Notgrass History is a family-run curriculum publisher that offers a K-12 history program. Founded in 1999, it blends traditional textbooks with quality literature and engaging lessons, making history come alive for homeschool families.
Most homeschool families report completing core academic subjects in 3-4 hours per day for elementary students, compared to the 6-7 hours typical of traditional schools, due to the one-on-one instruction and absence of classroom management overhead (NHERI, 2024).
What is Notgrass History?
Notgrass History is a family-owned curriculum publisher. Ray and Charlene Notgrass started it in 1999 in Tennessee. Ray has master's degrees in history and religion and 22 years of ministry experience. It all began when a homeschool mom asked for a Tennessee history course. Now, thousands of families use their K-12 history program. It mixes textbook learning with living books, narrative lessons, quality literature, primary sources, and hands-on activities.
What's included
Standard packages come with two full-color hardcover textbooks (Part 1 and Part 2), a primary source collection called "American Voices" or "In Their Words," and an answer key. The beautifully illustrated textbooks are made to last, so you can pass them to younger siblings. Each primary source collection has 370-420 pages of original documents, speeches, poems, and historical writings. You can also add student review packs, literature packages, and audio lessons.
Teaching approach
Notgrass combines the structure of traditional textbooks with elements of Charlotte Mason and unit study methods. Lessons are engaging and written in a narrative style, not dry textbook language. Each 30-week course has 5 lessons a week, covering a range of topics: the main narrative, God’s wonders in creation, American landmarks, biographies, and daily life. Literature assignments connect historical fiction to students' learning. It’s not just novels replacing textbooks; it’s both.
The three-credit advantage
High school courses from Notgrass help meet requirements for history, English, and Bible studies all at once. Students learn history, read assigned literature (which counts as English credit), and work on integrated Bible study. For homeschool families managing multiple subjects, this means three credits from one curriculum. The quality is real—these aren’t watered-down credits but solid academic work in each subject.
The bottom line
Notgrass fills a unique spot in the homeschool world. It’s more structured than living books approaches but more engaging than dull textbooks. Plus, it’s efficient compared to piecing together separate history, literature, and Bible programs. The open-and-go format lets parents skip hours of planning—daily instructions are included. For families seeking a Christian perspective, quality literature, and the benefit of multi-credit efficiency, Notgrass consistently gets high praise from the homeschool community.
