Catholic Heritage Curricula (CHC)

Catholic Heritage Curricula is the publisher most Catholic families reach for when they want visually appealing, family-friendly Catholic elementary materials without the classical rigor of MODG or the pre-Vatican II traditionalism of OLVS. It is the warm middle of the Catholic homeschool publishing market.

Last updated: 2026-04-20 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Catholic family-centered (gentle, hands-on elementary; text-based secondary)
Worldview	Catholic (mainstream orthodox; warm, devotional)
Grades	PreK-12
Formats	Print books, lesson plans, enrollment tracking service
Cost tier	Budget to Standard
Parent intensity	4
ESA-common	Yes
Accredited	No (curriculum publisher; not a school)
Established	1993
Website	chcweb.com

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	3	Solid elementary; high school leans lighter than MODG/Kolbe
Ease of teaching	4	Gentle, mother-friendly pedagogy; good for first-time homeschoolers
Content quality	4	Warm, well-written Catholic family materials
Flexibility	4	Highly modular; a-la-carte purchase is normal
Value for money	5	Among the most affordable substantive Catholic programs
Worldview scope	2	Catholic mainstream; warm and devotional rather than academic-theological
Visual/design	4	Gentle, pleasant illustrations; child-friendly
Support resources	3	Helpful customer service; light consultant infrastructure

Who the publisher is

Catholic Heritage Curricula was founded in 1993 by Rita Munn, a Catholic homeschool parent, to create Catholic homeschool materials that felt warm, manageable, and appropriate for young children — in contrast to what Munn saw as the intimidating academic rigor of the classical Catholic programs and the aging aesthetics of OLVS-style reprints. CHC has remained family-owned and has grown into one of the most-used Catholic homeschool publishers in the elementary grades.

Scale is moderate. Our editorial estimate is that CHC serves tens of thousands of Catholic homeschool families across its customer base, with particular strength in elementary grades. CHC's high school presence is smaller — many families use CHC K-6 and transition to MODG, Kolbe, Seton, or a hybrid for high school.

The core pedagogy

CHC's pedagogy is what many would call "Catholic Charlotte Mason-influenced" without being formally CM — it emphasizes living books, nature study, gentle daily rhythms, and family-centered learning rather than highly structured classical pedagogy. Saints feature prominently in elementary religion materials. Mary is a constant devotional presence. The family is the pedagogical unit; CHC materials are designed to allow a parent to teach multiple children together where possible.

Scope and sequence: elementary emphasizes phonics (CHC's own phonics program), arithmetic (CHC math or outside), religion through Faith and Life or CHC's Who Am I? catechism series, gentle nature study and science, and Catholic-inflected history and geography. Middle grades continue with formal grammar, literature, religion through the Baltimore Catechism or similar, Catholic world history, and math through pre-algebra. High school offerings are modest — typically the publisher recommends Emmanuel Books or other outside sources for high school literature, MODG syllabi for classical high school rigor, or Seton for traditional structure.

Signature mechanics: (1) Family-centered lesson flow. CHC materials often have sibling adaptations built in — a mother teaching a third-grader and a first-grader can run a unified phonics or religion lesson rather than duplicating work. (2) Gentle pacing. CHC's daily assignment loads are lighter than MODG's, Kolbe's, or Seton's — appropriate for families new to homeschooling or families with multiple young children. (3) Devotional warmth. Materials emphasize Catholic family life — saints' feast days, liturgical calendar observance, seasonal devotions, Marian devotion — rather than academic-theological formation. (4) Affordability. CHC is one of the least expensive substantive Catholic publishers. Materials are sold in bundles, and used materials are widely available on secondhand markets because CHC books are non-consumable where possible.

A day in the life

A second-grader using CHC starts with morning prayer (15 minutes), Catholic religion (Who Am I? or Faith and Life, 20 minutes), phonics and reading (CHC phonics plus living books, 30 minutes), handwriting (15 minutes), arithmetic (CHC math or Rod and Staff, 30 minutes), nature study or science (outdoor time counts, 30 minutes), and read-aloud literature (often paired with an older sibling, 30-45 minutes). Total student day is 3-3.5 hours, which is lighter than MODG or OLVS equivalent grades.

A seventh-grader using CHC works through more formal grammar, a Catholic world history reader, Baltimore Catechism or Faith and Life for religion, arithmetic or pre-algebra, composition, and literature from a living-books list. The day is 4-5 hours of academic work. CHC does not push the pace as hard as classical programs at this level.

What they do exceptionally well

Elementary warmth and accessibility. CHC's elementary materials are the most welcoming in Catholic publishing. Illustrations are gentle, language is child-appropriate, pacing is humane, and the overall experience of using CHC in early elementary is positive for both parent and child. Families who bounced out of Abeka, Saxon, or MODG in kindergarten often find their rhythm at CHC.

Affordability. CHC pricing is among the lowest in substantive Catholic publishing. A full K-3 grade's worth of materials runs approximately $150-$300 per year — substantially less than MODG enrollment or Seton's full course fees. For families with tight budgets and multiple children, CHC makes Catholic homeschooling financially feasible.

Multi-child family design. Many CHC materials are designed with sibling-simultaneous use in mind. This is genuinely rare in homeschool publishing and valuable for families with three, four, or more children in different grades.

What they do poorly

Academic lightness in upper grades. CHC's high school presence is modest. Families using CHC K-8 often find themselves searching for a different publisher for ninth grade because CHC's own high school offerings do not match the rigor of MODG, Kolbe, or even Seton. This is honest design rather than weakness — CHC's strength is elementary — but families planning long-term should know the transition is coming.

Lighter academic rigor relative to classical Catholic programs. Families who want serious classical formation, heavy memorization, formal Latin from elementary, or deep literary canon will find CHC insufficient. This is why many families use CHC as an elementary layer and move to MODG or Kolbe for serious classical work in middle and high school.

Light consultant infrastructure. Unlike MODG's consultant service or Kolbe's counselors, CHC provides customer service and a modest community forum. Families who want structured pedagogical coaching need to look elsewhere.

Who it fits

• Families new to Catholic homeschooling who want gentle, accessible elementary materials
• Families with multiple young children who benefit from sibling-simultaneous design
• Families on tight budgets who need affordable Catholic curriculum
• Families whose children respond well to warm, pleasantly-illustrated materials
• Families comfortable transitioning to a different publisher for high school

Who it doesn't

• Families committed to classical Catholic education from elementary onward
• Families who want serious Latin instruction beginning in third or fourth grade
• Families pursuing rigorous high school diplomas through a single publisher
• Families who want heavy consultant or counselor support
• Families whose children thrive on more structured, scripted lessons

Cost honest assessment

Full grade of materials: approximately $150-$350 per student per year depending on level. High school, where CHC offers less, can be less expensive but incomplete.

CHC offers "CHC Records" — an enrollment tracking service at approximately $100-$200 per year per student — which provides transcript and record-keeping but is not regional accreditation.

Total annual cost for a family using CHC K-6 with two children: approximately $400-$600 in curriculum, which is among the most affordable Catholic homeschool total spend available. For families transitioning at high school to MODG, Kolbe, or Seton, the overall K-12 cost using CHC as an elementary layer is substantially lower than using one of the premium programs throughout.

ESA eligibility notes

CHC is approved on most state ESA marketplaces that handle Catholic curriculum. Book purchases process cleanly; the CHC Records service is accepted in some marketplaces but not all. Families should confirm with their specific marketplace.

Alternatives

• Seton Home Study School — a family would choose Seton over CHC when they want more structured textbook-driven Catholic curriculum with regional accreditation, even at higher cost.
• Mother of Divine Grace (MODG) — a family would choose MODG over CHC when they want classical pedagogy, Latin from elementary, and a more academically demanding program.
• Mater Amabilis (free) — a family would choose Mater Amabilis over CHC when they want Charlotte Mason-specific Catholic pedagogy at no cost, accepting that Mater Amabilis is a framework rather than a published curriculum.

How we verified this

Our editorial team reviewed CHC's catalog at chcweb.com, sample lessons from the Who Am I? catechism series and CHC phonics, and the CHC Records service documentation. We cross-referenced against Cathy Duffy's reviews of CHC, discussion within Catholic homeschool communities including the Catholic Homeschool Support Network, and general Catholic parent forum discussion. Pricing is as of April 2026 with the rounding caveat noted in the editorial preamble.