Modulo

Mosdos

Recommended Ages

3rd–8th grades

Many literature curricula either feel morally heavy-handed or too light on analysis. Mosdos Press aims for a middle ground with anthologies that pair classic and contemporary stories with structured comprehension, vocabulary, and writing exercises. Developed by a team with roots in the Jewish day school world, Mosdos focuses on character, ethical questions, and careful reading while remaining accessible to a broad range of families. We love the high-quality selections and the emphasis on discussion and written response over multiple-choice drilling. It’s best suited for roughly grades 3–8 and works well for families who appreciate traditional structure and teacher guides. Mosdos is not secular by origin, and some references may reflect its background, so strictly secular families may want to preview content. Pro tip: use the stories as read-alouds, then adapt the questions into open-ended prompts for journals or family discussions.

A great fit for 2nd–8th graders who love stories, appreciate routine, and do well with a structured, literature‑heavy program; works especially well for families who enjoy reading aloud together and pausing to discuss characters’ choices, themes and vocabulary.

Pros

Comprehensive, secular literature program with beautifully laid‑out student texts that blend classic and contemporary short stories, poetry, plays and novels, plus open‑ended questions that spark rich discussion about character and choices; teacher’s editions are highly scripted, making it doable even for new homeschoolers; many secular families appreciate that it teaches moral reasoning and empathy without preaching, so it works across belief systems. 

Cons

Workload can feel heavy: long readings, many comprehension and writing questions, and multiple components (teacher guide, text, workbook) can be overwhelming if you try to do everything; the tone sometimes leans earnest about virtues and environmental themes, which some kids find “cheesy”; diversity has improved but still centers mostly Western authors; shipping and cost add up compared with free or digital ELA options. 

Because Mosdos is a secular literature program sold as standard textbooks, many public charter and umbrella schools will reimburse purchases when ordered through approved vendors, but eligibility is program-by-program; check your charter or ESA list to confirm that Mosdos Press is allowed before buying.

About $24-$62.99 depending on curriculum

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Mosdos
$24.00 USD

Skills

What kids will learn
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ELA
ELA
Reading
Reading
Writing
Writing

Mosdos Mission

The mission of Mosdos is to present outstanding classic and contemporary secular literature to elementary and middle school students while upholding the highest standards in language arts instruction and moral clarity. Their literature anthologies and companion workbooks are designed to be intellectually challenging, richly written, and age-appropriate, emphasizing positive ideals and strong character alongside close reading, writing, and vocabulary study. By pairing rigorous academics with carefully curated, values-conscious stories, Mosdos aims to give students a love of reading and a strong ethical and literary compass.

Mosdos Story

Mosdos Press was born in Cleveland, Ohio, when a group of educators, curriculum specialists, and parents gathered to examine the literature textbooks their children were using and found too many selections that glorified cruelty, trivialized important issues, or simply bored students. Determined to offer something better, they formed a non-profit publishing house to create a literature series that honored children’s intelligence while protecting their innocence. Over the years, that collaboration has grown into a complete literature and research series for grades 3–8, featuring original artwork, thoughtful teacher editions, and workbook activities crafted to make learning creative, engaging, and genuinely enjoyable.

About Modular Learning

FAQ: Additional Details about Mosdos

A typical Mosdos day might find your child curled up with the anthology reading a short story, then moving to the table to answer comprehension questions and underline vivid imagery or examples of personification. You might pour tea, read a paragraph aloud together, and pause to talk about the characters’ choices or the moral of the story before your child writes a brief response in the workbook. The feel is classic and bookish—like a cozy literature club in your living room.

Mosdos is a literature-centered language arts curriculum built around hefty anthologies, student workbooks, and detailed teacher editions for roughly grades 3–8. Families assign short stories, poems, and novel excerpts for students to read, then use the workbook and teacher guide for vocabulary, comprehension questions, literary analysis, and related writing prompts a few times per week. You can run it as your core reading/ELA spine or pair the stories with a separate grammar or spelling program.

An engaged adult is important for discussion and feedback—reading some stories aloud, going over answers, and listening to oral narrations or short essays. Older students can complete most reading and workbook pages independently, then meet with you once or twice a week for grading and deeper conversation.

Students should read independently at or near grade level and be able to write short answers or paragraphs by hand. For younger or reluctant readers, many families read selections aloud and scribe answers while skills grow.

Mosdos literature programs emphasize moral themes and guided discussion, which some families of gifted or sensitive kids appreciate. Text density and traditional pacing can challenge dyslexic or ADHD learners, so parents often read aloud, summarize, and adjust writing loads while preserving rich conversations.

Refunds are handled by whichever retailer or school purchasing system you use—for example, major homeschool suppliers typically accept returns of unused books within a set window, while digital or consumable items are often non-returnable—so families should review the seller’s policy rather than expecting a separate Mosdos-specific guarantee.

Not ideal for strongly child‑led or minimalist families who dislike workbooks, or for reluctant readers who struggle with dense text; if you want a very open‑ended, project‑based language arts program or one that centers exclusively on contemporary diverse voices, you may prefer another curriculum.

Families wanting something lighter or more flexible often look at programs like Build Your Library or Torchlight for literature‑rich but more open‑ended units, or combine free ELA units from Fishtank Learning and novel studies from Teachers Pay Teachers instead of a single, all‑in‑one series. 

Mosdos Press is a relatively traditional print publisher, so the core anthologies change slowly; occasional reprints, updated covers, and minor teacher-guide revisions keep the series current without frequently overhauling content.

Treat the teacher guide as a buffet, not a checklist—pick a handful of questions that lead to genuine conversation, skip busywork, and consider using only selected units each year so Mosdos becomes your “deep dive” spine rather than your entire ELA workload.

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Meet Mosdos Team

Mosdos Press is led by a collaborative team of educators, curriculum writers, and parents who share a commitment to excellent, values-conscious literature for children. Rather than being the vision of a single founder, Mosdos grew out of many voices—teachers frustrated with tedious anthologies, parents concerned about age-inappropriate content, and curriculum specialists who believed rigorous language arts could also be joyful. Together, the Mosdos team designs anthologies, teacher’s guides, and workbooks that blend close reading and writing instruction with stories that celebrate courage, kindness, and integrity.