There’s a Website for That!
As a homeschool mom of 3 who’s been in the game for nearly 10 years, I’ve come across tons of websites and curricula.
I’m about to save all of you homeschool newbies tons of valuable time with these top homeschool resources that every homeschool parent should know about.
I certainly wish I’d known about them sooner.
I’ll begin with the websites that cover legal matters before sharing the more fun ones.
Legal Resources
Yes, homeschooling is legal in the U.S. with varying requirements between states. To find out more about your specific state requirements, how to get started, and how to protect your parental rights HSLDA is the best place to begin.
The website includes countless articles to address virtually every concern a new homeschool parent might have for free. It also has the option to begin an affordable annual family membership should you want their legal advocacy.
Another great website for homeschool support with a low cost membership option is CHEA. CHEA is very similar to HSLDA only it provides support specifically to homeschoolers in CA.
Getting Started
Next, I believe it’s so beneficial to identify the type of home educator that you are before you begin searching for curricula. Homeschool.com offers a free quiz that you can take in a jiffy to find out your specific homeschool approach and style. Once you know your style, you can search for materials that match your method of teaching.
You’ll quickly discover that there’s tons of curricula to choose from. To make it easier to narrow your search, check out Cathy Duffy Reviews. Thanks to a homeschool mama who’s been reviewing curricula since the 80’s, you can quickly search the top 100 curriculum picks. Simply choose a subject, read her reviews, and click on links that take you directly to where you can make your online purchase.
Shopping For Resources
A favorite place for homeschoolers to shop is Rainbow Resource. Just as the name suggests, the family-owned company offers a colorful assortment of homeschool resources to choose from and at competitive prices.
What impresses me the most about Rainbow Resource is that you can actually speak to one of their representatives (a veteran homeschool mom) over the telephone and receive solid recommendations for what to purchase based on your individual family needs.
They’ll take into account things like your budget, homeschool approach, age(s) of your child(ren), and so forth. They also have helpful comparison charts for you to utilize. You may quickly narrow down curriculum choices by subject and whether they are written from a secular, faith-based or religiously neutral point of view.
Other great places to purchase new and used homeschool materials at discounted prices are Homeschool Buyer’s Co-op, Homeschool Classifieds and AbeBooks.
For access done-for-you materials such as lesson plans, unit studies, comprehension questions, and worksheets, head over to Teachers Pay Teachers. The website was created by teachers for teachers to sell and share downloadable materials. Simply search for what you need by subject, grade, and price range to find the exact pdf download to help you complete your study.
Online Study Resources
Outschool is a popular website with thousands of affordable virtual classes to choose from. Students can take live courses on nearly any subject of interest led by vetted teachers. Similar options include Inspired Virtual and Lernsys.
If a free short video is all you need to supplement your child’s learning, try Khan Academy, Prageru, BrainPopJr. movie of the week, Mystery Science Video of the week, and YouTube channels such as FreeSchool.
Lastly, Easy Peasy Homeschool, is a free all-in-one online Christian homeschool curriculum for grades prek-12. It was developed by a homeschool mother who wanted an easy way for her children to hop on the computer and independently follow their assigned lessons for each given school day.
Time4Learning is another all-in-one online curriculum, which is secular and also covers grades prek-12. Monthly membership includes access to all four core subjects taught through fun animated lessons, instructional videos and assessments.
Ready! Set! Go!
There you have it!
A list of top homeschool resources that every homeschooler should know about.
Happy home schooling!
