contributed by Joanne Masters, Orion Marketing
Homeschooling is a concept that has been around for much of history across all cultures. Up until 1850, most children in America were educated at home. For many parents then and now, it is a preferred way to educate their children. Their reasons are many ranging from dissatisfaction with the quality of today’s educational system, to living in rural areas too distant to schools (and too expensive) to having religious conflict with pubic curriculum. No matter what the reason, once a parent undertakes this endeavor the search for quality resources, standards-based curriculum and support networks can be very challenging.
Great news! As the population of homeschooled children increases (currently estimated to be between 2-3 million children) quality resources and support groups have also. The first stop for anyone needing high quality, standards based curriculum is Curriki. With over 44,000 resources and 201,000 members, a parent looking for lesson plans in any subject will find a wealth of free resources covering curriculum collections, activities, games, worksheets, and more. All on-line and all are free. More importantly, Curriki courseware can be aligned to state standards for the four core subjects and technology for all fifty of the United States plus Washington, D.C. This is a huge advantage and something home school parents should have as a requirement as they select curriculum.
To provide a community group for home school parents, a Homeschool Special Interest Group has been established on Curriki. A great collaborative forum for home school parents/teachers to share ideas, discuss home school materials and general home school practices and experiences, share work sheets, and outings. Check it out and get connected!
Other homeschooled resources you may find helpful:
- Homeschool.com – #1 Homeschooling Community offers a wide range of curriculum, printables, advice on home school best practices and more for grades K-12.
- The Home School Mom - TheHomeSchoolMom.com includes information about many topics, including ordering free curriculum from industry and private organizations, online lesson plans and worksheets, online unit studies, and other helps for supplementing or creating a home school curriculum.
- Homeschool Central - Whether you are just starting out or a veteran homeschooler, this site has resources for you. From AP classes to home school nutrition advice to special needs curriculum, this site has been serving the home school community since 1996.
- European & Middle East Resources for Homeschooling - homeschooling resources for specific countries in Europe and Egypt.
