WinterPromise

WinterPromise is a Christian literature-based homeschool curriculum built around themed programs, such as American Story, Quest for the Middle Ages, Animals and Their Worlds, and Adventures in the Sea and Sky.

Last updated: 2026-10-29 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

Sourced details

Method	Literature-based, Charlotte Mason-informed, unit studies
Worldview	Christian, denomination not stated (Every Homeschool classification); the publisher's Basics page lists "CHRISTIAN. Bible teaching tools will draw your children's hearts toward God." among its program features; the page also lists Bible Resources among the program components
Grades	PreK-12 (themed programs list ranges from Pre K/K to Sr. High; most themes list grades 1st to 9th)
Formats	Print and digital (PDF)
Cost tier	Premium (Every Homeschool classification)
Parent intensity	4
Accredited	Not stated by the publisher (WinterPromise is a curriculum publisher and does not describe itself as accredited)
Established	Written by Kaeryn Brooks, who calls herself the author of WinterPromise, first for her own family and then shared with homeschooling friends who asked for it (How It Started)
Website	winterpromise.com

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	3	In our assessment, solid for elementary and middle grades and thinner at high school
Ease of teaching	4	In our assessment, the multi-level design lets one parent teach several children from one program with less preparation
Content quality	4	In our assessment, the living-book selections are well chosen and the publisher's own guides are thorough
Flexibility	3	In our assessment, themes can be rearranged from year to year, while the structure within a theme is fixed
Value for money	2	In our assessment, premium pricing; the publisher says ebook sets are less expensive than print
Worldview scope	2	The Basics page lists "CHRISTIAN. Bible teaching tools will draw your children's hearts toward God." among its program features
Visual/design	3	In our assessment, functional production with notebooking pages and illustrations
Support resources	2	Publisher-direct support by phone, text, email and social media message (WinterPromise support page)

Who the publisher is

WinterPromise is the work of Kaeryn Brooks, who writes on the publisher's How It Started page that she began writing curriculum for her own family, and that homeschooling friends who saw it asked to get it from her (How It Started).

WinterPromise describes its programs as multi-level: parents read basic books aloud to all students, and the program supplies individual books for each age group, so children at different grade levels can share one theme such as American Story (Getting Started). WinterPromise lists hands-on activities and notebooking among its program features (The Basics).

The publisher's Basics page lists Christian among its program features. The page also lists Bible Resources, which it says "teach Bible basics, mentoring your student and later, Biblical history and geography." In our assessment, families who want a thoroughly secular program will find WinterPromise a difficult fit, and families who want explicit Christian framing will find it aligned.

The core pedagogy

WinterPromise describes its programs as ones where you are "learning together with your child." Each themed program has a guidebook that lays out each day's assignments, and the program provides read-alouds for all students plus individual books for each age group. Children at different grade levels can share one theme such as American Story 1 (listed for 1st to 7th), with read-alouds for all students and individual books for each age group.

In our assessment, scope and sequence is theme-driven rather than strictly chronological. The publisher's themed programs include American history (American Story 1 and American Story 2), world history (Quest for the Ancient World, Quest for the Middle Ages, Hideaways in History, Adventures in the Sea and Sky), Animals and Their Worlds, and the preschool program I'm Ready to Learn; separate science programs include Dinosaur Days, Rock Around the Earth, and Hoot & Chirp, Buzz & Bite (themed programs, science programs).

Signature mechanics: (1) Themed packages: in our assessment, the year is organized around one big subject rather than separate textbook subjects. (2) Hands-on integration: the publisher lists "Open & Go" activities and projects among its approaches (The Basics). (3) Multi-level read-alouds with individual books for each age group (Getting Started). (4) Own-published resources and notebooking pages. The publisher says it publishes many of its own resources and that they "fit together" to give a cohesive flow (The Basics). (5) Print and ebook options. The publisher offers ebooks and ebook sets, says they are less expensive than print, and says families can print unlimited consumables for their own family (The Basics).

What they do exceptionally well

Multi-level family integration. In our assessment, the Learning Together design solves a problem other literature-based curricula handle awkwardly: a family with several children across grade bands can run a single theme together, with the parent directing one conversation instead of several. In our assessment, for families with close-in-age siblings, a shared multi-level program can save parent time and book duplication.

Hands-on and notebooking density. WinterPromise lists crafts, projects, and notebooking among its features; in our assessment this suits kinesthetic learners (The Basics). The publisher says some of its most popular programs have notebooks 200 to 300 pages long (The Basics).

Digital PDF option. For a premium-tier publisher, offering ebook versions of its resources, which the publisher says lowers cost (Basics page) and which are priced below print (for example, the American Story 1 ebook Adventure Set is $109 against $429 in print, retrieved October 2026), is, in our assessment, family-friendly. The publisher says families can print unlimited consumables for their own family from an ebook purchase (The Basics).

What they do poorly

Order processing time for print. The publisher's policies page asks families to allow 3-4 weeks for an order to be processed before shipment, so order early (policies). The publisher also sells ebook versions of its guides, books, and resources.

Fewer high school programs. In our assessment, most WinterPromise themes target elementary and middle grades. The publisher also lists high school programs, including Quest for the Ancient World and Quest for the Middle Ages (4th to Sr. High), LA High School 1 and 2, and American History in a Year (9th to 12th).

Premium pricing on physical components. On the publisher's shop in October 2026, print adventure sets were priced from $190 (I'm Ready to Learn) to $429 (American Story 1), so a family buying a history set and a science set for several children pays for each set separately (American Story 1 print set). The ebook option costs less: the American Story 1 ebook set was $109 against $429 in print (retrieved October 2026). In our assessment, families who prefer physical materials pay premium-tier pricing.

Who it fits / who it doesn't

• Pick WinterPromise if: you want a literature-based Christian curriculum with hands-on activities and notebooking; you have several children at different grade levels you want to teach from a single theme; you appreciate a Charlotte Mason-inspired approach without requiring a strict Charlotte Mason method.

• Skip WinterPromise if: you want a thoroughly secular curriculum; you need print materials shipped quickly (the policies page asks families to allow 3-4 weeks for processing before shipment; the support page lists text, phone, email, and social media for questions); you want a complete K-12 program with strong high-school offerings; you are shopping on a strict budget and, in our assessment, cannot absorb premium-tier pricing; you are looking for a curriculum that dictates math and science in one package. The publisher offers language arts programs and "a select number of" workbooks for LA or math; check the shop for math before assuming you need another source.

Cost honest assessment

On the publisher's product pages, a printed Guide is $80, an ebook Adventure Set is $109, and a print Adventure Set is $219 (Animals and Their Worlds), $309 (Adventures in the Sea and Sky), $399 (American Story 2) or $429 (American Story 1) (retrieved October 2026, American Story 1, American Story 2).

In our assessment, ebook ordering is the main cost lever for WinterPromise families.

ESA eligibility notes

We have not confirmed WinterPromise as an approved vendor under any state ESA program. WinterPromise Publishing appears on the West Virginia Hope Scholarship's TheoPay whitelisted vendor list, dated August 10, 2026. Verify line-item eligibility with your state ESA program and verify current vendor status with WinterPromise before ordering.

Alternatives

• My Father's World: in our assessment, a literature-based alternative for families comparing programs; its home page lists "A Christian worldview throughout all subjects."