My Favorite Web Sites for Homeschooling

Since it's that time of year where everyone is looking at curriculum, I thought it would be a good time to post some of my favorite sites (most of which are free).

1)YouTube.com- a great source of videos on any subject. You can subscribe to channels
     like for easy access when schooling
2) WatchKnowLearn.org - videos for schooling organized by subject. Free videos to help
     supplement as well as lessons for schooling.
3) KhanAcademy.org - known mostly for its math site, Khan also has videos available to teach
     other subjects. The best part about Khan is that your children can move at their own pace.
    Khan also keeps tracks of subjects for easier reporting at the end of the school year.
4) Hoagiesgifted.org - a great resource to find lesson plans, free worksheets, etc. An all in one
    stop for lesson planning
5) Opencourseware.us - For upper level and college-bound students. Open Courseware offers
    free college courses from some of the top universities in the country.
6) Ted.com and Ted - ED - using the Ted Talks, Ted has actually built some of them into
     interactive lessons that help reinforce a subject being taught
7) PBS.org - videos on a variety of subjects
8) Discovery.com - videos and lesson plans
9) History.com - videos and history information on a variety of subjects
10) Biography.com - videos and biographical information on a variety of people
11) Bookshare.org - a website devoted to helping people with vision delays have access to print
      materials. If your child has any type of vision delays, with verification by an opthamologist, you
      can download books in print or audio format.
12) Teachers.net - access to free lesson plans in many subjects
13) http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/ - lots of great freebies here
      especially for younger students
14) Hulu.com - many free documentaries that can be used to supplement curriculum
15) Netflix.com - $8/mo. - instantly stream documentaries on a variety of platforms - really
      wonderful resource
16) Teach-nology.com - free worksheets and printables


Another resource I use is the Great Courses series. On their own, they can be expensive but once a year they discount their products to incredibly reasonable rates. These again can be used for college bound students. We've also been able to find some at our local library. Have not been disappointed with any of the courses they've offered.

These sites are some of the main sites I go to for curriculum and ideas. I have pretty much been able to school my son on less than $100/yr. The trick is to be creative and use whatever resources are available to you. I create our Unit Studies and build most of the curriculum from scratch. Building our own studies has allowed me to give my son a really comprehensive learning experience without spending a lot of money to do it. Give it a try - you'll be surprised at what you can do with a little research and a printer. Have a great school year!