2020 Update:
There are several education companies who are offering free subscriptions due to School Closings – The document is a Google Drive spreadsheet
Click here to see a list of resources compiled by Amazing Educational Resources.
Homeschooling isn’t cheap, but for a lot of parents it’s a necessary expense. Homeschooling can be incredibly rewarding, but without the funds to purchase a full curriculum, it can also be disorganized and without a learning plan. To help parents balance costs, there are a number of free online homeschool resources.
It is possible to provide your homeschooled children with a detailed curriculum without breaking the budget.
Check Out Free Resources for Teachers
There are hundreds of websites offering free resources to teachers. Although you’re not a traditional educator, you are educating your children and can benefit from these resources. Some sites offer free formative assessment tools for teachers and you can use these to build curriculum maps for your children. These assessments will help you prepare your child for testing and homework, as well as they allow you to build your own assessments based on what your child is learning.
For even more help, search the web for the following free resources available to teachers:
- Free printable lessons
- Free interactive whiteboard activities
- Free teaching tips
- Monthly calendars for staying on schedule
- Free pre-recorded math classes
- Reading programs
Local and Online Libraries Have A Lot to Offer
Visit your local library to discover a wealth of teaching resources, including: books on homeschooling, curriculum plans, and books for the children to borrow. Children should always be borrowing books that coincide with their reading levels, and what’s being learned about each day. For example, next month is Black History Month, so it would be relevant to borrow a book on Martin Luther King, Jr., and it’s important to make sure it coincides with their age. Ask your librarian for help with this.
The Library of Congress has digital collections for teachers, including: “lesson plans and more that meet Common Core standards, state content standards, and the standards of national organizations.” Check out the site’s self-paced online modules for those moments when you want the children to engage in quiet, computer-based learning. Use the prints out for those moments when you’re ready to teach.
Stay Organized with Free Planners and Trackers
As a parent and a teacher, it’s easy to become disorganized. There are thousands of online printable planners you can download. Put these pages into a binder, and use them to keep track of grades, lesson plans, day-to-day activities, meal plans, and so much more. Dawgeared.com offers an excellent list of free planners, so you can start managing your school year right away.
When you’re homeschooling, it’s essential to be prepared and organized. Disorganization could result in lost lesson plans, and a disruption to the school day. Do the following to ensure your house functions like a school would during homeschooling hours:
- Create a teacher binder, which includes: schedules, calendars, lesson plans, meeting notes, and important information.
- Create a student binder. Your kid should save homework information, goals, records, class schedules and more in his binder.
- File everything. You need to keep records of what you’ve been teaching your children, so get a filing cabinet. Organize it by school year, and child. Keep behavior records separate from educational records.
Homeschooling Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune
You don’t have to buy in to expensive educational plans. These online resources are all free, and that’s something to take advantage of. At the end of summer, take time to create an outline for the year’s curriculum. This will help you stay on track, and ensure your kids are getting the education they deserve.
*image credit: pixabay.com