Story of the World vs Notgrass History (2026): the two leading homeschool history curricula compared
Susan Wise Bauer's four-year ancient-to-modern world history cycle compared with Notgrass's user-friendly American-history-and-government program. When each one is the right pick.
TL;DR
Story of the World is the four-year world-history rotation for elementary and middle school. Notgrass is the open-and-go American history program with strong Christian and literature integration, primarily for late-middle and high school. They serve different stages of the homeschool history sequence.
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Story of the World and Notgrass History are not really competing for the same shelf space. Story of the World, Susan Wise Bauer's four-volume world-history series, is the elementary and middle-school chronological sequence that walks children once through ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern history. Notgrass is the late-middle and high-school program with separate Exploring America, Exploring Government, and Exploring World History curricula, each integrating literature, Bible, and primary sources around a chronological American or world framework. Most homeschool families that adopt both use Story of the World first, then Notgrass later.
Decision rubric, side by side
Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press) wins 2 · Notgrass History wins 2 · Tied on 3
| Dimension | Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press) | Notgrass History | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target grade range | Grades 1-8 (four-year cycle, repeat twice) | Grades 5-12 (one-year courses) | Tie |
| Scope | World history across four years | American, Government, World History (separate courses) | Tie |
| Daily preparation | Read-aloud + activity (parent-led) | Open-and-go (student-led from middle school) | Notgrass History |
| Literature integration | Suggested readings per chapter | Required novels and primary sources built into the schedule | Notgrass History |
| Theological framing | Secular with Christian narrative when historically accurate | Explicitly Christian throughout, primarily Protestant | Tie |
| Activity book / hands-on | Strong activity book with maps, projects, crafts | Minimal hands-on, primarily reading and writing | Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press) |
| Cost per year | Around $40-60 per volume plus activity book | Around $100-150 per course | Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press) |
Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press)Grades 1-8 (four-year cycle, repeat twice)
Notgrass HistoryGrades 5-12 (one-year courses)
Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press)World history across four years
Notgrass HistoryAmerican, Government, World History (separate courses)
Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press)Read-aloud + activity (parent-led)
Notgrass HistoryOpen-and-go (student-led from middle school)
Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press)Suggested readings per chapter
Notgrass HistoryRequired novels and primary sources built into the schedule
Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press)Secular with Christian narrative when historically accurate
Notgrass HistoryExplicitly Christian throughout, primarily Protestant
Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press)Strong activity book with maps, projects, crafts
Notgrass HistoryMinimal hands-on, primarily reading and writing
Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press)Around $40-60 per volume plus activity book
Notgrass HistoryAround $100-150 per course
When to pick Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press)
Pick Story of the World if the child is in elementary or middle school and the family wants a chronological four-year world history rotation, if the family enjoys read-aloud time and wants hands-on projects and map work, if the budget is tight (Story of the World is one of the lowest-cost serious history curricula on the market), or if the family wants a secular history narrative that does not assume any particular Christian framing. Story of the World pairs well with classical curricula like Memoria Press and Tapestry of Grace.
Visit welltrainedmind.com Read full review →When to pick Notgrass History
Pick Notgrass if the student is in middle school or high school and the family wants a self-directed program the student can largely complete independently, if the explicit Christian framing matters and the family wants Bible verses and Christian historical interpretation integrated into the daily lessons, if the family is preparing the student for college and wants the high school history credit to be transcript-ready, or if the parent wants minimal daily prep. Notgrass is particularly strong for the American history and government year, which most state-board reviewers accept for diploma credit.
Visit notgrass.com Read full review →Verdict
Both publishers are mature and well-supported. The decision usually comes down to age: Story of the World owns elementary and middle school chronological world history; Notgrass owns high school American history, government, and economics. Many homeschool families use both, in that order. Neither is the wrong answer for a serious homeschool history sequence.
Where to buy Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press)
The publisher’s own site is below, plus the retailers that typically carry it new, and the used market. Each link is a search for Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press), so the price you see is whatever the retailer is charging today. We list retailers by availability, never by commission.
Largest Christian-homeschool catalog
Secular + Christian homeschool retailer
Indie-bookstore network (10% commission supports indie shops)
Reformed-Presbyterian theology and homeschool resources
Wide selection, fast shipping(affiliate)
Used market
Some links above are affiliate links. How we make money.
Where to buy Notgrass History
The publisher’s own site is below, plus the retailers that typically carry it new, and the used market. Each link is a search for Notgrass History, so the price you see is whatever the retailer is charging today. We list retailers by availability, never by commission.
Largest Christian-homeschool catalog
Secular + Christian homeschool retailer
Indie-bookstore network (10% commission supports indie shops)
Reformed-Presbyterian theology and homeschool resources
Wide selection, fast shipping(affiliate)
Used market
Some links above are affiliate links. How we make money.
Want the full landscape?
Read the History pillar guide for the broader comparison
The pillar guide profiles the full set of history curricula with method-by-method coverage. Story of the World (Well-Trained Mind Press) and Notgrass History are two of the most-discussed; the pillar guide situates them among the alternatives.
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