As a homeschool mom, I'm a different kind of Teachers Pay Teachers user than the other teachers that buy on Teachers Pay Teachers.
For one thing, each year that I teach, I start over in my curricula needs. Unlike a classroom teacher that is stuck in first grade (or third, etc.) for more than one year, I have to advance with my oldest child, as well as introducing the younger grades at the same time.
I have found Teachers Pay Teachers to be an important source for educational supplements and homeschooling supports. As a homeschooling parent, you should consider using the great resources you find as well. Below, I share some tips to help you.
It is hard to homeschool. Whether you are new to the challenge or you've been doing it for years, I'll bet you can agree with that statement!
To help you out, I'm joining in a blog hop with some TPT teacher-author homeschooling friends to give you some homeschooling tips, links to some great freebies, and a giveaway to help you this fall!
First, here are some tips for finding educational resources on TPT. I believe one could homeschool any grade by using Teachers Pay Teachers for less cost than many of the boxed curricula there are available for sale!
- Determine what you need first. A simple google search often returns millions of hits for any one term. Although the Teachers Pay Teacher's search will narrow the options a bit more, there are still hundreds of options for you, so be as specific in your needs as you can possibly be. Decide what you need before you begin searching for it.
TeachersPayTeachers has plenty to supplement your curricula. But it also has some full-year or term units. Are you looking for an addition, or are you looking for something to help teach? Would you like a unit study on a theme, or something focusing on a specific skill? Think through what you need before you begin.
- Download with discretion. It's true that freebies on every subject await you on Teachers Pay Teachers. However, if you download too much, even if it is free, you will fail to have focus in your teaching. Once you've downloaded dozens of resources, you may feel overwhelmed and be right back where you started.
Questions to ask are these: When will I be using this product? How will my child(ren) react to this format of teaching? How will this product fit in with our established plan/curricula?
If you can't name when you will be using it, you may want to bookmark (or wishlist) it for later. You may find something you like better in the future, or your children's needs may change.
- Don't be afraid to pay for quality. As my list of free items below suggests, there are lots of quality items on Teachers Pay Teachers to assist you in your home education. Sometimes what you really need costs a little bit of money, but it would make your job much easier. In the long run, the slightly more expensive item is worth more than the free item that does not quite fit your needs!
Take advantage of the choices before you. Get what you really need for rounding out your curricula for the week (or year!). Sometimes putting a unit study together piece by piece is worth it. Other times, you really don't have time for it.
Questions to ask include these: Does this have everything I need? What will I still be missing? Do I have a budget for additional items? How much does my child(ren) need this concept reinforced right now? How much time do I have for searching and putting this unit/lesson together?
If a product provides a glimpse of what you need, it may be enough. However, if you feel you will have to continue to supplement, take buying a product into consideration. I know how long it takes to put things together. We don't always have the luxury of time. Let Teachers Pay Teachers do it for you.
Teachers Pay Teachers has much to offer the homeschool parent and children. Here are some great freebies I've enjoyed.
But I'm not the only homeschooler who is finding success in finding resources and selling at Teachers Pay Teachers! Hope over to some of these other homeschooler's blogs to read some more ideas.
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Finally, we have a great sampling of our products in this amazing giveaway!
Included are theses prizes:
Circle Time and Morning Meeting MEGA PACK,
All About Pumpkins,
Make a Number,
Positional Words,
Weather Alert,
Fall & Pumpkins Bundle,
Label It Parts of Things,
Label It Life Cycles,
Columbus Fact Pact,
My Body Systems Flip Book,
Unit Study and Lapbook Planning Bundle, and finally my own
Clouds and the Water Cycle Charts and Viewer.
Check out my
Teachers Pay Teachers store as well.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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