high school; math covers K through 6; most other subjects run through about grade 8. Because levels run advanced, use the company’s placement assessments.

Can it be used as a complete curriculum?
Many families use it as their entire program, especially in the elementary years. Others pair it with extra math drill, more intensive phonics for struggling readers, or additional science — it depends on the child.

Faizi is a content writer at AllAboutFacts (hotteamnames.com), covering vocabulary, language tips, and everyday explainers.