Whether you are homeschooling full time or looking to fill in specific gaps for your child’s learning, it can feel overwhelming to find the right resources. To make this process a little easier, I’ve compiled a list of some of the best homeschooling resources to help you get started.
Most of the resources listed below are designed as supplemental learning instead of being a complete curriculum. While many families are doing remote learning, parents are often looking to fill in specific learning gaps, and the resources on this list can help do that. Additionally, many full-time homeschoolers choose to pull together their own learning plans, instead of following a structured curriculum, and this list helps with that process as well.
Remember, homeschooling looks different for every child and family. Learn from others, but don’t worry about doing exactly what everyone else is doing. Choose the homeschooling resources that work best for you and your family, and you will be on your way to developing a positive and successful homeschool experience.
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Homeschooling Blogs / Podcasts
Homeschool blogs can be great resources for finding ideas and support along your homeschooling journey. Homeschool bloggers often have lots of experience and wisdom to share, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Check out some of these great homeschool blogs and podcasts below:
Trigger Sisters Podcast – The Trigger Sisters, Marillee and Jennie, have created a podcast series where they discuss how they built a thriving educational publishing business as a result of homeschooling their eight children. Listen to their 30 years of combined experience full of challenges, triumphs and failures as business women and moms trying to make it all work. You can also read their blog at teaching-with-a-twist.com.
The Simple Homeschooler – The Simple Homeschooler blog is designed to help you get started homeschooling and keep you going without feeling overwhelmed. Lauren, an experienced homeschooling mom, shares tips and tricks to keep homeschooling simple.
Cathy Duffy Homeschool Reviews – Cathy Duffy has been reviewing curriculum for the homeschooling community since 1984. Her website is a comprehensive collection of homeschool reviews and is an excellent starting place for anyone trying to decide which homeschool curriculum or resources are right for them.
Homeschooling Resources: Math
Most parents and teachers will agree that it is critical to avoid falling behind in math. However, math is also the subject that many students find the most challenging. The homeschooling resources listed below will help your children improve their math skills. As a bonus, many of them have a fun game-like component to kids entertained and engaged while learning.
Prodigy – Prodigy is a game-based math program that helps students practice math skills while engaging in a little friendly competition. Students can play Prodigy independently or with friends which makes school work time feel more like play time. There is a free version, but if your kids are like mine, they will soon be begging for the premium version where they can unlock all sorts of extra fun and learning.
Khan Academy – Khan Academy is a comprehensive math curriculum and it is completely FREE. As a parent, I absolutely love this program. It lines up with the curriculum that was taught at my children’s school (when they were in public school), so I’ve used Khan every summer to help my kids review their math skills. I also use Khan as my core math curriculum now that I am homeschooling my kids. The video lessons give the feel of a real online class and the practice questions and tests are easily organized so your child can work independently and you can easily track their progress.
Times Tales – Times Tales is an innovative program designed to teach kids to memorize the upper multiplication facts in as little as two weeks. I used this program with both of my kids the summer before they started third grade and it was a life saver. The program is super simple to complete, fun and works FAST. If you have a child who needs to memorize the multiplication facts, Times Tales is a MUST.
Math-Aids.com – Math-Aids is a website that creates dynamic worksheets for just about any math topic. I have used this site to print worksheets on fractions, division, multiplication, percentages, decimals, geometry and more. It is super easy to find the topic you are looking for and it allows you to get really specific about what type of problems you want on the worksheet. This site is my go-to for reviewing a specific math topic.
Real Life Math Workbooks – For many kids, it is easier to understand math when it is put in the context of real life. These math workbooks use math in real life situations such as the cost of owning a pet, shopping, eating at a restaurant and budgeting.
Homeschooling Resources: Reading
Reading is a core component in almost all homeschooling plans. The great thing about homeschooling is that you can encourage your children to fall in love with reading by choosing books they are interested in. Below are some options for enhancing your reading curriculum.
Khan Academy – Khan Academy has a beta program for reading and vocabulary. Khan Academy’s math program is very strong, so I have high expectations for their reading program. They have a reading and vocabulary program for grades 1st through 9th. Since the program is in the beta stage, each grade level has about three units, which is not enough for a full year. However, it looks like they are in the process of adding more units. Khan Academy is a completely free homeschool resource.
Owl Crate – Owl Crate is a monthly subscription book box for kids. They have a box designed for Middle Grades (8 – 12) and a box designed for Young Adults (ages 14+). Each monthly box focuses on a theme and includes several books along with a few fun items to excite the reader and help the reader connect to the theme.
One Minute Reader – One Minute Reader is a reading fluency app that builds fluency by modeling fluent reading and encouraging repeated reading. Although the focus is fluency, it also has a reading comprehension component. This app gives kids immediate feedback by showing them their cold reading score next to their final hot reading score on a thermometer graph. My kids found it very satisfying and encouraging to see their fluency scores improve so quickly.
Literati Kids – Literati Kids is a “try before you buy” book club. Each month, members receive five books that are personalized for their child’s interests and age. You have one week to review the books and you can send back any books you don’t want to buy for free. This is a great way to encourage your kids to check out new books.
Scholastic Success with Reading Comprehension – Scholastic Success with Reading Comprehension has a different workbook for each grade level from 1st – 5th. These workbooks are great for daily reading comprehension practice. Each workbook contains grade appropriate reading passages with activities to practice critical reading comprehension skills.
Homeschooling Resources: Writing, Grammar & Spelling
Writing, grammar and spelling are subjects that are at the top of the priority list for many homeschoolers. I have selected several options to help make these subjects interesting and engaging for your children.
Evan-Moor Daily 6-Trait Writing – These writing workbooks are super effective at developing strong writers and they are broken down into small daily lessons that are only about 10-15 minutes. This helps make the writing process feels manageable for even very young writers. There is a different workbook for each grade level (grades 1 – 8), so it is easy to find the correct writing level for your child. Students focus on a different topic each day and at the end of each week, they incorporate what they learned into a writing piece.
Night Zookeeper – Night Zookeeper is an online game-based writing program. The program teaches spelling, vocabulary, grammar and inspires creative writing. Designed for writers ages 6 – 12, Night Zookeeper is a fun and engaging program that children enjoy. My kids LOVE Night Zookeeper! They get to draw and design unique characters and the Night Zookeeper program prompts them with questions about their characters to get their stories started. The Night Zookeeper characters and tutors give encouragement and tips for how to improve what they’ve already written.
Big Life Journal – Big Life Journal helps children develop strong social-emotional learning and growth mindset skills through inspiring stories, colorful illustrations, and engaging guided activities. There are different journals for different ages to keep the content engaging and age-appropriate. The activities in Big Life Journal are designed to help develop confident and resilient kids.
Spelling City – Spelling City is an online spelling program designed for students from kindergarten to high school. Each week, students are given a grade appropriate spelling list from the program. The students then choose games to play to practice the spelling the words. My kids definitely prefer the games on Spelling City to having to write the words three times each.
Homeschooling Resources: Science / STEM
If you are looking to break away from the science textbooks and dive in to some hands-on science activities, here are some great options. These homeschooling resources will get your children eagerly looking forward to exploring science in ways they won’t forget.
Mel Science – Mel Science makes science a blast – literally! This subscription box includes a different science set with 2 – 3 experiments each month. Mel Science offers a physics box (designed for kids 8 and up), a chemistry box (designed for kids 10 – 14) and a Mel Kids box (designed for kids 5 – 10).
Homes Science Tools – Home Science Tools is a website that carries every science kit you can image. Dissection, engineering, robotics, renewable energy – you will find the tools for just about every type of science project your kids can dream of.
Kiwi Crate – Kiwi Crate is a monthly subscription box that provides all the materials you need to complete hands-on science projects. Many of the projects also have an art component to them. Kiwi Co. has several different types of boxes to choose from depending on your children’s ages and interests.
Generation Genius – Generation Genius is a website that offers standards-based science video lessons. The lessons include reading material, quizzes and activities. This is a paid site, but they do offer a free trial where you can watch 5 free lessons.
Homeschooling Resources: Social Studies
Learning about history and current events can often be a bore for many children. Take kids back in time and become more aware of the present with these homeschooling resources that kids can have fun with and relate to.
Evan-Moor History Pockets – Evan-Moor History Pockets are workbooks that are filled with interactive projects to be stored in a “history pocket”. Each workbook focuses on a specific historical time period, such as the Civil War, Explorers or the American Revolution. These workbooks contain informational pages, maps, timelines, craft projects and reading and writing activities. Workbooks are designed for either grades 1 – 3 or 4 – 6 depending on the topic.
Homeschool in the Woods: Time Travelers – The Time Travels curriculum is a hands-on history program that brings history lessons to life. Each unit focuses on a specific historical time period such as The American Revolution, The Civil War, New World Explorers or Colonial Life. Each lesson within the unit includes a hands-on project to help the student connect with the content. At the end of the unit, all of the projects are put together in a final lap book to serve as a reminder of all the content learned.
Little Passports – Little Passports is a monthly subscription box of hands on geography activities. Each box is designed to excite learners and spark curiosity. There is a box for children ages 3 – 5 (Early Explorers), ages 6 – 10 (World Edition) and 7 – 12 (USA Edition).
Yesteryear Gazette – The Yesteryear Gazette is a monthly mini newspaper designed for children ages 8 up. This newspaper is filled with important historical events and intermingled with fun facts and stories so kids will enjoy learning about history. The Yesteryear Gazette is designed to pique learners’ interest in historical events and inspire them to seek out more.
Homeschooling Resources: Art, Cooking, Foreign Languages & Typing
One of the great things about homeschooling is that the curriculum is up to YOU! You decide what to prioritize and you can include subjects such as art, cooking, foreign languages and typing.
Nature’s Art Club – Nature’s Art Club helps make art and nature study a doable part of your homeschool routine. They’ve created simple, easy to follow art lessons with a focus on nature. Each project uses the same simple supplies to minimize prep time and maximize time spent learning about art and nature with your kids.
Raddish Kids – Radish Kids is a monthly cooking club subscription box. Each month, your box will include recipe cards, table talk cards, culinary lessons, a kitchen tool and more! Raddish Kids is so much more than just recipes – it turns meal prep time into bonding and learning time.
Muzzy – Muzzy is a comprehensive language learning program that teaches seven different languages. This foreign language program is specially designed for children and is effective for kids from preschool to high school. Muzzy uses animated stories and includes reinforcement activities such as online games, printable flashcards and worksheets.
Nitro Type – Nitro Type helps kids improve their typing speed by competing against friends in a racecar style typing competition. This program is fun, free and encourages students to type FAST.
Final Thoughts
The time you spend homeschooling shouldn’t be stressful. It should be a time to connect with your children and help ensure their specific needs are met. Using the right homeschooling resources can help make this possible. Have fun, make memories and learn something new with your children.
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