Ever shy away from the idea to homeschool because you are nervous about the cost? Do you think you need a curriculum with a pricey tag to be successful at homeschooling? I believe it was reported that the average cost to homeschool was around $900/year. Let me tell you that I currently homeschool 3 different grade levels at less than $300 a year!
I might not even reach $300! How do I do it and still give the children a quality education…hmmm.. I tap into all the resources I possibly can! There are many FREE resources available that offer great lessons, videos, and information.
I’ve discussed previously how I do not use any curriculum. I typically don’t rely on many textbooks, we don’t do routine worksheets, and we like to have a lot of hands on activities!
Here are my top GO TO COMPLETELY FREE RESOURCES:
Public libraries
Clubs/organizations
Internet
Apps
Yahoo groups
Freecyle
For hands on projects, we use recyclables, left over materials from remodeling projects, and much more!
You can create a wonderful curriculum with just those resources listed above. It takes a little bit of time developing and inspiration, but it works! I help shred costs on paper by using technology. I used to write out 3 separate lesson plan books for 3 different grade levels….WHAT A WASTE! Now I rely on Google Calendar. It allows me to create a calendar for each grade level. Plus, if I needed the documentation, I could print them out and put them in the binders I have created (we keep a huge binder for each child @ each grade level, this shows their progress throughout the years). Here are some examples below on what Google Calendar looks like for creating lesson plans. Google Calendar can be accessed on tablets, computers, and mobile devices. My children sometimes will go into their “quiet” place, take their tablets, and focus. It is so convenient, economical, and a very viable FREE RESOURCE!
I save a lot of packaging, bottle caps, paper, magazines, pop cans, toilet paper rolls, and much more! We create games, science projects, and art work. We even use these items to create study materials.
*Recyclable letter & number recognition games
Left over wire for art work…
If you have any questions about the resources I listed let me know, I would be glad to help. Also, if you have any resources that you use for homeschooling, SHARE in the comments section!
You can view some more of my homeschooling activities on Facebook:
Have a great night!
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