Choosing a curriculum is the first practical decision after registering to homeschool. The options range from complete “school in a box” programs that tell you exactly what to teach every day, through to flexible frameworks that give you a structure without dictating the content. No single curriculum is best for everyone; the right choice depends on your child’s age, your teaching confidence, how much planning you want to do, and how tightly you want to integrate learning with the trip. Here are the most popular options among travelling Australian families, with honest assessments of what works and what doesn’t on the road.
The best curriculum is the one your family actually uses. Start with one approach and adjust as you go.
Structured Programs
Mathletics ($99 to $130/year per child). Online maths program aligned with the Australian Curriculum. Covers Prep to Year 10 with adaptive learning that adjusts to your child’s level. Works offline once lessons are downloaded. The most popular maths resource among travelling families by a significant margin. Provides structure, tracking, and reporting that satisfies state requirements. The gamification keeps younger kids engaged.
Reading Eggs / Reading Eggspress ($79 to $120/year). Online literacy program for ages 2 to 13. Covers phonics, reading, comprehension, and spelling through interactive lessons. Works alongside Mathletics as the core structured component for many travelling families. Download lessons for offline use. Solid reporting features for documentation.
Khan Academy (free). Comprehensive, free, online learning covering maths, science, computing, and more. Australian Curriculum-aligned maths content. Excellent video explanations that let kids learn independently. No offline mode is the main limitation; you need internet to access content. Best as a supplementary resource rather than a core curriculum, but the price (free) makes it essential.
Euka Future Learning (~$75 to $100/month). Australian-designed homeschool curriculum covering all key learning areas. Provides daily lesson plans, resources, and assessment. Specifically designed for Australian homeschoolers and aligned with state requirements. Higher cost but reduces planning time significantly. Good option for families who want comprehensive structure without doing the planning themselves.
Flexible Frameworks
Charlotte Mason approach (free to low cost). An educational philosophy rather than a packaged curriculum. Emphasises living books (real literature rather than textbooks), nature study, short focused lessons, narration (children retelling what they’ve learned), and copywork. Perfectly suited to Big Lap travel: nature study happens every day, living books are portable, and the emphasis on real-world observation aligns with experiential learning. Requires more parent planning but produces deeply engaged learners. Popular resources: Ambleside Online (free booklists and schedules).
Unit studies (variable cost). Organising learning around themes or topics rather than subjects. A week at the reef becomes a unit on marine ecosystems covering science, geography, maths, English, and art. A visit to a mining town becomes a unit on resources, economics, and Australian history. Highly effective on the Big Lap because the trip provides endless topics. Requires parent planning but allows maximum integration of learning with travel. Can be supplemented with structured maths and English programs for core skills.
Montessori-inspired (variable cost). Child-led, hands-on learning with an emphasis on practical life skills, sensory exploration, and self-directed activity. Works well for younger children (Prep to Year 3) on the road where opportunities for hands-on learning are everywhere. Less structured than other approaches; requires parent confidence in allowing the child to direct their learning within a prepared environment.
Nature study, living books, and short focused lessons: the Charlotte Mason approach was practically designed for Big Lap travel.
Online Programs
Clickview / Education Perfect / Studyladder. Various online platforms offering curriculum-aligned content across multiple subjects. Useful as supplementary resources for specific topics or subjects where you want structured content. Most require internet access. Costs range from free (limited) to $100 to $200/year for full access.
Epic! ($80 to $100/year or free for educators). Digital library with thousands of books, audiobooks, and educational videos. Excellent for independent reading and research. Download books for offline reading. A travelling library in a tablet.
ABC Education (free). Australian-made educational content covering primary and secondary curriculum areas. Videos, interactive activities, and teacher resources. Free and accessible. Quality varies but the best content is excellent and specifically Australian.
What Most Travelling Families Actually Use
The reality is that most homeschooling families on the Big Lap use a combination rather than a single program. The most common setup:
Core structured: Mathletics for maths + Reading Eggs for literacy. These two programs cover the non-negotiable core skills with minimal parent planning. Cost: ~$200 to $250/year per child.
Supplementary: Khan Academy (free) for science and additional maths. ABC Education for Australian content. Epic! or a library card for reading material.
Experiential: The trip itself covers science, geography, history, and the arts through direct experience. Documented with photos, journal entries, and a daily learning log.
Physical materials: 2 to 3 workbooks per subject per term (purchased at bookshops along the way), a nature journal, a travel journal, and whatever books the child is currently reading.
Total cost: $200 to $500/year for the core programs, plus $100 to $300/year for physical materials. Significantly less than the cost of a school uniform.
- Most travelling families use Mathletics + Reading Eggs as their structured core ($200 to $250/year per child), supplemented with free resources (Khan Academy, ABC Education) and experiential learning.
- Charlotte Mason and unit study approaches are particularly well-suited to Big Lap travel, integrating learning with the trip itself.
- No single curriculum is perfect. Start with one approach, give it a month, and adjust based on what works for your child and your travel style.
- Total curriculum cost: $200 to $500/year for programs plus $100 to $300 for physical materials. Far less than most parents expect.
- The trip itself is the most powerful curriculum. Document real-world learning alongside structured work for comprehensive evidence.
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