Torchlight Curriculum

All In One
Written By Manisha Snoyer (co-founder of Modulo)

Torchlight Curriculum was founded by Tiffany Petty, a seasoned educator and homeschooling parent with a rich background in education. Recognizing the lack of secular, comprehensive, and flexible educational resources that cater to diverse learning needs and styles, Tiffany set out to create a curriculum that combines her extensive expertise in child-centered education with a commitment to inclusivity and secular values. Her professional experience in education, coupled with her personal journey in homeschooling, uniquely positioned her to develop a curriculum that addresses the practical and philosophical needs of the modern homeschooling family​ (Torchlight Curriculum)​​ (TheHomeSchoolMom)​. Torchlight has quickly gained recognition in the homeschooling community for its innovative approach to education. Praised for its flexibility and inclusivity, Torchlight stands out as a leading secular curriculum that effectively integrates diverse perspectives and fosters critical thinking across a wide range of subjects​ (Torchlight Curriculum)​.

Grades Covered: Pre-K to middle school

Cost: $30-100 per level, not including books or materials​ (TheHomeSchoolMom)​.

Online Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TorchlightCurriculum

What Makes It Special

Torchlight's uniqueness lies in its eclectic methodology, which integrates hands-on learning, media use, and game-schooling into daily educational activities. The curriculum stands out for its emphasis on secular and humanistic values, promoting critical thinking, empathy, and scientific inquiry. This flexibility allows each family to tailor the curriculum to their specific needs, making it a versatile choice for diverse educational philosophies​ (Torchlight Curriculum)​​ (Torchlight Curriculum)​.

Ideal Fit

Torchlight is particularly well-suited for families who value a secular approach to education and appreciate the integration of diverse literary resources. It is ideal for those who are looking for a curriculum that offers flexibility and the ability to tailor learning experiences to individual family dynamics and children’s learning styles​ (Torchlight Curriculum)​​ (Torchlight Curriculum)​.

Potential Non-Fit

Families seeking a highly structured, traditional curriculum with minimal parental involvement might find Torchlight less fitting. Its eclectic and flexible nature requires active parental involvement and might be challenging for families not prepared for or interested in a hands-on educational approach​ (Give Mom a Minute)​​ (Modulo)​.

Educational Content

Torchlight provides a well-rounded educational experience that covers:

  • Language Arts: Emphasizing literature, writing, and poetry.

  • Social Studies: Including history, geography, and cultural studies.

  • Science: Integrated with hands-on projects that complement literary themes.

  • Art and Music: Interwoven with other subjects to enrich the educational experience.

  • Critical Thinking and Logic: Fostered through discussions and problem-solving activities​ (The Homeschool Graduate)​​ (TheHomeSchoolMom)​.

What Users Love

The richness of the literary selections and the curriculum's adaptability are highly praised. Users appreciate the ability to mold the educational content to fit their schedules and educational philosophies, making learning an engaging and enjoyable experience for both children and parents​ (Secular Homeschooler)​​ (Modulo)​.

Areas for Improvement

Some users report that the curriculum's demand for parental involvement is intensive, especially for families with multiple children or other commitments. Additionally, the geographical and historical sequencing can sometimes seem disjointed, which may affect younger students' understanding of the material​ (Give Mom a Minute)​​ (Homeschool Game School)​.

Integrating into Homeschooling

Successfully integrating Torchlight involves utilizing its flexible structure to fit learning into the family's daily routine. This could include reading during meals, audiobooks during commutes, and discussing materials at various points throughout the day, which helps integrate learning into the child’s everyday life​ (Modulo)​.

Ways to Get It:

Available for purchase and download from the Torchlight website, facilitating immediate access to the curriculum​

Top Secular Alternatives for All-in-One Curriculum:

Here are our favorite other all-in-one options for different types of learners.

Book Lovers, Gifted and Profoundly Gifted Learners: Torchlight Curriculum
For Gifted, Workbook-Lovers: Critical Thinking Co
Nature-Based Curriculum for creative, Hands-On Learners: Blossom and Root
Adaptive learning app for kids who love video games : BrainPOP Homeschool
For Middle and High School Students: Build Your Library
For kids who love watching videos, here are highly Engaging Free YouTube videos for middle and high school: Crash Course
For Project-Based, Standards-Aligned Curriculum and Online School: Oak Meadow
For Free or Freemium online curriculum: Khan Academy Kids, Khan Academy or FishTank Learning
For more Traditional/schoolish Standards-aligned adaptive online learning: Time4Learning

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Manisha Snoyer (co-founder of Modulo)

For the last 20 years, I’ve taught over 2000 children in 3 countries (of all socio-economic backgrounds). I pioneered an English language program in a conflict region in the Middle East. I’ve worked as a bilingual public school teacher at some of the highest and lowest performing public schools and in all five boroughs of NYC. I’ve tutored 18 subjects in three languages to some of the wealthiest families in NYC, San Francisco and Paris to make up for shortcomings in private schools they were paying up to $60,000 a year to attend.

Since 2015, I’ve helped hundreds of parents start microschools (way before this was a household buzzword). I founded CottageClass, the first marketplace for microschools and learning pods that was part of the Techstars 2018 class. In 2019, I created a virtual learning program to help families through the pandemic, a free online math tutoring program (masteryhour.org), and schoolclosures.org, a hotline developed in collaboration with Twilio and 80 other partners including Khan Academy, Revolution Foods and the Crisis Text Line, that served 100,000 families impacted by school closures.

I’ve climbed trees with children in forest schools in San Francisco, and tested new digital apps with kids in seven countries.

I’ve also coached dozens of families at different stages in their homeschooling journey. Most recently, I founded Modulo with homeschooling dad, best-selling author and tech entrepreneur Eric Ries, to help families curate their children’s education, social and childcare experiences drawing from a diverse array of in-person and online resources.


During the last three years, I’ve devoted much of my time to reviewing and testing secular homeschooling curriculum and other resource. I’ve spent the last three years talking to thousands of secular homeschooling families, and poring over tens of thousands of secular curriculum reviews and testing physical curriculum and digital apps for with hundreds of students to find the highest quality, most engaging, personalized learning materials for every type of learner.

I’ve spoken about homeschooling and modular learning at multiple venues including SXSW EDU, NY Tech Meetup, and on the LiberatedEd podcast.

In 2022, Modulo was one of 8 organizations who were awarded the Bridge Grant from the Vela Education Fund to expand access to homeschooling and modular learning to under-resourced communities.

My experience in education and homeschooling has led me to believe that there is no perfect education for every child, but families have an extraordinary amount of wisdom they can apply to building the perfect education for their individual child.

My goal with Modulo is to make it possible for any family to easily build a customized education that their child will love, and that will empower the whole family to thrive, taking into account, social, emotional and academic needs.

I love to answer questions from parents and receive feedback on how we can improve Modulo, so feel free to reach out anytime! I personally answer all the questions and comments readers leave on my blogs.

In my free time, I like hiking, traveling the world, tasting ceremonial grade matcha, enjoying dark chocolate.

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brandeis University with highest honors, with a double degree in French Literature and American Studies and minors in Environmental Studies and Peace & Conflict Studies.

And I love to learn!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/manisha-snoyer-5042298/
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