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Capable By Design oak branch logo Capable by Design

Open-and-go homeschool curriculum

Raising kids who are capable — in school and in life.

The only complete homeschool curriculum that teaches life skills as a full fifth subject — right alongside reading, writing, math, and science. A whole year of fully scripted, open-and-go lessons in one beautiful box.

Shop the Curriculum See what's inside

"Open the box. Open the book. Begin."

A large kraft shipping box printed with the Capable by Design oak-branch logo, holding a full year of curriculum
36 weeks of instruction
4-day school weeks
5th subject: life skills
100% scripted — zero guesswork

The fifth subject

What we mean by “life skills”

Not a vague promise — scripted weekly lessons, practiced hands-on, that mature right alongside your child. A sample from each year:

  • Personal Hygiene & Self-Care

    Hand washing, brushing teeth, getting dressed, zipping coats, tying shoes

  • Safety & Emergency Awareness

    Calling 9-1-1, knowing your address and phone number, crossing the street, stop/drop/roll

  • Kitchen Independence

    Setting the table, using a fork and spoon, pouring a drink, making a simple sandwich

  • Feelings & Emotions

    Identifying and naming feelings, learning healthy ways to express emotions

  • Following Directions

    Listening carefully, completing multi-step instructions independently

  • Kindness & Empathy

    Understanding others' feelings, being a good friend, taking turns and sharing

  • Emotional Intelligence

    Growth mindset, managing big feelings, conflict resolution

  • Personal Responsibility & Health

    Time management, organization, nutrition, basic first aid

  • Consumer & Practical Skills

    Budgeting basics, smart shopping, environmental stewardship

  • Growing Independence

    Taking responsibility, setting personal goals, organizing a workspace, using a planner

  • Financial Literacy & Home Life

    Smart shopping, comparing prices, kitchen skills, laundry basics, cleaning routines

  • Emotional Wellness

    Managing stress, positive self-talk, building a stress management toolbox

  • Communication & Conflict Resolution

    Active listening, tone of voice, constructive criticism, negotiation, teamwork

  • Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship

    Budgeting, needs vs. wants, banking basics, developing a business idea, marketing

  • Home Management & Safety

    Kitchen safety, meal planning, laundry, basic tools, first aid, emergency preparedness

  • Executive Functioning & Leadership

    Prioritizing, delegating, managing long-term projects, giving presentations, learning from failure

  • Health & Relationships

    Balanced nutrition, exercise, healthy friendships, boundaries, conflict resolution, empathy

  • Critical Thinking & Global Citizenship

    Media literacy, identifying misinformation, digital citizenship, environmental stewardship, career exploration

Inside the box

One box. A whole year, beautifully prepared.

No shopping lists, no lesson prep, no piecing together resources. Every Capable by Design year arrives complete — so your energy goes to your child, not the planning.

  • Instructor Guide

    Your fully scripted year — open it and teach.

  • Student Workbooks

    Beautiful, purposeful pages — never busywork.

  • Curated Living Books

    A hand-picked library of rich literature.

  • Life Skills Program

    A full fifth subject — practical independence, taught on purpose.

  • Weekly Overviews

    Your week at a glance, planned for you.

  • Morning Mindset

    Ten gentle minutes to begin each day.

See a real day

This is what “fully scripted” looks like.

A page from the Kindergarten Teacher Binder — Week 1, Day 1. Bold text is read aloud, word for word. Italics tell you what to do. Every lesson block is timed, every material listed. You open the binder and begin — no prep, no guesswork.

Every grade, every subject, all 36 weeks follow this same open-and-go format.

Our approach

Five convictions,
woven through every lesson

Most curricula stop at academics. Ours is built on the conviction that raising capable humans takes more — starting with life skills as a subject in its own right.

  1. 01

    Life skills are our fifth subject

    Character, emotional intelligence, and practical independence — not an afterthought, but a fully scripted subject with its own lessons every week. This is what sets us apart.

  2. 02

    Connection before correction

    Joyful homeschooling over stressful rigor — learning that draws you closer together.

  3. 03

    Play is the work of childhood

    Hands-on discovery in every subject, prioritized over endless worksheets.

  4. 04

    Rich literature matters

    Curated living books that spark wonder — never dry textbooks.

  5. 05

    Short lessons are powerful

    Focused 15–45 minute blocks that respect your child's attention and your day.

Shop grade levels

Choose your year

Each grade is a complete curriculum — designed to stand alone or flow seamlessly into the next. Every box is backed by our Try the First Quarter guarantee.

Capable by Design Kindergarten complete curriculum kit — everything included

Complete year · Ages 5–6

Kindergarten

Gentle beginnings — phonics, counting, nature study, and first life skills.

$1,200$96020% off

Try the first quarter — full refund within 90 days if it's not working

Capable by Design First Grade complete curriculum kit — everything included

Complete year · Ages 6–7

First Grade

Growing readers — reading fluency, place value, and life skills in community.

$1,200$96020% off

Try the first quarter — full refund within 90 days if it's not working

Capable by Design Second Grade complete curriculum kit — everything included

Complete year · Ages 7–8

Second Grade

Confident explorers — chapter books, money and time, and growing independence.

$1,200$96020% off

Try the first quarter — full refund within 90 days if it's not working

Capable by Design Third Grade complete curriculum kit — everything included

Complete year · Ages 8–9

Third Grade

Curious thinkers — multiplication, early American history, and real responsibility.

$1,200$96020% off

Try the first quarter — full refund within 90 days if it's not working

Capable by Design Fourth Grade complete curriculum kit — everything included

Complete year · Ages 9–10

Fourth Grade

Independent learners — fractions, U.S. geography, and skills for real life.

$1,200$96020% off

Try the first quarter — full refund within 90 days if it's not working

Capable by Design Fifth Grade complete curriculum kit — everything included

Complete year · Ages 10–11

Fifth Grade

Capable leaders — deep novels, world geography, and readiness for what's next.

$1,200$96020% off

Try the first quarter — full refund within 90 days if it's not working

How it works

From doorstep to dining table in minutes

Your box arrives 1

Your box arrives

Everything for the full year — guides, books, workbooks, and materials — beautifully organized and ready.

Open and teach 2

Open and teach

Every lesson is fully scripted. Sit down, open the guide, and enjoy the moment — the planning is already done.

Watch them flourish 3

Watch them flourish

Short, hands-on lessons four days a week leave room for wonder, play, and the fifth day free.

The daily ritual

Morning Mindset — ten minutes that shape the whole day

Every school day opens with a gentle rhythm of affirmation, gratitude, character, and calm — so learning begins from a place of connection, not correction.

  • Affirmation
  • Gratitude
  • Character Trait
  • Mindfulness

Our story

Four parents. Two kitchen tables. One conviction.

We're Scotty & Lize and Danny & Shannon — two couples, four parents, homeschooling our kids (ages 4, 7, 8, and 9) side by side. We chose homeschooling for many reasons, but one stood above the rest: we wanted our children to learn the things school never taught us. How to manage a home, handle money, care for others, speak with confidence, and do hard things — the life skills that shape who they become long after the workbooks close.

It didn't start smoothly. We spent our first year drowning in curriculum tabs and printer ink — piecing together five subjects from a dozen sources and losing our evenings to prep. So we built something better at our own tables: one plan, every subject, with life skills taught as a real subject — planned, scripted, and practiced with the same care as reading and math. Our kids grew more capable and more confident, and other homeschool families kept asking us how we did it.

This curriculum is our answer. Every box is the year we wished we could have bought — rich academics and a fully scripted life skills program, prepared so completely that any parent can open it and begin. Because raising capable kids shouldn't require you to build a curriculum from scratch. We did that part for you.

— Scotty, Lize, Danny & Shannon — still homeschooling at our kitchen tables

Questions, answered

Before you order

Still wondering about something? Write to us — a real person answers every letter.

What exactly ships in the box?

Your complete year: the fully scripted Instructor Guide, student workbooks, our curated living-book library, the Life Skills Program, weekly overviews, and Morning Mindset. If a lesson calls for it, it's in the box.

What makes the Life Skills Program different?

Most curricula treat life skills as an occasional extra. We teach them as a full fifth subject — fully scripted weekly lessons in character, emotional intelligence, and practical independence, given the same care as reading and math.

How much preparation do I need each day?

None. Every lesson is fully scripted and open-and-go. You will never need to create your own practice problems or hunt for supplies — sit down, open the guide, and begin.

How long does shipping take?

We're eco-friendly and update our curriculum as necessary, so every box is made to order — nothing sits in a warehouse going out of date. Please allow extra time for your box to be prepared and shipped; you'll receive tracking the moment it's on its way.

What if it doesn't work for our family?

Every box is backed by our Try the First Quarter guarantee. Teach from your box for up to 9 weeks — one full quarter — and if it isn't working for your family, return it within 90 days of delivery for a full refund of the purchase price. We just ask that the box comes back complete (all four quarters' binders, books, and supplies — used condition is perfectly fine for first-quarter materials), that you cover return shipping, and that original shipping isn't refunded. One guarantee claim per family per year.