Free homeschooling curriculum is readily available to almost everyone. It is a great way to stretch your homeschooling dollars while giving your children a well rounded education.
Curriculum on the Internet
Whether you use a traditional textbook homeschooling method, or are a fan of Charlotte Mason, there are thousands of websites that supply homeschooling curriculum for free. Not only can you find complete unit studies on almost any subject, you can also find lesson plans, complete books to read, math practice sheets, and more.
Free Lesson Plans
Lesson plans are the foundation of almost any homeschool. Even if you plan to use an unschooling method, organizing and having an idea of direction is helpful. The following free resources can help.
- Scope and Sequence from World Book
- Ambleside Online is a complete plan for using Charlotte Mason.
- Teachers.Net has lesson plans for almost any subject.
Language Arts
Language Arts include grammar, reading, handwriting, and literature. One of the best ways to teach language arts is by having your child keep a journal. By writing everyday and reading high quality literature children begin to understand the mechanics of composition and grammar on their own. Here are some resources that offer free language arts curriculum:
Math
There are so many worksheets available on the Internet it is a simple matter to teach math for free.
- Math Drill Sheets has printable worksheets up through Algebra
- Online Math Games
- FunBrain has all sorts of games, including math
- Printable Multiplication Tables
Other Curricula
No matter what you are looking for taking the time to do a Google search will bring thousands of possibilities right to your computer screen.
Free Homeschooling Curriculum from the Library
The local library is usually a treasure trove of free resources for the homeschooling family. Some of the resources you may be able to find at your local library are:
- Books in many different subject areas
- Art prints
- Movies
- CDs
- Books on tape
- Seminars
- Computers
- Classes
- Activities
- Meet authors
If there is something in particular that you need take a few minutes to talk to your librarian. She can help you find the resources that you may be looking for and give you valuable ideas that you may not have thought of.
Other Homeschoolers
Other homeschoolers that you know may have curriculum that they aren't going to be using for a year. They may be willing to let you borrow it with the promise that you will return it when you are finished. If you have curriculum that they need then it is helpful to be able to work together and pool resources. There are some homeschooling co-ops that facilitate pooling curriculum during meeting or by listing needs or available curriculum in the newsletters.
Placing an ad on Craigs List in your area is a long shot but you could get lucky. Sometimes schools are getting rid of outdated textbooks and other items and you may find that they will be glad to let you have it.
Finding free homeschooling curriculum can be a challenge but if you can think creatively you will find it is not as difficult as you may have thought. Television, especially PBS, The History Channel, and other educational venues are an almost unlimited source of educational opportunities. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to pick up free resources that you will be needing in the future. By continuously adding to your homeschooling library and building your resources your average cost for curriculum can decrease each year.
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