My three children are each very different. They play differently. They learn differently. They struggle differently. Even their successes and achievements are very different from each other.
I love that homeschooling allows my kids to be who they are, to express and pursue those differences in complete freedom. And I love that when it comes to teaching them, there are limitless homeschool curriculum options to choose from to customize a learning plan that is as different as they are.
In fact, one of my top reasons for loving homeschooling is the limitless homeschool resources available for creating a custom learning plan for my children.
Homeschooling curriculum choices have absolutely exploded since I was homeschooled roughly thirty years ago. There are homeschool curriculum resources for every budget, every learning style and teaching style, and every need. Homeschooling allows you to teach the child, not just a curriculum; and with so many resources at our fingertips, there really is something for each child and each parent.
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Types of Homeschool Curriculum Resources available
Free curriculum: There really is an option for every budget, including no budget at all. Pinterest is full of free learning resources and printable downloads. But even if you are looking for a complete curriculum plan with everything in place for you, there are homeschool options available for you.
Two of those include Easy Peasy, an online plan that includes a complete curriculum for all grades with website links, video links, assignments and activities for every subject—and all for free! Another option is the Charlotte Mason-based Ambleside online, with a rich literature program laid out for all grades and book choices that are available through your local library or free online ebook sites.
Online School: There are a number of online schooling programs that allow working parents and others with time constraints to provide a quality homeschool education for their child. These online homeschool resources are also available at various price points, from Khan Academy available for free, to Time4Learning and Acellus.
Living Book Curriculums: One of our favorite aspects of homeschooling is leaving textbooks behind and embracing “living books” for education. These books are primary sources or engaging fictional stories that teach valuable information through a delightful plot.
This has been an especially helpful resource for my daughter with dyslexia who struggles to comprehend nonfiction texts that are an accumulation of facts with no plot thread for her to follow. Ambleside is one of those options for those on a limited budget, but there are many others, each with their own strengths.
Tapestry of Grace
Sonlight (religious) or Bookshark (secular)
Heart of Dakota
Beautiful Feet
Delight-Directed and Project-based Learning Curriculum: Allowing your child to learn by pursuing his or her own interests is a powerful teaching tool for those with reluctant learners. Many homeschool resources are available to help your child find and pursue those interests.
Our Journey Westward publishes a variety of suggested book lists by subject, by age/grade, and by interest. Another of my favorite resources are ThinkingTree FunSchooling journals. These homeschool resources provide you with a workbook that guides both you and your child to create a learning plan by choosing library books that interest your child.
With engaging activities, journaling, and coloring pages, your creative learner can delve deep into a topic and learn each subject in a non-intimidating delightful way. Need a little more structure but still want projects? Timberdoodle curriculum kits are another fun option for project-based learning.
Local Library: Don’t underestimate your local library, or even a larger library nearby. Even the fees that an out-of-district library may charge can be well worth the education your child can receive with learning DVDs, audiobooks, educational kits, magazines, project and craft books, and limitless books and ebooks.
Choose a topic you want to pursue and check out a variety of resources on that topic. Then, let your child loose to explore the topic and demonstrate their learning with creative projects, power point presentations, or display boards.
Traditional Schooling Resources: Are you looking for something that resembles traditional education? There are homeschool curriculum resources for that, too.
Abeka Book
BJU press
Oak Meadow
These are just a sampling of what is available to the modern homeschooler. Limitless homeschool resources allow you to create a learning plan that is a custom fit for you and your child.
Search the internet, visit a homeschool curriculum fair, join a homeschool facebook group, or ask about local homeschool co-ops in your area. There are as many different resources as there are homeschoolers. In fact, the challenge isn’t a lack of choices but rather how to narrow those choices. With so many homeschool resources to choose from, you just might want to try them all!
Hi! I’m Tracy, and I homeschool my crew of three kids with ADHD/dyslexia, finding creative ways to use their strengths to teach their weaknesses. Our life is creative chaos, and our homeschool is loud and busy and distracted and challenging and lovely. In addition to writing and editing curriculum, I also blog at Growing In Grace, providing grace and knowledge for the challenges of homeschool.
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