Homeschooling gets made fun of a lot in popular culture, but those of us that are aware of the perks it has to offer have no qualms embracing it to the fullest. Wanting it is not enough though, you have to really work hard if you want to give your kids a good education experience. Given how impressionable they are, you must do it right or else they might develop some strange myths and consider them to hold true. Fortunately, the technologically advance era that we live in provides us with a ton of great free tools that we can use. Here’s a list of those we think would prove quite useful.
Simple Homeschool
This great blog is a must follow for all the mothers out there who just love to keep is simple. Here, Jamie shares about all she knows about on curriculum through her articles and helps you stay motivated through her topics aimed at inspiring and encouraging those that opt for this schooling style. With this blog, you’ll have help planning classes, but most importantly you’ll have someone you can relate to, someone who understands your struggles.
Khan Academy
The next on our list is Khan Academy and if you’re looking for the ultimate digital school to take with you on the go, this is what you need. This site offers free online classes on just about every subject and every topic. Their plans are so connected and well thought out, it is super easier for students to understand. You can either supplement your own classes with videos from the site or just plop your kids in front of them and you’ll be good to go. The best part though are the interactive exercises that engage and stimulate the learner.
Special Needs Homeschooling
Many of us choose to go the homeschool route to ensure the special needs of our children are met. This can be trickier than average homeschooling. But, you have help available! This site is truly a blessing to all of the people struggling to get it right for their differently-abled children. It offers curriculum reviews which is great. You have the experience of others to help you ensuring your kid isn’t the guinea pig to a harebrained idea. Along with other articles, it also includes various learning resources specifically for kids with ADHD, autism, learning disorders like dyslexia and other special needs.
K12.com
Dealing with little toddlers is not everyone’s cup of tea. These munchkins are a delight to be around, but teaching them worldly skills is of course a difficult task. Given the kind of emotional labor and constant vigilance it requires it can leave you quite drained. So, any help you can find is great. This site offers independent as well as teacher-led courses you can use in addition to the supplemental learning programs like Embark for Preschoolers. You also get public and private options for online schooling.
Coursera and edX
Each different age and level of student poses its own unique challenges. We’ve covered taching the kindergarteners and it’s time to move on to the older homeschoolers. The Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that are offered by sites like Coursera and edX are great for high-school students. You get courses from top universities like Harvard, Yale and MIT for free. For those motivated youngsters that like the challenge and love to learn, this is an absolute paradise. You get to learn from amazing professors which is great!
YouTube
We may all love to hate sites like YouTube which we think are nothing more than mind-numbing devices, but it has a lot to offer if you can pry your eyes away from the clickbait-y entertainment content. For this tool though, we suggest strict parental supervision. So, how can you use this?
Well, for beginners they have educational videos on all topics imaginable, especially on things like music and art it is a great tutor. For older kids, we suggest you subscribe to the Crash Course channel. It’s video series covers subjects like literature, history and economics. If you get the premium version, you of course get access to much more content, but if you’re on a budget simply use the free version and don’t worry. It still has much you can use.
Cable TV
Yes, spectrum select TV is the monster known to rot the mind of young ones. But, only if you let it. It has the power of great good and you can channel it on your homeschooling lessons. The first step is choosing a package with the right channel line-up that includes ones with great documentaries like Discovery and National Geographic. Getting them used to looking at news and understanding current events is also a good activity and habit to inculcate.
Since the lineups vary from area to area though, you might want to research before you sign-up for a plan. Spectrum cable channels Cleveland OH offers a great deal for those in the area. You might want to check if they are available in your city as well. Given how frowned upon it can be some households, treating your children with quality programming can be great. So, use it to help you rather than harm you!
Final Words
This is it. These tools are a great addition to the tool box of all the mothers that are homeschooling their kids. If you’re stuck or think you have less time than you’d like on your hands, you can use them to aid you. No matter the issue, they’ll have you covered. Happy learning!
