A mother and son learning together at the kitchen table with books and a laptop

The kitchen table is your campus.

Everything a homeschooling family needs — books, a talking tutor, and certificates — free, at this table.

GENO, the GSU tutor
GENO
Your tutor at the table, any hour

Ask GENO first.

Stuck on a lesson, a child who won’t read, or the paperwork? Ask the way you would ask a friend who teaches. GENO answers here, then points you to the right free room on this page.

GENO is an AI tutor. Please don’t type your child’s full name or private details. Not medical or legal advice.

Rather talk out loud? GENO speaks too. Tap the call button in the bottom corner of the page.

Cover of The Kitchen-Table Campus, a free homeschool guide

Free guide · 20 illustrated pages

The Kitchen-Table Campus

Everything on this page in one printable guide: check where your child really is, plan the week, teach from a script, earn certificates and keep a real high school record. Free to download and share.

Get the free guide

The Homeschool Journey

Check. Plan. Teach. Prove.

Four steps, in order, all free. Start where your child really is, build the week, teach from a script, and prove what was learned.

Step 1 · Check

Where are they, really?

The free Grade Level Check for reading and math, grades 4 to 8. Report cards can be honest and still be wrong.

Take the check → Step 2 · Plan

Build the week

Enter each child below and get a printable kitchen-table week, built from GSU's free lessons and games.

Build my plan ↓ Step 3 · Teach

Teach from a script

Twenty-nine Mentor's Edition lesson plans. Thirty minutes each, no prep, every one tied to a free game.

See the lessons ↓ Step 4 · Prove

Earn the certificate

Climb Bronze to Platinum, sit the subject exam, and record it on the free Sovereign Transcript.

See certifications →

Step 2 · The Kitchen-Table Week Planner

Build this week's plan in one minute.

Enter up to four children. The planner gives each one a Monday-to-Friday plan: reading at their stage, math, one Mentor's Edition lesson that fits their age, and free choice. Change the week number to rotate to new lessons.

Your entries are saved only on this device, in this browser. Nothing is sent to GSU or anyone else. Free, no account.

Blank Weekly Plan Card

A one-page grid for the fridge: Monday to Friday, with rows for reading, math, the lesson, and free choice. Fill it in by hand.

Reading Log Card

Fourteen lines for the date, the title, minutes read, and one sentence about what happened. A child who logs their reading reads more.

The Kitchen-Table Record Kit

For the high school years. Log hours as you go and the kit turns them into credits, then prints a transcript, course descriptions and a page of outside proof. Saved only on your device.

Open the Record Kit

The homeschool classes

Read it. Understand it. Earn it.

Each homeschool book is becoming a free class your child works through at the kitchen table, one lesson per chapter, written for elementary school. Every class ends in a certificate your child earns by showing what they understood.

ReadYounger reader, older reader, or the book’s own words.
ListenAny part read aloud, in many voices and languages.
DoHands-on activities and a family task to try at home.
EarnA check on every lesson, then a certificate for the book.

Civic Literacy for Kids and Old Glory are complete, each with a final check and a certificate. Biology: How Life Works is open now, one lesson at a time. More classes open one at a time. Progress is kept on this device only. Book sales are GSU’s only income, so “Keep a copy” is how these classes stay free.

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✦💾 University on a Stick— the whole campus on a keychain, free & offline ✦📦 University in a Box— the free library as its own Wi-Fi, no internet needed ✦📅 Today's Summit— a new free quiz, every day ✦💾 University on a Stick— the whole campus on a keychain, free & offline ✦📦 University in a Box— the free library as its own Wi-Fi, no internet needed ✦📅 Today's Summit— a new free quiz, every day

Eight Subjects, One Sky

The Sovereign Constellation

Every certification hub, mapped like the stars. Hover to see what waits inside — tap or click to walk in.

Readification Mathification Spellification Civics Science American History Geography · Soon Lawification

Tap a star to enter that subject

Every Family Can Afford This

Free to read. Free to learn. And never out of reach.

Here is exactly how it works at Global Sovereign University — plain and honest, with no fine print.

Always Free
$0  forever

Most books, every game & course

Most GSU books are free to read on this site, cover to cover — along with every game, course, certification, and GENO conversation. Read it here, listen with the free audiobook, return any time. That is the design.

No account, no paywall, no catch.

On Amazon Kindle
$3.99  each

The Kindle edition

Every title is also available on Amazon’s Kindle Reader for only $3.99 — about the price of a coffee. Every purchase funds the mission and keeps the library free.

Book sales are GSU’s only source of income.

Global Sovereign University is a nonprofit. Buying a $3.99 book is how you keep the free library free — for the homeschool family down the road, and for the next one after that.

The featured book

Leave a trail.

Unschooling works beautifully in the early years. Then high school arrives with forms, transcripts and college questions. Walk the six scenes of The Unschooling High School Handbook, from the blank page at the kitchen table to the diploma.

Split the Hours

Chapter 7 in one tool. Enter one real project your teen did, then share its hours across up to three subjects. Each hour can count once. Whatever you leave unassigned simply stays an experience, and that is fine.

Hours per credit is your family's choice; 120 to 180 hours is the common range for one credit. The example split is only a starting point. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.

The Unschooling High School Handbook, book cover

The Unschooling High School Handbook

Records, credits and college without turning home into school

Twelve chapters that follow one teenager, Jordan, from a first project to a parent-issued diploma: simple records your teen owns, a portfolio, honest credits, a transcript with a worked GPA, and every road after, including college, the trades, work and the military.

Written by our founder, Dr. Gene A Constant, and donated to the Foundation. Published by Global Sovereign University Press.

Get the Kindle edition Paperback

More about the book  |  Start your free transcript

General educational information, not legal advice. Homeschool rules differ by state; check yours with HSLDA.

The Curriculum Room

Every Subject. One Campus. Zero Tuition.

Each room is a full course — books, games, and a certificate at the end.

ReadificationOpen → WritificationOpen → SpellificationOpen → MathificationOpen → ScienceOpen → CivicsOpen → FinancificationOpen → TradificationOpen → American HistoryOpen → The Language LabOpen → GeographyComing soon World HistoryComing soon

Search the University →

The Homeschool Library

Twelve Books. Twelve Free Games.

Every title has a free game built from it — play it at the kitchen table, no account needed. Where a book is on Amazon, the button takes you straight there. Book sales are GSU's only income.

Sound First cover
Sound First
Phonics from the very first sound — how reading really begins.
Play →
The Kitchen Table Laboratory cover
The Kitchen Table Laboratory
Real science experiments you can run at home, the right way.
Play →
The Civic Workshop cover
The Civic Workshop
How your government really works — the three branches, made simple.
Play →
Biology cover
Biology — How Life Works
Cells, ecosystems, and the living world, for curious young minds.
Play →
Genetics cover
Genetics — Homeschool Edition
DNA, heredity, and why you're you — heredity made friendly.
Play →
History You Can Touch cover
History You Can Touch
How we know what happened — sources, artifacts, and timelines.
Play →
The Living Map cover
The Living Map
Geography you can read — maps, directions, continents, and oceans.
Get the Book →Play →
Civic Literacy for Kids cover
Civic Literacy for Kids
Rights, responsibilities, and what it means to be a free citizen.
Get the Book →Play →
Teaching Moral Values cover
Teaching Moral Values to Kids
Honesty, courage, and kindness — the compass inside a child.
Get the Book →Play →
Morals, Character, Values cover
Morals, Character & Values
Integrity, discipline, and who you are when no one is watching.
Play →
History of the Americans for Kids cover
History of the Americans for Kids
The first Americans — from the Ice Age crossing to the great Native nations.
Get the Book →Play →
Old Glory cover
Old Glory
The story of the American flag and the spirit behind the Stars and Stripes.
Get the Book →Play →

Mentor's Edition

Free Homeschool Lesson Plans

Twenty-nine ready-to-run lessons — scripted, no prep, every one tied to a game. Open the PDF and teach. You do not need to be a "real teacher"; the lesson does the work and GENO fills the gaps.

Home RepairThe Steward's HouseHome-repair judgmentDownload PDF →
Critical ThinkingThe Manipulation GauntletSpotting persuasion tricksDownload PDF →
SpellingThe Spelling ForgeAges 7–adultDownload PDF →
Financial LiteracyThe Money ClimbTeensDownload PDF →
Money · YoungThe Junior Money ClimbYounger learnersDownload PDF →
EntrepreneurshipThe Founders ClimbTeensDownload PDF →
LeadershipLeadership & InfluenceTeens–adultDownload PDF →
History of LawThe Lawgivers ClimbTeensDownload PDF →
Thinking ToolsThe Thinkification ClimbAll agesDownload PDF →
Everyday LawThe Plain Law ClimbAdultDownload PDF →
ScienceThe Four Sciences ClimbScience basicsDownload PDF →
Practical SkillsThe Trades ClimbTeensDownload PDF →
Emotional IntelligenceThe EQ ClimbTeensDownload PDF →
Clear ThinkingThe Sovereign MindFallacies & logicDownload PDF →
CivicsThe Civic Virtue ClimbTeens–adultDownload PDF →
GeographyThe World ClimbAges 8–adultDownload PDF →
HealthThe Vitality ClimbTeensDownload PDF →
SpellingThe Sound MapAges 6–adultDownload PDF →
ScienceThe Kitchen LabAges 7–14Download PDF →
CivicsThe Civic WorkshopAges 9–adultDownload PDF →
BiologyThe Living WorldAges 8–14Download PDF →
GeneticsThe Family CodeAges 9–14Download PDF →
HistoryThe History DetectiveAges 8–adultDownload PDF →
GeographyThe Living MapAges 7–adultDownload PDF →
CivicsThe Citizen’s ClimbAges 8–12Download PDF →
CharacterThe Inner CompassAges 6–12Download PDF →
CharacterWhen No One Is WatchingAges 10–15Download PDF →
HistoryThe First AmericansAges 8–12Download PDF →
HistoryOld GloryAges 6–12Download PDF →

The Human Faculty

You're never teaching alone.

Real mentors, a 24/7 tutor, and a community standing behind every family.

The Sovereign Handshake

Tell us where your learner is and what they need. We connect families with the right resources and a mentor — at no cost.

Find a mentor, or be one →

Civilization Builders

Retired professionals, tradespeople, and teachers volunteering their wisdom — pairing lifetimes of experience with eager young minds.

Meet the builders →
GENO

GENO, 24/7

A patient AI tutor who has read every GSU book cover to cover — and a robot you can actually talk to, at any hour, in any language. Tap the chat bubble any time.

Meet GENO →

Works anywhere

The university that works where the internet doesn't.

Off-grid, on a road trip, or in a place the signal never reaches — the campus comes with you.

University on a Stick

The entire campus — books, games, and lessons — on a single USB drive that runs with no internet at all.

Get the Stick →

University in a Box

A small computer that turns the free library into its own Wi-Fi, so every phone in the room can learn with no internet at all.

Open the Box →

Today's Summit

A brand-new free quiz every single day, with a champions board to keep your climbers coming back.

Take today's quiz →

Your record

Proof of the climb.

Every subject mastered is recorded — a real transcript your family builds for free.

The Sovereign Transcript

A free, building record of every certificate earned across all eight subjects — your learner's official GSU transcript.

Build your free transcript →
GENO A teacher at the table — at any hour, in any language. GENO AI Tutor is available 24/7 and has read every one of these books cover to cover. Tap the chat bubble in the corner and ask him anything.

Questions from parents

Homeschool FAQ

Is all of this really free?
Yes — every game, lesson plan, and certificate is free, with no tuition and no payment ever. You can begin playing without even creating an account. GSU's books are sold on Amazon, and those sales are the foundation's only income; nothing your family needs in order to learn costs money. This is a hand up, not a handout.
Do I have to be a trained teacher?
No. The lesson plans are fully scripted and require no preparation — you open the PDF and teach straight from the page. The games teach each idea before they ever test it, and GENO, our AI tutor, is available around the clock to explain anything your child gets stuck on. You provide the love and the table; we provide the curriculum.
What ages is this for?
The library spans early readers through adult learners. Each lesson plan lists its age range, from "ages 7 and up" through teen and adult material, so you can match the work to your child. Many families use the same subject room across several ages at once, letting older and younger learners climb together.
Is homeschooling legal where I live?
Homeschooling is legal in all fifty states, though the specific requirements vary from one to the next. We recommend confirming your state's rules with HSLDA, the Home School Legal Defense Association, before you begin. The link is in the Legal section above.
Does any of this work without the internet?
Yes. University on a Stick puts the entire campus — books, games, and lessons — onto a single USB drive that runs with no connection at all. It's built for off-grid families, road trips, and places the signal never reaches, so a missing internet connection never means a missed school day.
How do my children earn certificates?
Each subject has free games that teach the material and let learners climb from Bronze to Platinum. When they're ready, they sit the subject exam and receive a serial-numbered GSU certificate, which is recorded on their free Sovereign Transcript. All eight core certifications are live now, with more on the way.
The Evidence · All Five · All Free

The Five Essential Pillars of Reading

Reading is not one skill. It is five, and they have to be built roughly in order, because each one carries the next. Researchers have agreed on this list for decades — what almost nobody does is hand a parent all five without charging for them.

If your child is stuck, the useful question is not "are they behind" but "which pillar is missing." Every one below names exactly what Global Sovereign University provides for it, and every link opens something that exists right now. Where a pillar has no book yet, it says so.

1

Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Hearing that cat is three separate sounds — before a single letter is involved. This is done with the ears, not the eyes, and it is where most struggling readers actually come unstuck. A child who cannot hear the sounds cannot map them to letters, no matter how much phonics you do.

What GSU gives you: The Mouth That Makes the Sound — an interactive lab showing how the mouth forms all 44 English sounds. Teach Mode explains, Play Mode tests. No book on this pillar yet; the lab does the work.

Open the Lab → Practise the Sounds
2

Phonics and Decoding

Matching those sounds to the letters that spell them, so an unfamiliar word can be worked out rather than guessed at. English is a code, not a memory test — and the code is learnable, systematically, by any child and any adult.

What GSU gives you: two complete books — The Code That Unlocks Reading for phonics and The Reader's Toolkit for decoding — plus The Sound Climb, where six instruments let a learner hear a word change as they turn a dial.

Read Phonics Free → Read Decoding Free ▲ Play The Sound Climb
3

Fluency

Reading accurately, at pace, with expression — so the effort stops going into sounding words out and starts going into understanding them. A child who decodes every word correctly and slowly has not finished the job, and will tell you reading is boring, because for them it still is.

What GSU gives you: Reading at the Speed of Thought — written for readers who read it but don't retain it, which is exactly what missing fluency looks like from the outside.

Read It Free → Play the Fluency Game
4

Vocabulary

Knowing what the words mean. A child can decode a science page flawlessly and understand none of it, and no amount of further phonics fixes that. Vocabulary is the ceiling on comprehension — nobody understands past the words they know.

What GSU gives you: The Words You Know — how vocabulary really grows, which is not by memorising lists — and Morphemes: How Words Are Built, which shows how one root can unlock fifty words.

Read It Free → Morphemes — $3.99 Kindle
5

Comprehension

The whole point. Interpreting, weighing, questioning, and making meaning — the difference between a child who has read the page and a child who understands it. This is where reading stops being a school subject and becomes a defence.

What GSU gives you: Reading to Question — critical reading as a courtroom skill: weigh the claim, test the evidence, decide for yourself — and the Comprehension Certification, which is a real bar and not a participation award.

Read It Free → Earn the Certification

At the kitchen table

Three practices that support all five pillars, cost nothing, and need no curriculum. They are what a home can do that a classroom of thirty cannot.

Read aloud above their level

Read your child books harder than they can read alone. Listening comprehension runs years ahead of reading comprehension, and reading aloud feeds vocabulary and sentence structure directly into the part of the mind that will need them later. Keep doing it long after they can read for themselves.

Make it physical

Trace letters in sand, salt, or on a rough surface. Build words with blocks or tiles that can be moved, swapped and pulled apart. A child who can physically take cat apart and rebuild it as cot understands something a worksheet cannot teach — that words are assembled, not memorised.

Use decodable books

Give them books that only contain the phonics patterns they have actually been taught. It sounds restrictive and it is the opposite — a child reading a decodable book succeeds by using the code, which teaches them the code works. A book full of untaught patterns teaches them to guess.

Every book named here is free to read in full on this site, free to have read aloud to you and your child, and GENO — who has memorized each one entire, not merely a sample chapter — will discuss any chapter in 83 languages, at any hour, at no cost. TALK — DON'T TYPE: GENO is a voice tutor, so a child who cannot yet type can still ask him anything. Nothing on this page has ever been behind a paywall. The Kindle editions are $3.99 for families who would rather own them, and that is what pays for all of the above.

Books in the Homeschool Series

See all 198 titles →
View Complete Library — 198 Titles →
Free · Plain-Language Glossary

GSU Homeschool Dictionary

The words homeschooling parents, mentors, and researchers use most — explained in plain language, free, for anyone. Each entry tells you what the term means and why it matters at Global Sovereign University. Whether you are filing your first notice of intent or climbing your tenth Helix rung, this is your map of the campus.

Scope & Sequence The list of what a learner will study (scope) and the order they'll study it in (sequence) across a year or a subject. The GSU Perspective: GSU's Helix frameworks are a scope and sequence you can see. Each subject climbs in deliberate order — phonics before fluency, arithmetic before algebra — so nothing important gets skipped.
Mastery Learning An approach where a learner fully masters one skill before moving to the next, instead of advancing on a fixed schedule. The GSU Perspective: This is the heart of the GSU model. You don't pass by sitting in a seat long enough; you pass by proving you can do it. The Climber's Passport only stamps real mastery.
Unit Study A method that teaches many subjects at once through a single theme — studying 'rivers,' for example, through reading, math, science, history, and writing together. The GSU Perspective: Unit studies mirror how the real world actually works: nothing is taught in isolation. GSU's cross-linked subjects let one curiosity pull a learner through five disciplines at once.
Deschooling The adjustment period when a child (and parent) leaving traditional school unlearns old habits and rediscovers natural curiosity before formal home learning begins. The GSU Perspective: Give it time. A learner who has been taught to wait for permission needs room to remember that wanting to know something is allowed. GSU is built for the self-starter on the other side of that bridge.
Eclectic Approach Mixing methods and materials from many philosophies rather than following a single boxed curriculum, choosing what works for each child. The GSU Perspective: GSU is designed to be plugged into any approach. Use one game, one dictionary, one certification, or the whole campus — it bends to your family, not the other way around.
Spiral Curriculum A design that revisits the same topics repeatedly over time, each pass going deeper, so understanding builds in layers. The GSU Perspective: The Helix is a spiral by design. A climber meets a concept, leaves it, and returns to it higher up the strand — the same idea seen with stronger eyes each time.
The Helix GSU's signature framework for a subject — a climbing path of skills, each rung harder than the last, with games and checkpoints along the way. The GSU Perspective: Reading, Math, and Writing each have a Helix. It is the spine of the whole university: a clear, gamified route from a learner's first step to genuine command of the subject.
Bronze · Silver · Gold · Platinum GSU's four mastery tiers. A learner earns higher tiers by reaching higher rungs and scoring higher on the work, not by spending more time. The GSU Perspective: These tiers turn progress into something a child can see and feel proud of. Platinum is not given for finishing — it is earned for excellence, and that distinction is the point.
Self-Directed Learning Learning a child drives themselves — choosing what to pursue, setting the pace, and owning the result, with the adult as guide rather than lecturer. The GSU Perspective: This is the whole mission in two words. GSU hands a learner the tools and the map; the courage and the will to climb must be their own. A hand up, never a handout.
Charlotte Mason Method A philosophy emphasizing 'living books,' short focused lessons, narration, nature study, and treating the child as a whole person. The GSU Perspective: GSU shares Mason's respect for the learner's mind. Our lessons are short, vivid, and meant to be retold in a child's own words — because a fact you can explain is a fact you actually own.
Classical Education A model built on the Trivium — grammar (facts), logic (reasoning), and rhetoric (expression) — that matches teaching to a child's stage of development. The GSU Perspective: GSU's Thinkification and Trivium-aligned work carry this tradition forward: first you gather the facts, then you learn to question them, then you learn to argue them well.
Living Books Well-written, engaging books by authors who love their subject, used in place of dry textbooks to make ideas come alive. The GSU Perspective: Every GSU book is written to be read, not endured — and GENO has memorized each one cover to cover, so a living book becomes a living conversation.
Narration Asking a child to tell back, in their own words, what they just read or learned — a simple, powerful test of real understanding. The GSU Perspective: Narration is comprehension made visible. It is also the easiest way to use GENO: have your child explain a chapter to him, and watch the gaps appear and close.
Scaffolding Temporary support an adult or tool provides while a skill is forming, gradually removed as the learner becomes independent. The GSU Perspective: GSU's games scaffold automatically — hints, explanations, and second tries hold a learner up until the skill stands on its own, then quietly step back.
Differentiation Adjusting what, how, or how fast a child learns to fit their individual needs, strengths, and interests. The GSU Perspective: One classroom can't differentiate for thirty children. A home, with GSU's self-paced tools and a 24/7 tutor, can differentiate for one — perfectly.
Civilization Builders GSU's mentorship vision: learners who master the tools become teachers and apostles who lift others, building stronger communities. The GSU Perspective: Education that stops at the self is incomplete. The mission is to learn, then teach — to take the hand that lifted you and offer it to the next climber.
The Sovereign Transcript A learner's growing record of certifications, climbs, and accomplishments across the GSU campus. The GSU Perspective: It belongs to the family, not an institution. As your child earns certificates and clears Helix rungs, the transcript becomes a portrait of real, provable learning.
GENO GSU's AI tutor — a guide a learner can actually talk to, available 24 hours a day, who has read every GSU book in full. The GSU Perspective: GENO understands 70+ languages (32 fully optimized) and never tires of a question. He is the patient teacher in the corner of every page, ready the moment curiosity strikes.
Hand Up, Not a Handout GSU's founding philosophy, drawn from 'teach a man to fish' — give people the tools and skills to lift themselves, rather than a dependency. The GSU Perspective: Every free book, game, and certificate exists for this reason. We don't carry learners; we equip them — so the strength they gain is theirs to keep and to share.
Socratic Method Teaching by asking questions that lead a learner to reason their way to understanding, rather than simply telling them the answer. The GSU Perspective: Critical Reading, Thinkification, and GENO all run on good questions. The goal isn't a child who recites answers — it's a child who can interrogate a claim and find the truth themselves.
Notice of Intent A form some regions require a family to file stating they intend to home-educate. Requirements vary widely by location. The GSU Perspective: GSU never replaces your local law — always check your own jurisdiction. What we provide is the curriculum, the proof of learning, and the records that make compliance straightforward.
GENO, the GSU AI tutor

Don't just read these definitions — learn them. GENO is a tutor your family can talk to, 24/7, and he has read every GSU book in full. Tap him in the corner and ask, "GENO, explain scope and sequence like I'm new to homeschooling," or "What's the difference between a unit study and a spiral curriculum?"

Guides for the Homeschooling Parent

Every title is $3.99 on Kindle, and every purchase feeds the mission: book sales are GSU's only income.

Complete Homeschool Starter Guide — book cover
Complete Homeschool Starter Guide
Day one to done — the whole path, mapped.
$3.99 KINDLE
Unschooling High School Handbook — book cover
Unschooling High School Handbook
The teen years without the factory bell.
$3.99 KINDLE
The Reading Revolution — book cover
The Reading Revolution
Teach reading the way the science says it works.
$3.99 KINDLE
Grammar for the Real World — book cover
Grammar for the Real World
Language arts a parent can actually teach.
$3.99 KINDLE
Life Specs — book cover
Life Specs
The specifications of a well-built life.
$3.99 KINDLE
Systemic Failure — book cover
Systemic Failure
Why the system fails kids — and what to build instead.
$3.99 KINDLE

Browse the full GSU Library — 270+ titles →

Accreditation notice: Global Sovereign University is not an accredited institution and does not grant degrees, academic credit, licenses, or industry credentials. Learners who pass GSU's online exams earn GSU certificates of comprehension.