About Cathy Duffy

Cathy Duffy Author, speaker, homeschool curriculum reviewer

Cathy Duffy is best known as a curriculum specialist. As the author of the two-volume Christian Home Educators' Curriculum Manual (Elementary Grades and Junior/Senior High) she researched curriculum and methodology for all subjects and all grade levels. As the curriculum universe grew to be too immense for most homeschoolers to navigate, Cathy narrowed her recommendations down to the 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum (published by Broadman & Holman in February 2005). In 2012, she updated it with 101 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum, 102 Top Picks in 2015, and 103 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum (published by Grove Publishing) in July 2022. She has also published an abbreviated version of the book, How to Choose Home School Curriculum, that can best be used along with the free, advanced-search tool on this website. Both of Cathy's books are full of weblinks, so they are published only as PDFs. (You can print some or all of the pages if you wish.)

Cathy's website draws thousands of visitors each day. Her free weekly enewsletter alerts readers to her latest reviews, and her Cathy Duffy Reviews Facebook page also lets her followers know when new reviews are available.

Cathy began educating her three sons at home in 1982 and continued all the way through high school. In addition to teaching her own sons, she has taught numerous group classes for home-educated students and church groups. Her extensive research and experience have made Cathy a popular speaker at home education conferences around the world.

In addition, Cathy has taken a broader interest in educational issues, authoring the book Government Nannies: The Cradle-to-Grave Agenda of Goals 2000 and Outcome-Based Education to address problems with "educational reform." Concerns about government schooling prompted Cathy to get involved with the Children's Scholarship Fund in 1998, piloting a $15 million scholarship program in Los Angeles. That program helps children from low-income families attend private and homeschools.

Articles authored by Cathy Duffy on a wide range of topics have appeared in The Teaching Home, Practical Homeschooling, Homeschooling Today, Christian Retailing, The Parent Educator, ParentLife, Family Resources, The Canadian Home Educator, The Christian Conscience, Homefires, Christian Home Education News, Ideas on Liberty, and many other publications.

You can listen to or watch interviews with Cathy:

2022

Interview with Pam Barnhill on "Ten Minutes to a Better Homeschool" podcast
https://pambarnhill.com/choose-the-best-homeschool-curriculum/

Interview with Bex Buzzie of The Homeschool Advantage "Homeschooling Takes Time Don’t Rush with Cathy Duffy"
https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-4kadg-12d96c3

Interview with Anthony Kolenc on The Shepherd's Pie: "Top Homeschooling Resources"
https://anchor.fm/the-shepherds-pie/episodes/Top-Homeschooling-Resources-44-e1oe26d

Interview with Hal Shurtleff on Catching Fire News: "Home School Curriculum: From Fringe to Mainstream"
video: https://catchingfire.news/2022/09/16/home-school-curriculum-from-fringe-to-mainstream/
audio: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/shurtleffhal/episodes/2022-09-22T16_19_03-07_00

Interview with Jackie Wiebe on Homeschool ThinkTank
https://homeschoolthinktank.com/cathy-duffy/

Interview with Nancy Mikhail on Homeschool with Ease
https://www.buildaproject.net/homeschoolpodcast/episode/297aa654/choosing-a-curriculum-interview-with-cathy-duffy

Older interviews:

Interview with Felice Gerwitz on Curriculum and Learning Styles on The Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network
https://ultimateradioshow.com/cathyduffy/

Get a FREE subscription to Cathy's E-Newsletter

My Lists

Save reviews to lists to guide curriculum choices. Register or log in to start your first list.

Note: Publishers, authors, and service providers never pay to be reviewed. They do provide free review copies or online access to programs for review purposes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guidelines Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."