Here’s a list of some of our favorite homeschool resources. It isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, but these resources got me through some hurdles.
Schedules- I packed in way too much my first year. This causes fights and a terrible homeschool experience for all involved. We are not recreating a public school day at home, just as our public school doesn’t try to recreate home at school.
We do not follow an 8am-3pm schedule. That is a blessing and an adjustment. Framework to aspire to is very different than having a to-do list run your life and cause stress.
I was addicted to a jam packed schedule and long lists. I had to do my own work around that issue.
What do I need?! I’ve homeschooled in a one-room cabin for a couple years, had a homeschool classroom, and used the tail-gate of a truck…What I’ve learned is the shiny beautiful classrooms you see on Pinterest are awesome, but mean very little when it comes down to quality of education.
I DO encourage families to get organized and remember that most people don’t do well in homes that are candidates for that tv show Hoarders. One of my FAVORITE helpers in this area is the FlyLady. Her app is free and her YouTube channel is great.
Being organized, but not a control-freak, will be exceptionally helpful. Here’s all I think you need:
A Mason jar of sharp pencils
Invest in $100 of high quality art supplies that will last and last. (Sorry Staples and .97 cent crayons)
Get a library card
Get a few bins and/or baskets
Have a bookshelf just for homeschooling
Notebooks/art paper/scissors/ruler/calculator/audiobook or music player
Research Deschooling
Know what your Enrollment and End-Of-Year requirements are for your state
Explore and considering signing up for HSLDA.org membership
A family plan on screentime/media useage
A mission to get outside everyday even if the weather sucks
Creating a Daily/Weekly/Yearly Rhythm- I map out what we want to get accomplished, what we need to get accomplished, and what our state requires over the summer. Our daily routine is seasonal and gets adjusted for farm demands and weather.
We do not start school until after pastured poultry season is done…ever. We don’t follow a school calendar and I love that. (Museums are nearly empty on a Tuesday and crowded spring break vacations don’t exist.)
Farm School- Means mobile learning on the way to get baler parts, while your driving to the grocery store, or waiting on a customer to pick up their box of meat. Flexibility for full-time working parents is built in when you use the “Morning Basket” idea popularized by Pam Barnhill.
This basket (or rubbermaid tote or cloth bag) is the designated “must-do” curriculum choices you are currently working on. It’s the grab-and-go home base for the family read-aloud, daily journal, and spelling book. You can include whatever you like, but keep it current and organized.
Dealing with your Spawn- I deeply feel challenged by every stage of parenting. It is hard. It is a rocky road of the good, the bad, and the ugly. But, if you are raising a child that you can’t stand I recommend “12 Rules for Life” by Jordan Peterson. Joshua 1:9 also gets me through some rough days.
10 Books I think You Should Add to your Library-
Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall
Diary of an Early American Boy by Eric Sloane
Robert Frost Poetry
The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay
The Tuttle Twins books
The Story of the World books by Cynthia Bauer
C.S.Lewis Books…Yes, all of them.
Gail Gibbons Books…Yes, all of them.
Teach Your Own by John Holt
Better Late than Early by Raymond Moore
Music ideas-Depends on your child’s instrument, but there are a ton of online teachers available to teach through the pandemic. Recorder is an affordable choice that families can DIY. We love the app “Tabs” for guitar chords and the Suzuki method for piano and violin.
Teaching kids that there’s music outside of Nashville, NY, and LA’s recording labels is vital. Play old records and link music to history and foreign language units.
Math- We love Teaching Textbooks…I recommend getting the workbook and the cd-rom. It’s better for the brain to do some math off-screen once in a while. This is THE math program for the Mom that Hates Math.
Finance Literacy- We love the Dave Ramsey online courses. Great for middle-schoolers.
Foreign Language- We love the DuoLingo App, old fashioned flashcards, and basic workbooks. Travel is the best way to work on a mastery, but challenging with lots of cows.
History-We loved the Drive Thru History streamable program. We found it cheapest by subscribing to PureFlix for the school year. Just about all our family read-alouds are history books! The nice thing about reading them aloud is we can read a level up, discuss vocab, and challenging topics together.
Civics/Government- We love the Notgrass books. Wish we had gotten them sooner. They are beefy in content and pricey, but really will last us our entire lives! Great primary resources are included in the “Uncle Sam and You” set. We also found lots of free resources at our Secretary of State’s website, state, and local historical societies.
Games- One of the most overlooked tool in teaching are Games, Puzzles, and Cards. There are so many incredible games out there and many are available for cheap at consignment stores. From learning phonics, to team-work, to identifying state capitols these are always under the Christmas tree!
Science- We are truly lucky to live in a beautiful state that allows for a lot of time outside. We have a farm which provides a ton of science-based learning opportunities. We’ve found many local conservation and hunting advocacy groups have great resources for hiking trails, geology information, and information about local rivers and streams. A few other books we have used (some are old and you may need to find them at Thriftbooks.com)
Elementary Science Education by Bernard Nebel, PhD
Anatomy and Biology Coloring Workbooks
Focus on Middle School Astronomy/Biology/etc. by Rebecca Keller, PhD
Curriculums-I loved getting a footing in what was available by looking at companies that have full curriculums. They all have websites and many have print catalogs. Cathy Duffy has an amazing collection of homeschool reviews. There is NO perfect curriculum. They all will need adaptation to your student. We’ve used the following:
Timberdoodle
Oak Meadow (waldorf))
Sonlight (or Bookshark)
Compass Classroom (what we are currently using)
Happy Homeschooling!
