My Ten Favorite Homeschool Resources

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School Girl Using a Microscope Set at Home by Robert W. Kelley
School Girl Using a Microscope Set at Home

With school starting again soon - here in the Vancouver area, school doesn't start till the day after Labour Day and doesn't end till late June - I've been doing a lot of preparations for our homeschool year. As I've been working, I've thought of all the resources I use for our homeschool. Here are my 10 favorites:
  1. Our local library - This is pretty self-explanatory. The library is chock full of homeschooling goodies. When I decided to learn Andrew's Chemistry so I can teach him this year, I went straight to the library and picked up The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chemistry. Now we're going to buy it as a reference for Andrew and later, for Beth. And to refresh my 43-year-old memory every day!
  2. Donna Young's Homeschool Printables and Resources - This is the first place I go when I need a planner of any kind, homeschool or otherwise. A goldmine of yummy printables!
  3. Free Homeschool Forms and Worksheets by Cindy Downes - Another goldmine of printables. I especially like the Learning Styles Quiz.
  4. Managers of Their Homes - Biblical advice and practical steps to help you create a schedule that will keep your priorities straight, honor your husband's wishes, and train your children to use their time wisely. Published by Steve and Teri Maxwell.
  5. Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit - The most valuable book I've ever read for a homeschooling mom, by a veteran homeschooling mom, Teri Maxwell.
  6. Merriam-Webster Online - Not just for looking up words! There are daily word games and more here for the homeschooler
  7. Discovery Education - Lots of resources for teachers. My favorite is the Puzzle Maker. Also lots of lesson plans here, categorized by grade level.
  8. Teachnology - I love their rubrics. I have used these for years to grade my children's writing. Another place with lots of lesson plans.
  9. An Old-Fashioned Education - I would make heavy use of this site if I were starting over again with little ones. You can basically homeschool for free, although I wouldn't use this exclusively. Includes lesson plans for K-12 that will give you some good ideas, especially if you're just beginning to homeschool.
  10. FlyLady - What can I say? I'm one of those who love FlyLady! She helps establish routines and even has a teacher's control journal that can be modified for homeschoolers.

Comments

  1. Elizabeth8:59 AM

    Thanks for this little treasure trove. Today was our first day of school.

    I'm no veteran homeschooling parent, that's for sure. But everyone had raved so much about Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit that I had to pick it up. Am I ever glad that I did! It was tremendously helpful. I lent it to a friend of mind who has 3 little ones under school age and she said that it was a great help for parenting.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Susan11:12 AM

    Elizabeth, I hope you find lots and lots of goodies in these sites to help you! I agree that Teri Maxwell's book is great, for homeschooling AND for parenting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Deborah11:55 AM

    Thank you for some great links! I've just been checking them out.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Susan9:33 AM

    I hope you find something you can use, Deborah!

    ReplyDelete

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