School closures have parents all over the country concerned about the possibility of a gap in their child’s education. Many places are working on a plan to continue schooling throughout the year, but on such short notice, it may be difficult to ensure that every child gets the quality learning experience that they deserve.
As a mom with previous homeschooling experience, there are a few great resources that I can share. All of them are free, and while putting together a curriculum does take time and energy, I can assure you it is possible to ensure that your child continues learning until next school year.
Homeschool Creations
Homeschool Creations has free printables for young learners. You can even print off a free homeschool planner and charts and planners for meals and chores. Most of the resources are for younger kids, though. Also, the site does not offer a comprehensive curriculum, so you will need to access other sites to ensure a full education for your child.
Free Homeschool Deals
Free Homeschool Deals is a comprehensive site where you can learn everything you need to know about teaching your kid at home. You can learn about various teaching methods, and gain access to some great (though not all free) deals for homeschoolers.
Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool
Created to help families homeschool, Easy Peasy all-in-one homeschool offers curriculum for kids kindergarten to grade 8(there is a separate site for high school). Parents can choose from various levels in reading, math, science, and music. Options include printables and audio readings of some books.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a non-profit dedicated to ensuring that children get an education. They offer free access to more than 2,600 videos on math and science subjects, including chemistry, biology, and physics. In addition, they have a handful of videos that focus on other subjects, including finance and history. Though not a comprehensive resource, it is one of the best free homeschooling sites that parents can use to bulk up their curriculum.
SAS Curriculum Pathways
Although SAS Curriculum Pathways will no longer be available for use after August 2020, parents can use it to help their child complete their education this year. Completely free for use, this site offers a fairly comprehensive curriculum for all grades (K-12). They cover all the core subjects, including math, English, science, and social studies. They even offer foreign language learning and computer science.
Ambleside Online
If you’re disappointed that public schools avoid some of the classics, you’ll love Ambleside Online. It’s based on the Charlotte Mason method, a whole-child based learning approach. In short, it focuses on discipline, reading, and at-home atmosphere. Much of it is faith-based, but parents do not need to subscribe to the Christian faith to find value in this learning method.
HippoCampus
What I love most about HippoCampus is that they cover a wide breadth of subjects not found on other free websites. A few highlights include calculus, statistics and probability, and economics. Again, it is not a comprehensive site, but you definitely expand your child’s mind using this site.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
If you’re attempting to homeschool older children, check out the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Their Highlights for High School offers courses selected specifically for high school students preparing for their AP exams. In short, it is a great place for older kids to continue their education with little to no gap.
CK-12 Foundation
CK-12 provides one of the most comprehensive online curriculums for grades K-12. They even offer courses on things like photography, sociology, and technology. Browse by age or subject.
Bright Beaming Resource
Although they only offer education for children up the age of 11, Brightly Beaming Resource is a great site for homeschooling parents. It is one of the more comprehensive resources available.
