Gearing up for Summer School

We are gearing up for our version of "Summer School" this year, which for us, is a gap filler for many reasons.  Why are we summer schooling?

1. To help reinforce the concepts and skillwork already taught during our last school year.
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2. To start a new curriculum with different, more cohesive concepts that also includes more hand-on activities including art and music. (My Father's World)
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3. To officially introduce the little one to K-4 with "real" schooling time (instead of just passive learning, songs or games).
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4. To bridge the gap between 1st and 2nd grade. All of the moving in last year really didn't provide a cohesive 1st grade program. The concepts were sound and on board, but I just don't feel he is where he should be for entry into second grade. He's very close but not quite there. 

We are also excited as we are adding new curriculum, but also returning to some favorites.  Our biggest leap is the addition of My Father's World.  Initially we will be starting their 1st grade curriculum and then, with the beginning of our 2nd grade year (Sept. 7th est.)  moving into their 5 year "wheel" beginning with "Adventures."  That, of course, pending on where the boys are and if they'd rather finish the whole 1st curriculum books instead.


The second new thing will be the addition of Mason's reading program... we are skipping the "Time4Learning.com" curriculum we initially used with Zander as it was too repetitive, somewhat confusing for them, and very, very dull.

This time we are going with "Reading Made Easy" by Valerie Bendt.  We are opting for her cd versions. I am really surprisingly excited about bringing this in! :D  I am praying it will be the perfect, hands-on program for my little guy.  We will also be adding to this with Starfall.com, and LessonPathways.com.

Zander will continue with Math-U-See, Click-n-Kids reading/phonics, and A Reason for Handwriting.

Of course, as the year progresses, we are very likely to take a tangent or two to chase after some delight driven concepts via unit studies. 

Curriculum Review

http://thefactortree.com/

Here is a great new addition to homeschooling or struggling students!  It's called The Factor Tree and it's basic premise is to offer additional support and practice to elementary school kids from grade K-6 in basic math. 

The Factor Tree allows for parent and child log-ins so you can setup worksheets, review their progress and target their weak spots; they even have a worksheet they generate based on what your child got wrong!  My son especially loves their games, one of which is a timed speed drill.  He loves seeing how fast he can go and how many he can get right! 

Their description from their website says it perfectly:

What makes the Factor Tree so effective?

• Provides the practice and repetition needed for a child to truly master key math skills
• Use a skill-adaptive progression algorithm to pinpoint each child’s true skill level
• Provides parents with helpful reports, metrics and notifications to track their child’s progress
• Combines a state testing-compliant curriculum, world class educational theories and innovative technology to create a better learning tool

I truly like this program as anytime you can make math mastery FUN is a winner for me.  The only thing I did not love about the site is the navigation. If you have a browser that has a couple add-on search bars, a lot of the navigation cannot be found. (I had to hit F11 to make it workable).   The site is a bit confusing to start and is not intuitively created; there are no arrows or back markers or navigation trees.  It was initially very irritating.  However, it's does get easier once you get past the navigation learning curve.
 
Regular price for the Factor Tree runs at $20.00 per month for each student, which could get quite pricy if you have a family of homeschoolers using their service.  However, it is a price worth paying if it truly helps foster a love of math in your children.  It is also a much more affordable alternate to onsite match tutors such as Kaplan and the like. The great thing is you can sign up right now with a 14 day FREE trial that does NOT require a credit card to begin!  Visit them direct at The FactorTree.com

Disclosure: I received a free 30 day trial as a BuzzAgent to review and share.  The review and opinions are fully mine which are provided without bias.

Homeschool Confession

I have a confession to make... I am not content with my homeschool. There, I said it!  I got it out! (whew!)

Honestly, these past 6 months have really been a trial on our family as a whole. The trip cross country, from California to Tennessee, having my husband stay behind to fulfill his commitments to his job, leaving 99% of our household and finally coordinating getting our belongings out here completely, has exhausted me mentally and physically. 

Attempting to get settled, finding a Church, and adjusting to life here has had its own unique set of challenges as well.  However, I don't want this to be a complaint session... truly I feel like the Lord lead us here and the challenges are just a part of the journey. 

However, the discontentment is still there, eating at me. The biggest reason for discontent is the fact that 1) we left 99% of our curriculum behind and had to scramble to put something together here 2) the library system is so woeful in comparison to what we used to have in San Diego.

I do really love our math (Math-U-See), Handwriting (A Reason for Handwriting B), and Language Arts (Explode the Code, ClickN Kids online phonics).  However, our science is severely lacking, as is our History/Social Studies.  It's not lacking in CONTENT but rather, in hands-on, fun, interactive and memorable lessons like we did last year.  It feels like we are in workbooks too much. The kids are retaining little in the science and history area and I am frustrated!

We don't really have the money to purchase yet another book or curriculum for this year, although I technically could buy something else. Plus,  I am about 90% sure I am going to go with "My Father's World" curriculum for next year. 

But here's my problem; I find myself constantly searching for something to help make the other subjects better, so I am constantly searching at the library and online. I am making unit studies for each subject and become a printing fool.  But it all feels so disjointed.  *I* feel disjointed. 

So the questions I am struggling with is; should I buy the MFW 2nd grade curriculum NOW and begin using it even though the school year isn't over yet?  Should I buy something else?  Do something else?  I honestly do not know!   I would like to get back to being happy (both the kids and I ) with our homeschooling. Thus is my quandary.

New Zealand Rescue / Homeschool Bargin Crossover Event

  Currclick has created a bundle of homeschooling ebooks on their website that is too good to pass up!

It's an amazing crossover event; offering charitable donations to the New Zealand Red Cross and a great bargain to you, the homeschooling mom!


Below are all the details, quoted direct from Currclick! 

A powerful earthquake struck New Zealand's already-bruised city of Christchurch on Tuesday, collapsing buildings, burying vehicles under debris and sending rescuers scrambling to help trapped people amid reports of multiple deaths. CurrClick and several publishers have teamed up to raise funds to aid those affected by this earthquake. We have a new bundle of great products available now. You can also donate directly with our $5 donation offer here.
You can find more information about the New Zealand Red Cross here. 

Inspired Stumble Upon: Chore Chart Cards

I just stumbled upon the cutest idea at Confessions of a Homeschooler!  If you've spent anytime struggling with chores and kids, you have also probably headed off to the internet for ideas to help.  Often that help comes with a price tag. I don't know about you, but that price-tag has impeeded any purchase or thereby progress on our part! LOL

Picture courtesy of Confessions of a Homeschooler

But today I found something cute, affordable and inspired! Confessions of a Homeschooler: Chore Chart Cards.


Its a system, printed directly at home with your printer. The graphics are FREE and so is the "how to".  Ultimately, the only expense you may incur is that of the hanging or desktop pocket chart.  Super easy and oh-so affordable!

Here is one example of her work. This one is for the younger kids, but she also has available a larger, more detailed chart. 

She provides free downloads for the graphics, inspirations on how to make it work, and even links to where to buy the pocket charts!  If you've been struggling with a way to make chores more manageable in your family, this may be the answer!  Thank you Confessions of a Homeschooler for such a great idea!!

New Homeschooling Resources!

As a homeschooling mommy, I am always on the lookout for new websites that offer innovative, affordable or free (free is better; free is my friend).  I try to update here for some of my favorites to share with you all.

I have a few great places I have stumbled upon!

First of all, I found a great resource for used homeschool curriculum! The board is packed with some very affordable sellers, and the site itself has a ton of great helps for the homeschooling family. Visit their Homeschool talk and swap board. which has topics ranging from "Classical Homeschooling" all the way to "The Asylum" (need I say more LOL).  

I have been a member here for some time, but I have never thought to share it!  The Homeschooling Lounge is a message board filled with fellow homeschoolers!  The resources and the communal feeling there is amazing. It is truly a place to escape for answers to our struggles and a place to share our triumphs as well!

More FREE curriculum!!

I am so excited to share with you that Gravitas Publications is coming out with a new Astronomy 1 addition to their Real Science 4 Kids science curriculum and they are offering a sneak peak for FREE!

As I have shared before, I LOVE Real Science for many reasons, one prime reason is that you can download directly online and you can pay by chapter, allowing a budget to be spread out over time and the ability to shift subjects per semester or delight driven desires!

Anyway, I get their newsletter and saw this opportunity and jumped on it!  Immediately I thought that my blog would be a great place to share as well! Here are the details from my email..

Astronomy I is ready for print, and we just need the cover file. In the meantime you can still take a sneak preview. Take a peek here. Password: astronomyrocks

I assume this is a sneak peek with limited time and availability so I would hop over and check it out ASAP before they go to print. :)

Also cool (from their newsletter too)

FREE year with Mighty Book Jr. Curriculum!

Get your free year with MightBooksJr.com today! We just did and are LOVING it!

Might Books Jr. offers interactive books that help bring the stories to life for the kids. PLUS they offer lesson plans, quizzes, books for ESL and Special Education, and so much more!

Be sure to choose a "household membership" option. Look at the top of the page after you make your selection and enter coupon code learntoread for a free year subscription; that's a $99.00 value!!! (and they do NOT require a credit card to do so!)

New Review!

Want to see what we are using for Science this year?  I have a full review just posted at The Curriculum Choice today!!

Swing on by and see my latest curriculum discovery!

new homeschool freebie resources

Here are a few new free homeschooling resources I have come across through homeschool emails, friends and just surfing...

Resources for teaching math http://illuminations.nctm.org/

Head of the Class (curriculum driven learning for grades Preschool - Eight) http://www.theheadoftheclass.com

Hive of Busy Bee's (free book with cute stories for character lessons) Busy Bee's

Science is FUN (home experiments) http://www.scifun.org/HomeExpts/HOMEEXPTS.HTML

Homeschool Launch (lesson sharing site) http://www.hslaunch.com/mypage/

TVO Kids (videos, games for science and more) TVO Kids

I will eventually add these links to the resource page as well but coding that takes time, which I currently do not have a lot of right now. LOL

Homeschool Review: Epi Kardia

I had my eye on the Epi Kardia curriculum the moment I had heard of it. I was caught immediately by their name alone as it conveyed exactly the type of homeschooling theology in our home!  Imagine my delight when I was offered a 1st grade set to review!  We couldn't wait for it to arrive!

Epi Kardia is a "historically structured, literature-based curriculum using Charlotte Mason methods" available for grades Kindergarten through High School.  So why Epi Kardia as the curriculum name?...

 (from their website) "The Greek words "Epi Kardia" mean at the heart. At Epi Kardia, we feel the heart of home education is the Christ-centered mentoring and discipling relationship  between parents and their children."    

This completely embodies our goals for our homeschool so I just had to try it out. 

 
The day the box came in we were so excited!  I had to rip that box open and dig right in! 

                                          (Epi Kardia right as we ripped in the box)              (Zander is happily showing off a peanut stuck to his nose)

My kids were so excited and I was even more pleased with the packaging: eco-friendly packing peanuts!    I joyfully packaged those up for crafts at a later date! (As frugal homeschooling mom, I never miss a moment to reuse and recycle!)
  

I enjoy the way that the curriculum is broken down into three books so they were not cumbersome to use and their packaging was really pretty! (LOL)

I received the Epi Kardia 1st grade "Lesson Plans" set. This choice is laid out in a daily lesson plan format that outlines each subject for each day, including hands-on ideas, lapbooking suggestions, arts, crafts and more; so you can really just jump in and go!

Epi Kardia offers two different types of curriculum:

1.  Complete Programs -- their most cost-effective option, Complete Programs  can be used for three years each following our methodology.  Using unit overviews, history, science and music/fine arts booklists divided by topic,  along with the suggested projects and activities, you write your own lesson plans.  

2.  Daily Lesson Plans -- Love homeschooling (or want to homeschool) but you know you are not a planner, organized or you have a hard time following through? The Daily Lesson Plans are already-planned-in-advance and are written for specific grade levels.  They include weekly goals and objectives for each subject and daily lessons planned integrating the studies of history, science (K-8), language arts and projects.

Features of Epi Kardia Curriculum

• Based on Charlotte Mason methodologies include reading whole, living books, short lessons, oral narration, using copy work and dictation to teach grammar and composition, and more!
• All books listed in the curriculum have been read and evaluated from an evangelical Christian worldview by at least one of the authors 
• Integrates the subjects of history, science, language arts (including reading, grammar, composition, phonics, poetry, literature studies, spelling) and fine arts 
• Activities, books and projects recommended for each learning style 
• Provided in their complete program, components are historical overviews of each time period for teachers/older students, as well as a customizable CD with teaching tools and helpful forms
• The 100+ page teacher's manuals include abundant information about teaching covered subjects and as well as curriculum related material 
• The 6th - 12th grade manual includes an extensive section regarding teaching high school writing.  

Epi Kardia is a living book based curriculum, so books are an integral part of it.  In each set there is an outline of books that will be used for that quarter. Although the books are not offered as part of the curriculum purchase, I have found that most are easily found online for free, at your local library, or available used online.  (They even offer the books via links to amazon on their website, to save you time and energy).

Being the frugal family that we are, I've elected to procure the books from our local library and online at the free books sites (as listed in my listing of free curriculum). So far, the books have been fun and fairly easy to get. We love going to the library!

One note however, our library here is very small so I need to request the books from other libraries in our circuit. If this is the case with your location, I very strongly recommend that you jump ahead in the lesson plans to see what books are coming up.  

I read ahead a couple of weeks and log-on to my library request database.  That way I don't have to stress if a book is out and I am placed on a waiting list. Most of my books came in before the two or three week time-line, and I found nearly all of them.  Those we couldn't source online or at the library, I skipped or replaced with others. 


I look forward to finding new books that we may have never been exposed to!  Like others in living book style curricula, I fully expect to find some books my kids will adore so much they won't want to return them.  I have planned for that with a small budget for used books on Amazon. A lot of the books listed are currently available for $.01, so the expenditures won't be too expensive either.

In my humble opinion, Epi Kardia compares nicely with other, more known curriculum such as Sonlight, My Father's World, or Tapestry of Grace.  Of course, each of these curriculum offer their own perspective, features and lesson plans, which makes each one unique and tailored to each families personal needs.  However, I think the Sullivan family has joyfully found our core curricula of choice!

Prices for the curriculum varies according to your curriculum style choice and media. You can elect to buy the spiral bound books (like pictured above) or a CD.  Prices start at $75.00 for a full curriculum book or, you can choose to try their lesson plans, you may purchase the first unit (The Ancients--six weeks of plans) for only $25.  Epi Kardia is so sure you are going to love them, they even offer a full credit if you choose to buy the full set after purchasing the trial.

Curriculum Review

I have published another curriculum review at the Curriculum Choice!


Here is a sneak peek!

Reading A-Z.com
by Diana

We started our official reading adventure this year with reading a-z.com!  Right off the bat, I loved the full scope of curriculum the website offers: the website is comprehensive to say the least!  No matter where you are starting out, just about anybody who needs an elementary language arts addition to their schooling can benefit from reading a-z.com.  

There is a very small learning curve to the site so it is easy to just “jump right in” where you need to be.  Pick and choose your own curriculum from their ample selection or take an assessment test that is included to see where you need to begin for each child.  Enjoy leveled readers, alphabet materials or jump into phonics and phonemic awareness materials. Each area offers a full, comprehensive lesson path in that subject matter. 

I'm a writer for the Curriculum Choice!

I am thrilled that I've been blessed to be invited to be a new author for the curriculum choice! My first official review will be published here in just a few days, but I was too excited to wait! LOL

Here is my first curriculum review!

Weaver Interlock

Weaver Interlock is a hands-on curriculum for preschoolers and kindergartners made by Alpha-Omega. It offers a flexible, fully outlined lesson plan that covers Creation through the Flood.  The program integrates Bible with additional subjects such as science, math, language arts, and social studies.

We started using Interlock Weaver as our first curriculum for my oldest as his preschool curriculum.  We continue to use it as a unit study, bible add-on, and intend to use it for my younger boy as well.

Right off the bat, I loved how well planned the curriculum is and how easy it was to follow.  Each day is laid out with your bible theme which then “weaves” that theme into multiple subjects.  They even include reading suggestions as well as craft projects that use primarily household items.

The program includes a tab in the big binder that is filled with reproducible worksheets and projects, which the kids loved!  I loved it too because it saved me so much time not having to separately source printable or crafts for each topic on the internet. The program also comes with a music tape and an introduction to phonics. 

If you choose to use Weaver for both preschool and kindergarten, I do suggest you order their full phonics or outside program as the phonics included is really just an introduction. (We didn’t delve too deeply into the phonics introduction because my son was already well versed in the phonetic sounds of the alphabet.)

I found this program a joy and it continues to be a fantastic resource for us. The curriculum runs for $99.00 and is available at http://www.aophomeschooling.com.

Fabulous Freebie!

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is giving away a delightful Christmas e-book for free!

It is jam packed full of some great recipes, ideas, printables, and so much more. Thank you again Old Schoolhouse Magazine!


Click the picture to get your own!

Some new (free) homeschool resources!

Fun Brain (educational games and multi-aged things)

I know that (multiple subjects and grades)

A plus Math (games in math. a basic site that has some things that are fun. Beware there are links below to PAID sources)

Worsley School (full resource site for curriculum.)

Free Homeschool Sources update

I am pleased as punch to announce that I finally finished editing the code for the Ultimate list of Free Homeschool Curriculum resources!!

Feel free to visit the links and see!  If you have any links that aren't currently posted, please take the time to share your resource with name and link so I can update from time to time!!

More free curriculum resources

Chels from the Homeschool Lounge kindly left this information that I thought would be invaluable to all those who are looking to supplement their curriculum or to create our own completely free!

To me, this is the ultimate index! Enjoy (and thank you Chels!)

Whole Curriculum:
Ambleside Online http://amblesideonline.org
Old Fashioned Education http://oldfashionededucation.com
Puritan Homeschool Curriculum. Contains many subjects but is religious. http://www.puritans.net/curriculum
Core Knowledge. Teacher jargon outline is at the beginning of each lesson. Scroll past this to get to the actual activity pages of the lesson. http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/index.htm
Baltimore Curriculum Project. Uses Core Knowledge. http://www.cstone.net/~bcp/BCPIntro2.htm

Whole Curriculum Guides/Schedules:
Simply Charlotte Mason. Charlotte Mason Style Schedule. Lots of free resources available as well. Some items do have a charge. http://simplycharlottemason.com
Tanglewood Education. Whole curriculum ideas and lists. Reading Schedules for lower grades. http://www.tanglewoodeducation.com

Preschool Curriculum:
Letter of the Week http://www.letteroftheweek.com
Rimes and Rhymes http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/wil/rimes_and_rhymes.htm#This...
Hubbard's Cupboard http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/pre-kindergarten.html

Math:
Ray's Arithmetic http://books.google.com/books?id=eopZHDoOTMMC&printsec=frontcov...
CSMP Materials. Grades k-6. http://ceure.buffalostate.edu/~csmp/CSMP%20Program/index.html
First Lessons in Arithmetic http://www.donpotter.net/math.htm
NC Public Schools http://community.learnnc.org/dpi/math/archives/2005/06/grades_k2_re...
Centre for Innovation (UK) http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm
Living Math History (Lesson Plans on Right side of Page) http://livingmath.net/LessonPlans/C1OutlineandBooklists/tabid/287/l...

Math Drill:
(Online) Math Magician http://resources.oswego.org/games/mathmagician/cathymath.html
Printable Math Sheets http://www.mathfactcafe.com
(online) Math U See http://mathusee.com/drill.html
Math Worksheets to create and print http://themathworksheetsite.com


Phonics:
Progressive Phonics. Free registration required. http://www.progressivephonics.com
Word Mastery http://donpotter.net/PDF/Word%20Mastery%20-%20Typed.pdf
(online) Starfall http://www.starfall.com
Blend Phonics http://www.donpotter.net/Blend%20Phonics.htm

Literature/Reading Guides and Units:
Teacher Guides for Core Classics. Core Knowledge Curriculum. http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/tgcoreclassics.htm
Grade Saver. Lots of Study Guides. http://www.gradesaver.com/study-guides
Novel Study Guides http://www.nt.net/~torino/novels3.html
Reading Units by Gay Miller. Awesome resource. http://www.mce.k12tn.net/units/units_with_books.htm
Garden Of Praise Reading Units. Many popular 2nd and 3rd grade reading level titles. http://www.gardenofpraise.com/lesson.htm
Glencoe Literature Guides. Lots of popular titles. http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary
Literature Activity Guides by Nancy Polette. These are samples, but are in depth enough to test if your child understood the story. http://www.nancypolette.com/litguides.asp
SCORE Cyberguides. Some of these have been retired, but there is still plenty to choose from. http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/SCORE/cyberguide.html
Dangerous Journey lit. Unit. Book is the retelling of Pilgrims Progress by Paul Bunyan (Christian). https://www.visionvideo.com/pdf/DangJourney.pdf
The Hobbit and Screwtape Letters Lit. Units. http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/LitGuild/index.html

Free Books:
Classical Education Library http://www.classical-education.net
Kids 4 Classics. http://www.kids4classics.com
Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog
Online Library of Liberty. You could spend a lot of time on this site. http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_staticxt&Itemid=29
Google Books.Tons of books to read for free. http://books.google.com/books
The Baldwin Project. Lots of free Classic books to print or read online.http://www.mainlesson.com/main/displayarticle.php?article=Christmas
Planet ebook Free section. Lots of Classic literature available to print or read online. http://www.planetebook.com
19th Century Schoolbooks http://digital.library.pitt.edu/nietz/

Audiobooks/Stories:
LibriVox. Free audiobooks http://librivox.org
Storynory. Audio Stories http://storynory.com
Light up your Brain. http://lightupyourbrain.com/audio-stories-for-children.html

Spelling/Vocab.:
ZB Spelling Connections url=http://www.zaner-bloser.com/spellingconnections/practice-pages.html
Splashes from the River http://www.splashesfromtheriver.com/spelling/courseoutline.htm
Webster’s Spelling http://www.donpotter.net/PDF/Webster%27s%20Spelling%20Book%201824.pdf
(online) Spelling City http://www.spellingcity.com/
Merriam-Webster. Daily Buzz Word. http://www.wordcentral.com/buzzword/buzzword.php

Handwriting:
ZB Online http://www.zaner-bloser.com/zbfontsonline/index.htm
Writing Wizard http://www.writingwizard.longcountdown.com/handwriting_practice_wor...
Custom Tracer Pages http://www.kidzone.ws/tracers/none/index.asp
Nice Writing Paper printables http://www.2learn.ca/kids2learn/Kpaper.html#

Grammar and creative Writing:
Harvey's Grammar http://books.google.com/books?id=H8AAAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcov...
Young Novelist Workbooks. There is a workbook for elementary, middle and high school. Designed to go with national novel writing month, but can be used any time. http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/workbooks
English Banana Elementary Workbook. For individual pages go to: http://www.englishbanana.com/big-grammar-book-english-worksheets.html
Scott Foresman http://www.sfreading.com/resources/ghb.html
Kiss Grammar http://home.pct.edu/~evavra/KISS.htm
Daily Grammar http://www.dailygrammar.com/archive.shtml

History:
Scripted People of America History Lessons. http://www.prontolessons.com/lessons.html
Little City Kids. Kindy or 1st grade world history and geography. http://www.littlecitykids.com/lessonplans/index.php
American Heritage. Uses teacher jargon, but is complete. http://www.americanheritage.org/curriculum.html
Mosaic Introduction to World History http://bringinguplearners.com/mosaic-myths-maps-and-marvels
American History http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/history/americanhistoryindex....]American History Curriculum

Geography:
Globalmania by Terri Johnson. Learn world geography in 7 months. http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/GlobalmaniaRev.pdf
Countries and Cultures around the world. Elementary age. http://www.scribd.com/doc/5622573/Countries-and-Cultures-of-the-World
Sheppard Software Geography (Online) http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm
Discover America State by State. Uses the C is for...... book series. http://www.gale.cengage.com/DiscoverAmerica/guides/index.htm
Canada Unit Study http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/canadaunit.htm
Outline Maps http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/


Current Events:
Channel One http://www.channelone.com
News Hour Extra http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/]NewsHour Extra | PBS
Scholastic News http://www2.scholastic.com/browse
TIME for kids. http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/]Time For Kids | Classroom
NY Times Learning Network. Updated daily and many archived lessons. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/index.html

Science:
Rain Forest Curriculum http://rainbird.com/rainforest/index.htm
NASA Educators. Click on Find teaching materials. http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
FossWeb by Delta Education. Click on the subject, then teacher resources. You will then have to click on Teacher Prep videos for the lessons. Everything else on the page supports the lessons. There are games, worksheets, and many additional resources listed. http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/index.html
Engineering for kids ages 8 and up. Single subject lesson plans. Nicely done and easy to understand. http://www.tryengineering.org/lesson.php
Earth Awareness Curriculum for Middle Schoolers http://cygnus-group.com/use-less-stuff/NSTA.html
Life Science Curriculum http://www.eequalsmcq.com/Thank%20you%20for%20downloading%20Life%20...
Otter’s Science http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/science/otters_science/otters...
K-12 Science Curriculum http://www.msnucleus.org/curriculum/curriculum.html
3 Curriculums about Eyes http://www.aaofoundation.org/what/heritage
Take a Cloud Walk http://www.takeawalk.com/cloud-walk/

Computer Science:
Blender 3D animation creation. http://www.blender.org
Computer Programming Course http://www.alice.org/index.php
Computer Training Courses http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computer/
Computer Animating and Design http://scratch.mit.edu

Art/Music:
Music Theory http://www.gmajormusictheory.org/Fundamentals/workbooks.html
Dick Blick Lessons http://www.dickblick.com/lessonplans
Meet the Masters http://www.getinvolvedineducation.com/pdfs/For-Program-Managers/Mee...
A Lifetime of Color http://www.alifetimeofcolor.com/main.taf?p=1]A Lifetime of Color - Lesson Plans By Grade
Harmony Fine Arts at Home. Art/music Appreciation for High Schoolers. http://www.harmonyfinearts.com/section/freedownloads/


Typing:
Powertyping.http://www.powertyping.com/qwerty/lessonsq.html
Online typing Course http://www.goodtyping.com/
Dance Mat Typing http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
Touch Typing http://www.sense-lang.org/typing/
Kiran's Typing Tutor. http://www.kiranreddys.com/products/typing.html

Foreign Language:
Study Spanish. http://www.studyspanish.com/
BBC Languages http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/
Elementary/Middle School beginning Spanish. The first book listed is a free download. http://nflrc.iastate.edu/pubs/units/unitsList.html
Greek and Latin http://www.textkit.com/
FSI Language Courses http://fsi-language-courses.com/default.aspx
Live Mocha. This is a social site, so you may want to monitor your kids closely on this one. http://www.livemocha.com/

Home Economics:
Future Christian Homemakers. http://www.futurechristianhomemakers.com/FCHLessonsIndex.html

Educational Videos:
neoK12 http://www.neok12.com/
Answers in Genesis (Christian) http://www.answersingenesis.org/kids/videos

Online educational games/activities:
Internet Activities to coordinate with each grade and subject. http://www.gsc.amdsb.ca/
Scholastic http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/learn.jsp
Softschools http://www.softschools.com/math/games/

Virtual Field Trips:
Take a field Trip. http://www.uen.org/tours/fieldtrips2.shtml
Meet Me at the Corner http://www.meetmeatthecorner.org

________________________________________________

High School and College age-ish (Online):
HippoCampus Free Courses http://www.hippocampus.org
Mixed Courses in many subjects http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed
Printable Courses in all subject areas. Not sure who funds this one, but I like how the curriculum is laid out. http://www.pass.leon.k12.fl.us/Special%20Documents/Book%20Subject%2...
University of Berkley Courses. Tons of Free Courses available here. http://webcast.berkeley.edu/
Yale University Open Courses. Nicely done and easy to access IMO. http://oyc.yale.edu/
University of Washington free courses. http://www.outreach.washington.edu/openuw/
M.I.T. open Courseware. Tons of completely free courses in many subjects. http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/courses/courses/index.htm


Unit Studies/Notebooking:
A Journey Through Learning Inventor unit study and lapbook. Click on Free products. We enjoyed the lapbook. http://ajourneythroughlearning.com]ajourneythroughlearning.com
H.I.P. Pocket Change. Several Lesson Plans revolving around money. http://www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonPlans/
Various Unit Studies http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/units.htm
Oceanography http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?cPath=46_618&products...
Birds Notebooking pages http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=16222&it=...


Planning/Forms/Papers/Worksheets:
Homeschool Tracker. Sign-up required, basic edition is free. http://www.homeschooltracker.com/tracker_basic.aspx
Homeschool Inc. Web based planner. http://www.home-school-inc.com/
Online Lesson Planner, Scheduler, and Tracker http://www.homeschoolskedtrack.com/HomeSchool/displayLogin.do
Super Teacher Worksheets. Lots of well done worksheets for all subject areas. Grade level 1st-4th. http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/index.html
Donna Young http://donnayoung.org/
Free Forms http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/forms.html
Highland Heritage Forms http://highland.hitcho.com.au/Forms.htm

My Favorite Freebie Sites:
HSLaunch http://www.hslaunch.com/mypage/
Homeschool Helper http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/index.htm
Homeschool Freebie of the day. If you Sign-up for the weekly email, you will receive additional free resources. http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/
Currclick. They feature a free product once a week to download. It usually changes Monday afternoons. http://www.currclick.com/index.php
Freely educate. Lots of great links here. http://www.freelyeducate.com/
Hoagies Gifted. Tons of Free high school curriculum links. http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/online_hs.htm
Homeschool Share http://www.homeschoolshare.com/
Education World.I really like the lesson of the day feature. Check out the Lesson Plans Page. http://educationworld.com/

Free Phonics Online

http://www.progressivephonics.com/

http://donpotter.net/ed.htm

http://starfall.com

Free phonics software: http://www.yourchildlearns.com/lettersounds.htm

Phonics program in quicktime movie format: http://www.thephonicspage.org/Phonics%20Lsns/phonicslsnslinks.html

• Posted by Concerned Heart on July 9, 2009 at 7:40pm in Frugal Homeschooling

more resources for homeschool

In addition to library checkouts, you can also download FREE classical books to use as a supplement to your educational adventures~!

Starting learn about the Oregon Trail? Download

Title: The Oregon Trail
Author: Francis Parkman, Jr.

and supplement it as reading, history, and so much more!

Check it out at the Gutenberg project

Free Homeschool Curriculum

Lately I have really heard the need for free,, or very low cost, homeschooling curriculum. Fortunately, the Internet really has a wealth of information that can be used. I have really starting feeling the Holy Spirit moving me here.

So, I am going to start my blog towards homeschool freebies and curricula. I am currently resourcing for a family on the internet so I will put it together as I gather it.

I hope this blog will be a resource to all who need the help!