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Alright, you are ready to get started homeschooling. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone handed you a list of what to teach this year, and it was all set up for you?
The great news is that there are a lot of all-in-one homeschool curricula options. All-in-one homeschool curricula sets are from companies that have worked out what “should” be learned each year. They sell all the resources together along with a schedule of how to teach it. If this is what you want for your homeschool, check out some of the online curricula and homeschool grade-level kits I discuss below. Note that I have focused on secular or mostly secular options for this post.
The first program I’ll mention is Acellus Academy which provides an accredited school program from K through high school. This is a costly option, but the courses are self-paced and taught by video from amazing teachers across America. Some personalized instruction, depending on student needs, is also included. Acellus courses in quizzes and exams to track progress and children take option electives courses too.
Calvert Homeschool likewise provides online education for 3-12, with some options for younger children, and they also offer their courses in print. Another similar online program is K12.com, which provides online public school.
On the other hand, DiscoveryK12.com is not a school but does provide a free online homeschool framework for grades PreK through 12. Discovery K12 provides 180 lessons, numbered, for each grade in a number of subjects. With a parent account for $99/year, parents can customize the levels at which their children will learn. Students can then login and follow the daily outline of assignments, with science videos, math problems, and other links on each day’s outline. Although Discovery K12 provides the curriculum and the paid option gives an easy way to print transcripts and track grades, the homeschool parent remains the teacher with this online homeschool.
Finally, another option that I’ve heard of is Time4Learning.com, which provides online classes with videos, printable worksheets, and assessments along the way. Again, Time 4 Learning is not an accredited school, but a curriculum provider. The monthly fee provides access to the subjects at the levels the parent chooses.
First, we have Bookshark, which provides all-in-one grade-level options in history, science, language arts, math, and more. The history and language arts are often closely related, with great “living books” helping to bring history to life. An optional “hands-on” kit is available with the history curriculum as well. Kits can be customized or subjects can be purchased individually. The lesson plans for history, science, and language arts are broken down for the homeschool parent into a 36-week 4-days-a-week schedule so the parent knows just what to each day for homeschooling.
Another grade-level option I wanted to mention is Timberdoodle’s fun grade-level kits. In addition to providing curriculum for all the subjects, Timberdoodle likes to include age-appropriate games and activities as well as traditional workbooks and curriculum. The price tag may look large, but it is easy to customize the kit to include just what you want. Like Bookshark, Timberdoodle provides a schedule book to help you work through the homeschool year and keep on track. Even better, they provide purchasers of the full kit access to a scheduling site where you can rearrange the schedule to fit your own needs.
Last but not least, the Torchlight literature-based secular curriculum also provides guides (currently through grade 3) for secular and diverse studies per grade level. The grade-level outlines provide plans with everything except math and phonics/spelling. Included in the lists are great books to read to learn more about the world, culture, and also history. I love what I’ve seen so far!
Get More Information
There is a lot more you may want to know about getting started homeschooling! Below are specific “how to” concepts I intend to address.
More in This Series
- Get Started Homeschooling: Keep it Legal
- Get Started Homeschooling: Plan Your Homeschool Year
- Get Started Homeschooling: Schedule Your Day
- Get Started Homeschooling: All-in-One Curriculum Options
- Get Started Homeschooling: Teach Language Arts
- Get Started Homeschooling: Teach Math
- Get Started Homeschooling: Science in Your Homeschool
- Get Started Homeschooling: Teach Social Studies in Your Homeschool
- Get Started Homeschooling: Add in Arts and Music
- Get Started Homeschooling: Teach Physical Development and Health
- Get Started Homeschooling: Including Foreign Languages and Life Skills in Your Homeschool
Have another “how to homeschool” question? Contact me and I’ll write about it too. Send me an email if you have specific questions, or ask me directly on my Facebook page.