Yes! Many Gather 'Round families use this curriculum on its own for all their children and all their subjects—right through high school! We have testimonies of many grad students who have successfully made the leap to college or university, fully equipped to think for themselves and read the subtext of what is being presented. That being said, we also have some families who choose to supplement based on their student's needs or because they have a curriculum that they just love and don't want to give up.While there are some reviews online that question whether we are enough, it is important to note that those were often done in the early years when we were still a startup. We have created many more resources to help close gaps, beef up our content, and find the elusive balance between "enough" and "too much". Our style is different, we focus on less quantity and more contextual learning—which can feel too simple especially if you are coming from a more traditional curriculum. However, many of our parents say that their students actually remember what they are learning and the results speak for themselves over time.

Choose a unit/topic that either interests you or meets a need (such as if you are working toward certain credits).Purchase either the digital full family bundle (which includes both the Teacher's Guide and all levels of student books), the one student bundle (which includes the Teacher's Guide and one level of your choice), or the printed books. If you decide to go with our beautiful, high-end printed books . . . you will need the Teacher's Guide and one book for each student.

What do I need to add?

The units cover all of your subjects but math. Our Modular Math program is available to cover K-grade 9 math, but high school math is not yet available on our site (though we do have plans to create it). Currently, you will need to get about 8 units per year along with about 8 math units per student in order to create a full curriculum year. Some families choose to add seatwork or our other Language Arts add-ons, fun holiday mini-units, and more . . . but these are not required.

How do I choose levels for multiple kids?

Our main units are designed to be used with the whole family. We have individual student books available in the following levels.Pre-Reader: recommended for younger students who are not ready to read/write (preschool/kindergarten age)Early Reader: recommended for emerging readers/writers (6-8 years old)Early Elementary: recommended for students who are comfortable using a word bank to write some of their answers (8-10 years old)Upper Elementary: recommended for students who are ready to write a sentence response (10-13 years old)Middle School: recommended for students who are ready for paragraph responses and more personal application/light research (13-16 years old)High School: prepares students to ask big questions, think for themselves, and apply topics to their own lives. This level is recommended for 16-18 years old and includes papers, essays, and more research.Some of our units are shorter or more simplified into levels 1, 2, and 3. For these, Level 3 is designed for Middle and High, level 2 for Early Elementary and Upper Elementary, and Level 1 for Pre-Reader and Early Reader.

How Long does it take?

Each unit is designed to take about a month—which means you will never get bored! You get to create your year based on your students' interests, covering all your subjects for all your grades, through one cohesive program that all points to Jesus! Each lesson is designed to take about 2-4 hours (depending on how many students you have, their ages, and whether you are completing the option rabbit trails or watching the resource videos available on our app). You will read the Teacher's Guide first to all students (which takes about 40 minutes to an hour depending on how many videos you show or the discussions you have) and then students will move to their student workbooks and complete their pages there. Units that have 20 lessons can be done 5 days a week and therefore being completed in 4 weeks. Or they can be done 4 days a week and take a bit longer. Because of this, most families work through about 8 units in a year with breaks and co-op days mixed in.

All of our units come with answer keys to help you mark your student's work. We have tried a bit of everything: including the answers in the Teacher's Guide, having them in the back of student notebooks, and eventually settling on including them in your downloads immediately after your order. You can use the answer key to help assign grades, but we recommend using a rubric for more accurate grading. To do this, you would assign points based on things like understanding (30%), completion (50%), effort (15%), and neatness (5%).

What is Modular Math?

Modular Math is our brand new math curriculum that covers K-grade 9 math—taking students all the way through Algebra 1. The units are topical and each step takes about 1 month. This means they can be used in either a mastery approach (staying on a topic and working on it through multiple levels) or spiral approach (completing one step of each topic throughout the year). This program was created with steps instead of grades, allowing you to custom-tailor the program to your student without discouraging them with where they are at. It can be used as a remedial program or for gifted students who want to move faster. Each day includes 2 pages. Day 1 teaches a new concept (and includes a devotional) and day 2 has practice that builds throughout the unit in a spiral approach. All you have to do is take a placement test on a topic and jump in! It is open and go with no teacher's guide, no manipulatives or resources required, and written directly to the student so that they can work independently. Yes, math can be this easy!

Curriculum itself cannot be accredited, only schools can. Accreditation means a school with qualified teachers, reporting, and grading that is following the government requirements for each grade. That being said, Gather 'Round Homeschool curriculum can absolutely be used all the way through High School by you, the parent! Most schools use the Carnegie method to assign credits, this means that 120 hours of instruction in a topic = 1 credit. We've made it super easy to you by training our very own Gather bot! All of our units cover such a wide variety of subjects that you can use the bot to help figure out how many credits have been covered (or will be covered) based on the units you have done or are planning on. We also have access to full high school plans, transcripts, and unit credit breakdowns on our high school page here.

What is the Online Academy?

The Online Academy is our new online school. We have about 600 students who tune in online to watch a lesson being taught live—complete with live polls, comments, reactions, and resources. Replays are also available for families who miss a class. Homework is assigned and families complete their student notebooks together—we are even looking at adding in grading and report cards! There are currently three frequency options available (or three different levels of homeschool support): One day a week (join us every Tuesday at 10am EST)Two days a week (join us every Tuesday and Thursday at 10am EST)Four days a week (join us Monday-Thursday for every single lesson!)Currently, these lessons are being taught by the founder, Rebecca Spooner, though we hope to expand to hire more teachers and offer more class times and options in the future. Learn more

Can I use it in a group?

Gather 'Round is licensed for individual family use only (which means to a parent/guardian and the children they are legal guardians of). If you want to use this in a small group (with your sister, friend, or a few friends), you will need to make sure that each person owns their own materials, as file sharing and copying (or teaching to student's outside your home) is not allowed. If you want to use this in a co-op or hybrid model to a large group of students, we do require that you purchase print and sign an agreement stating that you will not photocopy or share. With this option, we also do have a group discount available. Learn more here.

Welcome to
Ready to Read 1:
Burrows And Holes

This 9-week bundle, Burrows and Holes, is Book 1 of 4 in the full-year program and explores the fascinating world beneath our feet—caves, underground tunnels, and the plants, insects, and animals that live there. With short daily lessons in the Teacher’s Guide, engaging student pages, and stunning custom illustrations throughout, this unit will capture curiosity and keep young learners eager for more.

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Ready to Read 1

Burrows And Holes Collection

Check out our main unit and three optional add-ons

Main Unit

Ready to Read is a Kindergarten-Grade 1 program that combines core subjects with a skill-based phonics approach, helping you place your child exactly where they need support. This 9-week bundle, Burrows and Holes (Book 1 of 4), explores the world beneath our feet, from caves to underground animals and plants. With short daily lessons, engaging worksheets, and beautiful illustrations, students build fluency through CVC words and simple blends. Book 2 begins the next stage of reading. A 9-week Kindergarten-Grade 1 bundle that combines core subjects and phonics through short daily lessons in Burrows and Holes (Book 1 of 4).

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Phonics Skill Builders

Add-on

The optional Phonics Skill Builders add-on provides handwriting, reading, and spelling practice aligned with the word families in Burrows and Holes. Using a Charlotte Mason approach, it features simple activities like tracing, writing, circling, and reading, plus hands-on word building. Each week includes four short daily pages and a review, with engaging illustrations to reinforce phonics and fluency, designed for independent use alongside lessons. Extra handwriting, reading, and spelling practice matched to each week's phonics in Burrows and Holes.

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Story Book

Add-on

The Burrows and Holes Story Book is a comic-style, interactive reader designed to accompany the first Ready to Read unit. Using a shared reading format, bolded words are for your child while the rest is read by a parent or teacher, helping build confidence without overwhelm. A built-in reading log encourages repeated reading, supporting phonics, sight words, and the transition to smooth, confident reading. A comic-style companion reader with shared reading and a built-in log to build confidence and fluency.

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Free Lesson

Sample

Download this free sample to try out one of the lessons in this unit.

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Ready to Read

Shop all the products in the Ready to Read series of books. Shop all the products in the Ready to Read series of books.

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Resources

Access helpful materials, guides, and downloads that support your learning journey with Gather ’Round. Explore our growing library of resources designed to make teaching simple and engaging.

Explore Resources

Resources

Access helpful materials, guides, and downloads that support your learning journey with Gather ’Round. Explore our growing library of resources designed to make teaching simple and engaging.

Explore Resources

Certificate

When you complete the unit, grab a certificate to celebrate your progress!

Download Certificate

Certificate

When you complete the unit, grab a certificate to celebrate your progress!

Download Certificate

Scope and Sequence

Check out the scope and sequence for this unit.

Ready to Read 1

Week 1

Lesson 1

Language Arts

Phonics: reading -at words
Consonant blend fl-
Meaning of -at words

Math

Counting review: 1–20

Bible

Genesis 2:7
God made me

Science

Soil

Lesson 2

Language Arts

Sight word: the
Review -at words

Math

Counting review: 1–20

Bible

Colossians 2:7

Science

Why do we need soil

Geography

Map of the world: continents and oceans

Lesson 3

Language Arts

Sight word review: the
Build, Trace, Draw: -at words

Math

Shapes and patterns
Inequality: more or less

Bible

Colossians 3:23

Art

Shades of colors: light vs. dark

Science

Earthworms

Lesson 4

Language Arts

Review -at words

Math

Writing numbers
Number sequencing

Bible

Psalm 139:14

Science

Earthworms' segments

Week 2

Lesson 5

Language Arts

Phonics: Reading -am words
Consonant blend cl-
Meaning of -am words

Math

Calendars

Bible

Matthew 13:23
Good soil for God's word

Science

Differences in soils

Lesson 6

Language Arts

Word family practice: -am
Sight words: a and is

Math

Number lines

Bible

Psalm 24:1

Science

Four kinds of soil

Social Studies

Reading maps

Lesson 7

Language Arts

Word family handwritng: -am
Word search

Math

Numbers: before and after
Drawing shapes

Bible

Ephesians 2:10

Art

Colors of soil

Science

Scorpions

Lesson 8

Language Arts

Word family review: -am

Math

Writing numbers
Number path

Bible

Jeremiah 29:11

Science

Stinging scorpians
Scorpian anatomy

Week 3

Lesson 9

Language Arts

Phonics: reading -an words
Consonant blend pl-
Meaning of -an words

Math

Sequencing events

Bible

Psalm 119:105
God's word lights our way

Science

Moles

Lesson 10

Language Arts

Word puzzles: -an
Sight words: to and I

Math

Introduction to addition
Comparing lengths

Bible

Genesis 1:25

Science

Star-nosed moles

Lesson 11

Language Arts

Handwriting
Sight word practice

Math

Adding one
Numbers before and after

Bible

Matthew 11:28

Science

Armadillos

Lesson 12

Language Arts

Review -an words

Math

Practice addition

Bible

Ephesians 6:10–11a

Art

Fine motor skills: cutting practice

Science

Armadillos bands

Social Studies

Your full name

Week 4

Lesson 13

Language Arts

Phonics: Reading -ad words
Consonant blend gl-
Meaning of -ad words

Math

Underground puzzle

Bible

Psalm 1:3
Rooted in Jesus

Science

Roots

Lesson 14

Language Arts

Word family: -ad
Sight word: you

Math

Graphing -ad words

Bible

Genesis 1:29

Science

Types of roots

Social Studies

Who are your parents

Lesson 15

Language Arts

Build. Trace. Draw. -ad

Math

Graphing
Adding one

Bible

Proverbs 6:6–11

Art

Color mixing

Science

Ants

Lesson 16

Language Arts

Review -ad words
Lowercase b and d identification

Math

Addition practice

Bible

Philippians 4:13

Science

Ant antennae
Lifecycle of an ant

Week 5

Lesson 17

Language Arts

Phonics: Reading -ap words
Meaning of -ap words

Math

Graphing in the kitchen

Bible

Genesis 1:16
God made the Sun and Moon

Science

Fennec foxes

Lesson 18

Language Arts

Practice -ap words
Sight word: have

Math

Adding two

Bible

James 1:19

Science

Fennec fox ears

Lesson 19

Language Arts

Handwriting and word search

Math

Addition
Pattern practice

Bible

Job 37:8–9

Art

Recycled materials

Science

Groundhogs

Lesson 20

Language Arts

Review -ap words

Math

Hungry animal addition
Number sequencing

Bible

Isaiah 41:10

Science

Groundhogs in the garden

Social Studies

Relationships with animals

Week 6

Lesson 21

Language Arts

Phonics: reading -et words
Meanings of -et words

Math

Calendars

Bible

Matthew 17:20
Faith like a mustard seed

Science

Fungi

Lesson 22

Language Arts

Puzzles: -et
Sight word: was

Math

Left and right

Bible

Ecclesiastes 3

Science

Fantastic fungi

Lesson 23

Language Arts

Word family rhymes

Math

Left and right
Addition practice

Bible

1 Corinthians 12:12

Art

Straight and curved lines

Science

Millipedes

Lesson 24

Language Arts

Review -et words

Math

Left and right facing
Counting 10–20

Bible

Psalm 37:7

Science

Centipedes

Social Studies

Animal safety

Week 7

Lesson 25

Language Arts

Phonics: reading -en words
Meanings of -en words

Math

One less

Bible

1 Kings 19:9–13
Listen for God's whisper

Science

Caves

Lesson 26

Language Arts

Puzzles: -en
Sight word: says

Math

Vertical addition

Bible

Psalm 18:2

Science

Limestone caves

Social Studies

Your phone number

Lesson 27

Language Arts

Sight-word practice: says

Math

Vertical addition
Graphing in a cave

Bible

John 9:1–7

Art

Creating with shapes

Science

Cave fish

Lesson 28

Language Arts

Review -en words
Rhyming words

Math

Addition practice

Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

Science

Cave fish navigation

Week 8

Lesson 29

Language Arts

Phonics: reading -ell words
Meanings of -ell words

Math

Drawing shapes

Bible

Psalm 18:2
Generosity

Science

Stalactites and stalagmites

Social Studies

Generosity

Lesson 30

Language Arts

Practice -ell words

Math

3D shapes
Addition with stories

Bible

Philippians 4:8

Science

Calcite cave formations

Social Studies

Wants vs. needs

Lesson 31

Language Arts

Sight words: he and she
Word search

Math

3D shapes

Bible

2 Corinthians 5:17

Art

Shading 3D shapes

Science

Glowworms

Lesson 32

Language Arts

Review -ell words

Math

3D shapes practice
Addition practice

Bible

Matthew 5:16

Science

Glowworms' glow
Lifecycle of a glowworm

Week 9

Lesson 33

Language Arts

Phonics: reading -and words
Meanings of -and words

Math

Partners that make 10

Bible

Romans 12:2
Changed by God

Science

Burrowing owls

Lesson 34

Language Arts

Word family: -and

Math

Adding to 10
Partners that make 10

Bible

Matthew 10:1

Science

Burrowing owl habitats

Lesson 35

Language Arts

Sight word practice
What can you read

Math

Missing numbers

Bible

Colossians 2:6–7

Art

Crayon rubbings

Science

Caring for soil

Lesson 36

Language Arts

Review -and words

Math

Adding to 10
Quick review

Bible

Psalm 104:24

Science

Underground habitat

Social Studies

Taking care of the Earth

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Commonly searched

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Welcome to
Ready to Read 1:
Burrows And Holes

Phonics Skill Builders

Story Book

Free Lesson

Resources

Resources

Table of
Contents

Binder Spines

Calendar

Reading Log

Certificate

Certificate

Scope and Sequence

How does it work?

Is it complete?

What do I need?

What do I need to add?

How do I choose levels for multiple kids?

How Long does it take?

How do you grade?

What is Modular Math?

Is this accredited?

What is the Online Academy?

Can I use it in a group?

Commonly searched

Welcome toReady to Read 1: Burrows And Holes

Burrows And Holes Collection

Main Unit

Phonics Skill Builders

Story Book

Free Lesson

Ready to Read

Resources

Resources

Table of Contents

Binder Spines

Calendar

Reading Log

Certificate

Certificate

Scope and Sequence

How does it work?

Is it complete?

What do I need?

What do I need to add?

How do I choose levels for multiple kids?

How Long does it take?

How do you grade?

What is Modular Math?

Is this accredited?

What is the Online Academy?

Can I use it in a group?

Welcome to
Ready to Read 1:
Burrows And Holes

Table of
Contents