Best Home Study Courses

The number of people choosing homeschooling is growing each year and due to that fact there are ever more increasing options available on the market. Choices abound and this often leaves families unsure of what to choose. The best advice is to first learn what your children’s needs are. Are you starting homeschooling with a kindergartener or are you pulling a child from a public or private school environment? Secondly, you should understand your child’s learning style; some do better with a sit down, school like program, while others need something that is more active or tactile. What works for one family may not work for yours, so be prepared before purchasing.

Another factor to look at is a financial one. Your budget should be able to handle the curriculum you choose. Homeschooling however allows for great flexibility in this area. Curriculums can range from the very expensive to literally free or somewhere in-between. Consider this when thinking about your purchases and your family’s budget.

Never feel that what your child is doing is not what Johnny down the street is doing. When homeschooling it is your child’s education that matters and there is no set guideline for how things should be taught. Remember that you are homeschooling to give your child a quality education and that means if they run behind in math, you have time to work on it. There is no timeline to when it must be mastered, so choose curriculum that matches not grade level, but what is compatible to the stage your child is at and move forward within that skill level.

Free Curriculum Courses

There are many options for homeschooling that don’t cost you anything, but your time. One of the most useful resources is that of the library, books can often be reserved online and picked up at your local library. Many a homeschooling family has also leaned on their own home libraries and video materials to supplement courses. With access to cable or satellite television, there are endless programming options as well. Another tool is the home computer, there are many useful forms, tools and curriculums available online.

• KINDERGARTEN PLANETS this website offers information on the planets in our solar system. There is also a link to view orbits and a teachers and parents area.

• RHL School Your place to get free ready to use quality worksheets for teaching, reinforcement, and review.

• School House Tech Resource creation software for the differentiated classroom includes printable worksheets and more!

• Education Place for grades K-8, Houghton Mifflin online English course.

The Arts and More

While public schools are ending some classes due to budget cuts, homeschoolers have no such restrictions. Parents can now teach the arts, physical education, driver’s education and more from home. Even games can be useful tools in learning, so don’t be afraid to use what works. Just about anything your child wants to learn can be found in today’s marketplace or through the Internet.

• Driver's Education a complete course including interactive classroom, audio CD’s and other tips

• Visual Manna offers online or in person art classes and camps.

• Fun Brain this website has arcade like games that are good for the brain.

• Funschool Kaboose learning about robots or building snowmen is fun using these educational games.

• YMCA offers homeschool P.E. classes across the United States

Science

Science can seem daunting to most homeschoolers, but there are programs for every level. The library has great books for elementary science that use everyday items from home. There are animal videos and books readily available and often a short drive takes you right into the midst of nature. For the upper grades, there is no need to panic. There are plenty of curriculums that meet the need and websites that will send you all the beakers, dissection materials and chemicals you will need.

• Apologia full courses on CD for elementary through high school

• Evan Moor great for elementary school science

• Study Spanish free Spanish tutorials and complete course available

Language Arts

Reading and writing skills are the most important skills a child can have. Without them, learning other subjects is almost impossible. Choosing a curriculum that will work for your child’s needs is also important. With so many choices, it can be difficult, but most curriculums will give you everything you need to succeed.

• Easy Grammar teaching texts use the prepositional approach combined with effective strategies.

• OWL-Purdue University this is another free program with printable worksheets.

• Winston Grammar Program uses innovative means to achieve conventional ends. "It does away with the traditional grammar textbook, lecture approach, and heavy emphasis on memorization".

History

The problem with history is that it is usually presented in a boring manner, but it doesn’t have to be. Many parents decide to teach history from a book, which is fine, but when there are so many wonderful programs available, it’s not always the best choice. History teaches us where we have been and sometimes where we need never go again, so it is an important subject to learn. Curriculum programs can be found in video form as well as books and can also be learned in song or physical experience. There are many fun and interesting ways to learn history.

• Diana Waring books, CD’s and more that teach all aspects of history in a new and fun way

• Crossroads elementary through high school history programs

• Gold Rush Curriculum units and lesson plans with free downloadable lesson plans

Foreign Language

Learning a foreign language is an ever more important skill to have. Many colleges expect new students to have taken at least two years of a foreign language. Businesses also seek workers with such skills in this ever more multi-cultured world. Learning a language has also been touted as a way to expand portions of the brain that are usually rarely used.

• The Learnables this award-winning program is available in 11 languages for home study courses

• Rosetta Stone an immersion program available that has been growing in popularity and can be used with multiple media resources.

Full or Partial Curriculum Websites

Sometimes parents don’t want to have to pick and choose a curriculum either because they don’t have time or they just don’t feel comfortable doing so. However, there are many full programs available. Most come with everything needed to complete a years worth of lessons and can often be purchased with extra workbooks if teaching more than one child of the same age. Some even offer mail in testing and scoring along with certificates of completion, although that may be an extra charge.

• Christian Light Publications Christian curriculum and services for grades K – 12

• Abeka homeschool materials that can be purchased individually or by full curriculum courses

• Rod and Staff purchase full curriculum courses or buy individual items to supplement

• Alpha Omega offers the Switched on Schoolhouse curriculum, Weavers, and Lifepacs home

• Konos a K–12 program that is based around unit studies.

• Calvert Schools a fully accredited homeschool curriculum for grades K – 8

Online Schools

When you know you want to have your child at home, but don’t feel confident in your skills than an online school might be just what you need. Often parents’ want to homeschool, but work or have smaller children at home that prevent them from doing having the time. An online school keeps the student at home, but also offers a public school style education. These schools may be free or purchased programs depending on what is desired. Many offer loaned computers, teacher assistance, face-to-face classes, testing and diplomas.

• K12 online home study courses school for all grade levels

• American School a regionally and nationally accredited high school

• Bob Jones University offers satellite schooling or can purchase separate curriculum

Mathematics

Math can be daunting for those whose skills are not at their prime, but there are programs that can help even if a parent does not have the necessary skills. Some come complete with video instruction, complete instructions and parent manuals. They often offer help call lines and/or Internet assistance. Some use a standard public school format, while others have a completely different approach. Programs offer sample worksheets, introduction videos and other assists to help you make an informed decision.

• Math U See this program does not run specifically by grade level, but teaches from the ground up with video assistance and manipulatives.

• Homeschool Math a comprehensive math resource site for homeschooling parents, parents, and teachers.

• Singapore Math a primary math series that has come in first for math scores for several years.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is often an overlooked topic, but is essential to learning and common sense. Learning these lessons will aid the student in other aspects of learning as well. Math word problems and assessing confusing situations correctly are good examples of areas where a student learning critical thinking may improve. Many programs make the lessons more like puzzles and games to keep the student entertained as they learn, making lessons something looked forward to by the student.

• Critical Thinking site offers books, articles, research and testing.

• The Critical Thinking Company Award winning program that provides fun workbooks for every age

There are many options in the homeschooling curriculum world. It is up to the parent to decide what will work best. The key is to discover both the parent and child’s learning/teaching skills so that the curriculum chosen will not be something disregarded later because it didn’t work. By taking a little extra time to look into what is available, the best choices will be made and learning will be less of a challenge.