Before I get started, let me state that even though I live in the country, I am very blessed to have access to high speed internet. Some of the resources I will direct you to, may not work as well for you if you don't have it if downloading or videos cause you issues.
When it comes time to start planning for the new year there are a few sites I will always check out and add to my lists of references. Some of them contain free material like printables and curriculum, others offer online classes and some are purely for research/reference.
Have you visited Homeschoolshare.com? I first discovered this incredible site when I was using the Five-in-a-Row program with Little Britches. Since then I have revisited MANY times and have plans to make sure of it this week.
Why do I like It?
One word. FREE. Everything on the site is free. Free printables galore for a wide variety of ages. Have a subject that you would like to expand on? Visit the site and type in a keyword and it will pull of anything on the site related to it. Doing a unit study and looking for some books about it? You can find that too. Are you a lapbook fan? Well this place will be your new best friend! Want to design your own lapbook components? No problem! Sign up for the newsletter and you get a HUGE download for you to edit and revise and type in!
Seriously, if you are looking for a specific topic to have printables for--you need to check out here first! I always do. I also am a member of their forum, a reader of their blog and fan of their Facebook page! I like to stay in the know of any new things they add to their site!
2. Pinterest
I mentioned Pinterest as being one of my Homeschool Essentials, so it's only right I include it here as a favorite resource. I pink puffy heart Pinterest.
Why do I like it?
The amount of time it saves me when I need to find a project or review on a curriculum is incredible. All those times in the past where I used to go "I KNOW I saw something where I could make _______ for ______ somewhere. Where was it?"--yeah that doesn't happen anymore. I can just add things I want to remember for later to my boards. Like my Crafts for Kids board...I pin all KINDS of crafts and activities there--one place to find anything I ever thought we might make.
Why do I like it?
The amount of time it saves me when I need to find a project or review on a curriculum is incredible. All those times in the past where I used to go "I KNOW I saw something where I could make _______ for ______ somewhere. Where was it?"--yeah that doesn't happen anymore. I can just add things I want to remember for later to my boards. Like my Crafts for Kids board...I pin all KINDS of crafts and activities there--one place to find anything I ever thought we might make.
Follow Lisa @ Farm Fresh's board Crafts for Kids on Pinterest.
Or a board to keep anything related to Bible activities
Follow Lisa @ Farm Fresh's board Homeschooling: Bible/Sabbath School on Pinterest.
So much time saved to just go to a specific board to find something...
Currclick.com is a site that I sometimes forget I love. It's so awesome, yet I regularly forget about it's awesomeness--until I visit it and then remember. LOL!
Why do I like it?
Currclick.com is an incredible resource because of all the curriculum that is offered. Not all of it is free, but much of it is very very inexpensive. They also regularly do fantastic sales and their "Pay What You Want" sale is not to be beat. There are e-books, lapbooks, unit studies and even FREE clubs (American Girl or LEGO Club sound good?) They have LIVE classes taught by accredited teachers--yes your child can take an online class by a teacher and get a class credit for their transcript! We have done a LIVE class through them before and it was excellent and Little Britches loved it. Currclick.com offers higher level courses as well--classes like high school level/college prep Biology, American History Camp 2014: Redcoats and Revolutionaries, or how about Mandarin Chinese? I don't dread high school level classes in my future because I know I have access to a resource like Currclick.com! They even have an annual science fair which your children can be part of--this is something that I look forward to enrolling Little Britches maybe this year.
E.H.M. Members Only Website is a treasure trove. Jill (owner and creator) is a creative genius with the quality of product she produces!
Why do I like it?
For $15...just $15 you get a LIFETIME subscription to her site. That's it. NO other fees. NO annual renewal. It's a one time fee and *poof* you get access to everything she has created and everything she ever will create! Jill has printables, curriculum, activity packs and more! Right now she has over 450 items in her shop--and she adds stuff weekly! Her work covers a wide range of subjects (history to music) and ages (pre-K and up!).
SchoolhouseTeachers.com is a resource that is fairly new to me, but one that I am so thankful to have found. Covering subjects from sign language to astronomy there is a curriculum or course for anyone!
Why do I like it?
I like this resource because it is a one size fits all program. For one price you get daily/weekly/monthly lessons anytime you need them. There are core subjects and fun electives. There is a database of over 30 teachers producing and teaching curriculum on this site. There are print, audio and video resources available. The curriculum is taught at a wide range of styles from Classical to Charlotte Mason. There are archived teacher lessons, free planners, e-books and recorded expo sessions! Did I mention it's just one price for your whole family? You could and can teach a whole day's worth of lessons from just this one site. Your first month subscription to the site is just $3...and then only $12.95/month or a super low price of $139 for a whole year. You can teach your whole family (pre-school to high school) a complete curriculum for just $139...can you find that anywhere else? They are always adding new courses and curriculum too. We especially love the material available on the Dailies page--Everyday Easel is one of our favorites.
*****Or a board to keep anything related to Bible activities
Follow Lisa @ Farm Fresh's board Homeschooling: Bible/Sabbath School on Pinterest.
So much time saved to just go to a specific board to find something...
3. Currclick.com
Currclick.com is a site that I sometimes forget I love. It's so awesome, yet I regularly forget about it's awesomeness--until I visit it and then remember. LOL!
Why do I like it?
Currclick.com is an incredible resource because of all the curriculum that is offered. Not all of it is free, but much of it is very very inexpensive. They also regularly do fantastic sales and their "Pay What You Want" sale is not to be beat. There are e-books, lapbooks, unit studies and even FREE clubs (American Girl or LEGO Club sound good?) They have LIVE classes taught by accredited teachers--yes your child can take an online class by a teacher and get a class credit for their transcript! We have done a LIVE class through them before and it was excellent and Little Britches loved it. Currclick.com offers higher level courses as well--classes like high school level/college prep Biology, American History Camp 2014: Redcoats and Revolutionaries, or how about Mandarin Chinese? I don't dread high school level classes in my future because I know I have access to a resource like Currclick.com! They even have an annual science fair which your children can be part of--this is something that I look forward to enrolling Little Britches maybe this year.
4. Enchanted Homeschooling Mom Members Only Website
E.H.M. Members Only Website is a treasure trove. Jill (owner and creator) is a creative genius with the quality of product she produces!
Why do I like it?
For $15...just $15 you get a LIFETIME subscription to her site. That's it. NO other fees. NO annual renewal. It's a one time fee and *poof* you get access to everything she has created and everything she ever will create! Jill has printables, curriculum, activity packs and more! Right now she has over 450 items in her shop--and she adds stuff weekly! Her work covers a wide range of subjects (history to music) and ages (pre-K and up!).
5. SchoolhouseTeachers.com
SchoolhouseTeachers.com is a resource that is fairly new to me, but one that I am so thankful to have found. Covering subjects from sign language to astronomy there is a curriculum or course for anyone!
Why do I like it?
I like this resource because it is a one size fits all program. For one price you get daily/weekly/monthly lessons anytime you need them. There are core subjects and fun electives. There is a database of over 30 teachers producing and teaching curriculum on this site. There are print, audio and video resources available. The curriculum is taught at a wide range of styles from Classical to Charlotte Mason. There are archived teacher lessons, free planners, e-books and recorded expo sessions! Did I mention it's just one price for your whole family? You could and can teach a whole day's worth of lessons from just this one site. Your first month subscription to the site is just $3...and then only $12.95/month or a super low price of $139 for a whole year. You can teach your whole family (pre-school to high school) a complete curriculum for just $139...can you find that anywhere else? They are always adding new courses and curriculum too. We especially love the material available on the Dailies page--Everyday Easel is one of our favorites.
These are only 5 of the incredible online resources out there, but I think these 5 are the absolute best for any homeschooling family to have. You can cover a wide range of subjects and grade levels and the prices can't really be beat for the quality and quantity of product they offer.
Do you have a favorite online resource that I haven't mentioned? I'm always on the look out for new awesome resources, so make sure you comment to share with me what you use for your family!
Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you will continue to hop with me through the rest of this week as I continue the Back to Homeschool series! See you tomorrow!
Marcy @ Ben and Me
Jenn @ Treasuring Life's Blessings
Michele @ Family, Faith and Fridays
Dusty @ To the Moon and Back
Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning
Rebekah @ There will be a $5 Charge for Whining
Gena @ I Choose Joy!
*****
3 comments:
I've used all of those and totally agree with you about internet access being an essential for homeschooling!
I pink fluffy heart all of these!
Such a great list of resources here. Homeschool Share and Schoolhouse Teachers are two of those gems that more people need to know about. I'm glad you mentioned them.
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