Rod and Staff

What Reviewers Say

Reviewers consistently describe Rod and Staff as the 'gold standard' for academic thoroughness, particularly in English and Grammar. Sources like Cathy Duffy and The Homeschool Mom highlight its extremely strong conservative Mennonite worldview, which is integrated into every lesson. While the curriculum is praised for its affordability and clear teacher manuals, it is frequently criticized for being 'dry' and visually unstimulating, featuring black-and-white illustrations and a no-frills layout. Families value it for producing students with a mastery of fundamentals, though some find the pacing and rigid adherence to traditional methodology challenging for students who require more engagement or visual variety. It remains a top choice for those seeking a rigorous, print-based, and biblically-focused education.

How It Works

A typical day begins with the parent using a scripted teacher’s manual to conduct a 10-minute oral review and introduce new concepts through direct instruction. For the English and Math programs, the child then works through exercises in a consumable workbook for younger grades or copies problems from a hardback textbook onto separate paper for grades 3 and up. Each subject session usually takes 30 to 45 minutes, with a heavy emphasis on memorization, drill, and traditional sentence diagramming. The weekly routine is predictable and steady, following a pattern of daily lessons followed by a review lesson or a test at the end of the chapter to ensure mastery before moving on. Parents are expected to be physically present to grade work and provide immediate feedback, as the curriculum is entirely print-based with no digital components.

Switching to This?

Milestone Books, the main online vendor, offers downloadable placement tests for Rod and Staff English and math, and parents can also use the 'Scope and Sequence' charts and sample lessons on distributor websites to gauge their child's level. Because the curriculum is known for its high academic rigor, many families follow a rule of thumb to place students one grade level lower than their current public school grade, especially in the English and Grammar series. Families can start mid-year, but it is highly recommended to begin at the start of the textbook because the concepts are strictly sequential and build upon specific terminology introduced in early chapters. When switching from a program that uses multiple-choice or 'fill-in-the-blank' formats, parents should prepare for a transition period where the child adjusts to the significant amount of manual writing and copying required by the non-consumable textbooks.

Curriculum Details

Price

$2.95 - $497.50

Prices are from Milestone Books, an independent vendor of Rod and Staff materials. Individual books, workbooks, tests and teacher's manuals start at $2.95, single-subject grade sets cost $13.45 to $85.10, and full grade-level program sets for grades 1 to 8 cost $312.35 to $401.30 (Basic) and $370.60 to $497.50 (Complete).

About $312 - $498 per year (One grade-level Basic or Complete Program Set covers a school year in grades 1 to 8; individual books cost less.)

Grades

PRE-K - 10

Available As

Print

Coverage

Comprehensive: Bible, History/Social Studies, Math, Reading/Language Arts, Science, Writing

Subjects

Reading/Language Arts Math Writing Science History/Social Studies Bible

---

Pacing

Some flexibility

Parent Time

20-60 min/day

Student Independence

Semi-independent

---

Academic Level

Above grade level

Worldview

Christian

Videos

Reviews We Consulted

Updated: May 2026

How This Compares

When compared to Abeka, Rod and Staff provides a similarly rigorous traditional education but swaps Abeka’s colorful, fast-paced layout for a black-and-white, no-distractions format that many find less overwhelming for easily distracted students. Compared to BJU Press, Rod and Staff is significantly more affordable and remains strictly print-focused, whereas BJU offers extensive video lessons and high-production visual aids. Parents weighing Rod and Staff against Shurley English will find that while both are grammar-heavy, Rod and Staff relies on traditional sentence diagramming while Shurley uses a unique 'jingle' and 'Question and Answer Flow' method. Against ACE (Paces), Rod and Staff requires much more active parent-led teaching and oral interaction, whereas ACE is designed for students to work through workbooks almost entirely independently. Finally, compared to Christian Light Education (CLE), which shares a similar Mennonite worldview, Rod and Staff uses hardback textbooks for older students rather than the portable, consumable 'LightUnits' workbooks that CLE is known for.

Getting Started