| Every homeschooling family knows they can go | | | | sites as supplements to a math textbook and |
| to their local public library to access free | | | | also for variety so that he didn't have to |
| books, free videos and CD's, free audiotapes, | | | | work with the textbook every single day. |
| and perhaps even free software to use in | | | | Since most students love to have time on the |
| their homeschool. Here are some other ideas | | | | computer, working with websites in science |
| you may not have thought of for finding free | | | | and history was often a reward for days of |
| educational materials for your family:While | | | | hard work writing or doing hands-on work in |
| it is common to bemoan the poor quality of | | | | those subjects earlier in the week.Finally, |
| most television programming, a homeschooling | | | | many websites which sell educational and |
| parent can easily build a year's worth of | | | | curriculum products offer free samples of |
| social studies' curriculum around the quality | | | | worksheets, workbook pages, puzzles, etc. at |
| offerings of The History Channel, Discovery | | | | their sites which can be downloaded and tried |
| Channel, and A&E Network. While some | | | | out by your children before you do decide to |
| discretion needs to be used because not all | | | | spend your limited curriculum funds on the |
| the shows on these channels are appropriate | | | | product. This can give you an idea of how |
| and of solid educational value, many are, | | | | your child will like working with the |
| especially those that are part of the A&E | | | | material and the format it is in before you |
| Classroom, A&E Biography, and Assignment: | | | | make an investment in it. Given the fact |
| Discovery series. If you check the websites | | | | that most homeschooling families are living |
| for these networks and/or series, most of | | | | on only one income and that children have |
| them offer free teacher's guides with | | | | different learning styles and personalities, |
| schedules of their upcoming educational | | | | it also always makes sense, that when you do |
| offerings for the next three or six months. | | | | have to buy curriculum, to buy it from a |
| By combining library books on the same | | | | company which offers a money-back guarantee. |
| historical periods and topics with watching | | | | There are many different ways to teach and to |
| these shows, I was able to complete the | | | | learn the same material or concepts, so |
| curriculum for my son's sixth and seventh | | | | always give yourself and your children the |
| grade history courses at a cost of zero | | | | freedom to try another way if the first |
| dollars.The Internet is another source of | | | | method you choose doesn't work as you'd |
| many free educational sites. Again, a parent | | | | hoped. Enjoy the freedom and diversity of |
| needs to check out the sites and use | | | | learning homeschooling allows!Linda Popolano |
| discretion in making choices. However, by | | | | is a homeschooling parent and an Independent |
| running Google searches on various topics in | | | | Consultant for BRIGHT MINDS/The Critical |
| science, math, history, and literature, I was | | | | Thinking Company at Home. You can download |
| able to find many valuable sites which my son | | | | free workbook sample pages and free software |
| and I used together. He especially enjoyed | | | | samples of their products at her website: |
| certain math review sites which were | | | | or you can e-mail her at with questions, |
| interactive in terms of problem-solving and | | | | comments, or more information on BRIGHT MINDS |
| drilling math concepts. We mainly used these | | | | products. |