Are you a homeschool parent who is finding it a little tricky to find the right people, curriculum, schools, individualized tutoring, and answers you need? It’s not always easy to find the right homeschooling resources and support online, but here is a guide to help you uncover and utilize some of the best information, inspiration, and advice for your homeschooling journey!
1. Search Homeschooling Blogs
Some of the best places to access support and inspiration online are homeschooling blogs, as they are often crafted by parents who are currently homeschooling their own children and are subsequently likely to be going through the same trials and tribulations as you!
This means you can learn from their mistakes, utilize some of their tips and tricks, and learn what helps them stay on track and achieve their education goals. You may even be able to find teaching resources that you can make the most of yourself to take your classes to a whole new level.
(PS: Did you know that our founder, Marisa Donnelly, is a homeschooling mama?! She created a sister site to share resources, tips, and what she’s learned along the way. She’s also building a community of like-minded parents. Check out Microschooling Mama!)
One quick note about parent blogs: Although our founder is a credentialed, Master-level educator, not all bloggers have educational backgrounds or degrees. Some are not qualified educational professionals and are just parents trying to help others! This doesn’t mean that you can’t take their advice, but always think things through before you implement something that you read online.
2. Check E-Learning Platforms
There are various e-learning platforms out there, and many of them have resources you can utilize in your homeschooling efforts! Some of these platforms are totally free and others being offered for a small fee.
E-learning platforms often have resources that were originally created by professional educators so you can no doubt put your trust in those that have been certified. One example of this is Teachers Pay Teachers!
Whether you view science centers content online or even play educational games on the web, there are countless options that you and your kids can make the most of. It’s a good idea to read a few reviews before you decide to start heavily utilizing an e-learning platform, as you need to be able to put your trust in the information provided. Always read through the content and make sure it’s appropriate and correct before allowing your children to dive in!
3. Read A Few E-Books
E-books can be the perfect place to find inspiration for your homeschooling efforts, and there are so many different e-books that you can choose between. You can find short articles that don’t take long to read, or even full length books that aim to teach you the ins and outs of specific teaching styles or several essential lessons that you need to give your children while you are homeschooling.
E-books can come from individual authors or be written by a group of professionals as a team piece, and it can always be beneficial to check out the authors before you go ahead and start reading. You can learn some really helpful tips, tricks and ideas from e-books, so find an online library and browse the homeschooling section now.
PS: If your child has dyslexia, an e-reader app like Learning Ally will be a great fit for helping them access the content at their level and/or having it read to them!
4. Source From Educational Videos
Last but by no means least, the internet has thousands upon thousands of homeschooling related videos that you and your children can watch, whether this means viewing videos that cover a specific topic such as photosynthesis, or even watching documentaries that cover a variety of subjects in one handy film.
Videos can be a great way to get your kids interested in learning, as it incorporates both audio and visual learning that can help to grab your little ones attention. Watching videos can also be a good way to get information across in a more memorable way, as they can associate things that they see with things that they hear. For example, if you’re watching a video about rainforests and there is a feature about animals that offers facts about the species who inhabit the area, then it’s likely that when you visit a zoo with those animals in the future, they will easily recall the facts after remembering the documentary they watched with you.
Finding homeschooling resources online can feel complicated at first, but it doesn’t have to be! Although it may be intimidating to embark on a homeschooling journey, especially if you have no experience, making the most of the options above will certainly help to point you in the right direction.
Don’t forget that you can always connect with other educators to learn from them, too! Feel free to contact us with any questions you have along the way!
Featured Image Credit: Ketut Subiyanto
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