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!
There is a lot more you may want to know about getting started homeschooling! Below are specific “how to” concepts I intend to address.
I’ve been basing the “how to get started guides” on my state requirements for what subjects must be taught. This post includes some other subjects that students may or may not be required to be taught and that you may want include, including homeschool foreign language options, life skills in your homeschool, and more.
Read MoreLots of families, both homeschooling and non-homeschooling, are fully involved with extracurricular sports and activities. Including physical education in a homeschool can include a few organized sports. Homeschool physical education can include organized sports or less formal fitness activities. Homeschool health helps prepare children for life. For those who want to include physical education and
Read MoreA fun side of homeschooling can be the introduction of arts and crafts and music into the homeschooling day. This can include art appreciation and music appreciation as well as learning to construct art and play music oneself. In addition to those options readily available in many communities to all children, some homeschooling curricula provide
Read MoreSo much can be included under the umbrella of social studies. It includes anything that has to do with communities, cultures, and relationships among people. It includes history and government, and it certainly includes map skills general geography. Depending on your state requirements, you can include some or all of these social studies concepts in
Read MoreScience is a subject that sometimes scares homeschool parents, but it does not have to! Especially for young children, teaching science is a natural part of discovering how the world works. On the other hand, a science curriculum can help parents direct a child’s interest and help them cover biology, geology, earth and space science,
Read MoreWhen I was in third grade, I wrote a journal entry in a school notebook each school day, and almost every single entry began with “I hate math.” I think journaling time must have come after our math lesson. At any rate, my discomfort with math hasn’t changed since I began homeschooling. Nevertheless teaching homeschool
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