Digital packets travel; laws do not
Homeschool Packets is built around US grade levels for kindergarten through 8th grade. Because every packet is a printable PDF emailed to you, families in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and elsewhere can use the same materials — no international shipping, no customs forms.
What does not travel automatically is your local legal status. If you educate at home outside the US, follow your country's (and sometimes your region's) registration, inspection or curriculum rules first. We are a curriculum publisher, not a school in your jurisdiction.
Rough age-to-grade map
School-year names differ even when ages match. Comparisons below follow common age charts used by international curriculum guides (for example Mathsaurus's international year-group comparison and similar age tables). Treat them as a starting point; place by skill when you can.
| Approx. age | United States | England & Wales | Canada (most) | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5–6 | Kindergarten | Year 1 | Kindergarten | Year 1 / Foundation* |
| 6–7 | Grade 1 | Year 2 | Grade 1 | Year 1–2 |
| 7–8 | Grade 2 | Year 3 | Grade 2 | Year 2–3 |
| 8–9 | Grade 3 | Year 4 | Grade 3 | Year 3–4 |
| 9–10 | Grade 4 | Year 5 | Grade 4 | Year 4–5 |
| 10–11 | Grade 5 | Year 6 | Grade 5 | Year 5–6 |
| 11–12 | Grade 6 | Year 7 | Grade 6 | Year 6–7 |
| 12–13 | Grade 7 | Year 8 | Grade 7 | Year 7–8 |
| 13–14 | Grade 8 | Year 9 | Grade 8 | Year 8–9 |
*Australian naming and cutoff dates vary by state; Foundation / Prep naming differs. When in doubt, match age + skill, then adjust.
So a child in UK Year 8 is usually looking at our 7th grade packets, then moving up or down after a short placement check in math and reading.
What transfers well (and what to watch)
Transfers well
- Math skills (operations, fractions, ratios, early algebra thinking)
- Reading comprehension and writing craft
- Science practices: observing, measuring, explaining with evidence
- Electives: art prompts, coding logic, life-skills projects, beginner Spanish
Watch / adapt
- US-centric history and civics pages (use as comparative history, or swap for your local sequence)
- Spelling variants (color/colour) — rare on math pages, more visible in English
- Holiday references
- Measurement: we use a mix; you can ask kids to convert as bonus practice
A simple onboarding path for international families
- Confirm your local home-education requirements.
- Pick a US grade from the age table above.
- Do a one-day placement in math and reading; move a grade if the fit is wrong.
- Start with one or two subjects before buying all eight.
- Checkout is in USD on our pricing page; your bank converts.
- Tell us the child's first name, grade and interests on the learner form.
US families comparing state rules can start with how to start homeschooling and homeschool laws by state. Those articles are US-focused; this page is the international companion.
Sources
- Mathsaurus, International Comparison of School Year Groups by Age
- Maths Library, US grades, UK year groups and Australian years compared
Grade maps are approximate. Local laws and national curricula always take priority over a US publisher's materials.