There's nothing quite like having to homeschool your kids suddenly to make you a little stressed. Maybe you feel a bit out of your depth, or don't know how to help your child with their online classes. You're not alone, but the good news is that there are tons of resources.
I've been homeschooling my children for a few years now, and I keep learning new things as well. I've found a few resources which are very helpful. Some may have a cost associated with them, but don't hesitate to check. Many school-related resources have decided to give new homeschooling parents some free access to resources.
First off, we might as well tackle math. It seems like many people dislike or struggle with math, and especially given the new way schools are teaching the subject it can seem even more difficult. Behold the best thing since sliced bread, at least in math.
Mathisfun.com This little gem makes math a lot easier to understand. You'll find math help from counting to calculus. If your kids need help with some work, you can even use this site for a quick refresher of the material. It's so clear that I've oven wondered why I ever thought certain things were difficult. Hopefully you'll find the site easy to understand. There are interactive exercises to apply what is being learned, and sometimes worksheets to print.
Scholastic You may have noticed some popular children's books are published by Scholastic, but they also have a robust selection of curriculum resources on their site. The site can be a little tricky to navigate because of how extensive the it is, but you may find some things that are helpful. You can even order books to keep your child entertained during the quarantine and Summer months if we still end up needing to isolate ourselves.
Super Teacher Worksheets This site has been a lifesaver over the years for me. You can find content up to around 8th grade. There are projects, worksheets, articles with matching questions, printing and cursive sheets, and even a way to make your own math worksheets and print them. One word of advice is that you'll want to be particularly careful if you're helping with mixed numbers and improper fractions. I've come across a couple answer sheets that were incorrect. Proof that even if you mess up, your kids will still be able to function and learn. If you need a refresher on mixed numbers and improper fractions to make sure you're using the correct answer, just check the MathIsFun link. Even teachers make mistakes sometimes, so double check things before you pass out the math worksheets. Each worksheet will show you if it meets common core standards, which is beneficial when planning a lesson.
Grammarly If you have students at home who will be writing papers, articles, or essays, this is the tool you need. The free version of this tool works very well, and I believe there may be more advanced features if you choose to upgrade to a paid version, but it shouldn't really be necessary.
Grammar.com This site might be more helpful if you're teaching elements of grammar such as punctuation, comma usage, and which version of "to" should be used in a certain sentence. This is a resource I just found today, so I can't say much more about it, but I'm excited to use it.
Vocabulary.com If you guessed that this site is pretty much about learning the words that are recommended for particular ages/school years, you'd be right. Accounts a free to set up, and there are quite a few resources to help improve students' vocabulary and spelling.
Common Curriculum One of my most recent discoveries is this little gem. I struggle to try and keep tasks on track when it comes to homeschool because it's so much different than many other tasks. Each day builds on whatever you worked on the day before, and the week should reinforce any new skills learned, and review some older ones. Trying to remember for each class what we covered the day before and plan for the following day, let alone the week was a daunting task. I just found this amazing resource over the weekend and I'm already hooked! The visual layout is great, and it's pretty easy to use. You can customize the lesson plans however you want, and view just a day, or the entire week. It easily allows me to see what I assigned for homework, what we covered, and what I had planned to cover the following day. It's online, so it also saves you from mounds of binders and paperwork, but you also have the freedom to share links or print things when you feel that's easier to manage.
I hope these resources give you place to start your own homeschooling journey, and some reassurance that you don't have to think of everything on your own. We all have different styles of approaching obstacles, but I hope you take a few moments to check these resources out and see if any will work for you.
Let us know in the comments if you have other resources you love which aren't listed in this article!
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