When the COVID-19 virus first hit the world in 2020, it changed the entire schooling system as we know it. Students took to virtual learning to prevent the virus from spreading, which quickly became the new norm. The period also saw more and more parents shifting to homeschooling as a more convenient and safe alternative to traditional schooling.
According to a National Home Education Research Institute study, homeschooling is now the fastest growing form of education. It is cheaper for parents, and according to research, home-educated kids score up to 30 percentile points higher than public school students on standardized academic achievement tests.
However, parents now have to find a way of playing the role of guardian and a teacher. And this can be extremely daunting without the proper resources. Here are five invaluable resources for homeschooling parents:
Online Educational sites
Online Educational sites are perhaps the number one go-to for parents making the shift to homeschooling. Sites like the Khan Academy, Discovery K12, and The CK12 are now offering free online courses for kids in grades K-12.
Other popular sites include:
- Easy peasy all-in-one homeschool
- Ambleside Online
- Newsela
- Scholastic Learn at home
The curriculum in these sites usually includes all the fundamental subjects, including math (k-12), technology, science, economics, history, test prep, and art. Most of the topics are also supported by recorded lectures posted on YouTube. As a parent, you can make a parent account and then create a student account where you can track your child’s progress.
Some sites, such as Khan Academy, additionally have tools like Google Earth that kids can use to study geography, or Code.org, where the student can learn coding.
Virtual trips and world tours
Field trips are still an essential part of educating your child to make them more wholesome. And homeschooling is no exception. Luckily, thanks to live-streaming and online interactive tools, you no longer have to leave your house or board a plane to see the world. You can explore all the popular sites like the International Space Station and museums, through virtual world tours all from a computer.
You Tube
Given enough parental supervision, YouTube can be an invaluable resource for parents looking for material for homeschooling their kids. It has a wealth of information, including educational videos on almost all topics.
This ranges from music and art lessons to foreign language and writing courses. You can take advantage of some purely educational channels like Crash Course, which goes over popular subjects like history, science, economics and literature.
Mobile apps
Educational Mobile and desktop apps are also popping up every day, each tailored to teach some lesson or another. Apps such as Memrise and Duolingo are good for learning foreign languages. And others such as ABC Mouse and Reading Eggs are perfect when you want to engage young learners. Sites such as the Math Learning Center even have their free apps to help with math practice.
Books
Even in this modern age of technology and everything internet, books are still one of the most valuable resources you can have for any kind of learning. At local libraries, you can access tons of books and DVDs, which you can borrow and use to supplement kids’ curriculum at home. Some libraries even have a stock aside specifically for homeschool curriculum.
Parents can also buy their books, depending on the child’s interest and curriculum they are using. Apart from the curriculum-based books, you can use other books to teach your child moral values and educate them on current affairs like cultural diversity.
Wonderful post – thank you for all the resources! We are homeschooling and I’m already seeing such improvement in my daughter’s outlook on learning as a whole, and her understanding of everything. It’s amazing how many resources are out there for kiddos. Now if I can just find a way to keep my toddler busy while I work with the “student” in our family.
What a great post about homeschooling. Thank you so much for all of the resources you shared. We decided to homeschool our 2.5-year-old daughter. She is still very young but it’s good to get started now to start thinking about all the resources we’ll need as she grows and gets a bit older. It’s great to know that there are so many free online educational sites!