Showing posts with label Frugal Homeschool Helpers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frugal Homeschool Helpers. Show all posts

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Nearly Freebie Friday!

I cannot tell you how many times that I hear from people who are contemplating homeschooling, or even newer homeschoolers who are now struggling with the decision of needing to put their children back in school or to continue homeschooling.. that homeschooling is just too expensive, and that they would never be able to afford it.

Now, I am not talking about a family where, mom was working and not quit her job and they are trying to figure out how to do it. That will take some adjusting, but still can be done. However, I am talking about people who are already home, and are just speaking about the cost of curriculum.  I am here to tell you, I have never had an abundance of income to spend on curriculum. Which means, I am always looking for the best value for my educational dollar!

Anyone can afford to homeschool. As you have already seen in the last couple of weeks, there are an abundance of free resources. Today we are going to look at a nearly free resource!

And that is....  The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Homeschool Dollar Store! Have you visited them today? or ever? It is simply amazing what you can walk away with. As of this posting, there are 252 items in the $1 store. Which means you have lots to choose from.

Now I would like to stress, that these are not priced at $1 because they are inferior products. They are high quality products that have been  available in the regular Schoolhouse Store at regular pricing. The fine people at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine just so happen to put them on special periodically to help homeschoolers!

For instance, 2 of the products I purchased, are no longer available at $1, they are now back at regular price. So these prices are for a limited time. If you see a title you like.. get it!

I recently spent $9 and here is what I received..

Wanna Be a Missionary - $1  You can see a sample of this E-book here.  Including the table of contents. If you have not checked out the Wannabe series, you will be pleasantly surprised.  While it does say that these unit studies are geared for ages 4-10, let me tell you the whole family really can benefit from these, even teenagers. I was expecting a very juvenile look at the professions they cover, and that is not the case. These books are very in depth!

The Curiosity Files™- MRSA - $1  You can see a sample of this ebook here.  This series is another amazing one!  They say that this unit study is good for ages 8 -13.. but again, I think older kids would enjoy this, especially, because the topics are usually out of the ordinary.  By youngest daughter had the lights go on as far as  reading go while reading a Curiosity Files Unit Study.  She has known how to read for sometime. However, she hates it. She fusses and fidgets through reading. however, while reading one of the Curiosity Files, she began reading unusual words, and that was fun! And now she is enjoying reading far more!  You just never know what will turn that spark on. She also has not decided she LOVES science!

In the Belly of a Whale - Jonah's Lesson in Obedience - $1 If you have a child in early elementary school, this is an awesome Unit Study! Tons of hands on activities! You are not going to want to miss out on this one!

Learning on the Go - $1  This book is great if you find yourself in the car for any amount of time and you need to entertain your children. I would say elementary to early middle school activities. My high schoolers play some of these games too, but they probably would never admit to it!

Homonyms- A Unit Study for Spellers - $1 You can see a sample of this e-book here.   This book is primarily a resource of Homonyms, however at the back of the book there are some neat activities the help them come alive, and concrete what your children have learned.

Say What? Workshop - $1  You can view a sample here.  Tamara Chilver coaches parents on how to implement communication strategies that nurture learning. Tamara has received extensive training on communication tools for children and shares these effective techniqueswith parents in a practical format. This mini workshop is sure to helpstrengthen the family bond while making learning easier.

Language Land - $1  his challenging game of grammar skills teaches the meaning of nouns, verbs, pronouns, adverbs, adjectives, and prepositions.  This often-avoided subject takes on a whole new life when presented in a fun and exciting game as players race to the finish.  Your children are sure to grasp a better understanding of the difference between the parts of speech when engaged in this exciting, educational E-game. Grades 3-7.  Fun game!!!!

WannaBe™-When I Grow Up I Want to Be an Artist - You can see a sample here.  $1 ( currently $8.95)  This is from the same series as the Missionary book at the top of the list. However, this one is no longer available for $1, now it is available for the regular price. Still a great value, but I am thankful I only paid $1

2011 Journal Writing Prompts Vertical Calendars - $1 ( currently $8.95)  You can see a sample here. Looking for creative writing ideas? Want to include journal writing into your daily routine? Struggling with a bit of writer’s block? In this ebook you will find thought-provoking ideas, inspiration, and just plain fun writing prompts.  This is the other item that is back at it's regular price, and it really is a gem....

 

Please take some time to see what is available. I am sure there are some gems that will help you stretch your educational dollars!

Be well and God Bless!

 

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Freebie Fridays: Math

Today I am sharing the FREE math websites that I have found over the years.


http://www.donpotter.net/math.htm
Don Potter Math 

http://www.iknowthat.com/com/L3?Area=L2_Math&COOK=
Pre-K- elementary school helps

http://www.themathpage.com/ARITH/arithmetic.htm
Full elementary math course

http://www.scienceacademy.com/BI/index.html
Basketmath, interactive math.

http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/
To help children with number sense

http://math.free-ed.net/free-ed/math/
Free online math lessons. There are many levels of math represented!

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html
Virtual Math manipulatives-FREE!


Mathematics Enhancement Programme (MEP) - School curriculum materials


Downloadable workbooks (PDFs) for FREE for grades 1-10 for non-commercial purposes.

Math ABC
Free online math practice for all kinds of topics, grades 1-6.

Shmoop.com Prealgebra

Free learning guides (tutorials) for all prealgebra topics with interactive practice problems.

Math Tutor free algebra teacher

A series of interactive video lessons for algebra 1. The lessons follow the free algebra bookfrom CK12.org.

Totally Free Math

Elementary Algebra With Applications - a free math textbook to download or to view online (PDF form).

Exeter Math Course Materials
PDF files filled with problems for algebra, integrated high school math, calculus, discrete math, and multivariable calculus.

Calculus Made Easy

A free download of an old textbook, acclaimed to be a lively introduction to calculus, with clarity and simplicity.

Khan Academy

Awesome videos available for free. Covers math subjects from basic through advanced. As well as science and history. All for free.
www.khanacademy.org

HippoCampus

Online interactive lessons (free) covering high school algebra and calculus courses (including AP calculus).

BrightStorm Math
Over 2,000 free videos covering all high school math topics from algebra to calculus. Registration required (free).

MathVids.com
Free math videos grouped by math topic. Basic math, middle school, high school, and college levels. Also includes links to further resources.

Virtual Nerd
Video tutorials for prealgebra, algebra 1, algebra 2, and intro physics.

ZeGenie Free college Prep Mathematics course
Over 450 animated interactive, dynamic math lessons in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, and probability. Free registration required.

HSTutorials.net

Free animated and narrated math tutorials - pre-algebra, algebra 1, geometry.

LearnersTV.com
Free video lectures, audio lectures, notes, and ebooks etc. for college level math. Also has material for various sciences.

Geometry course from Learning Math
This online geometry course includes readings, problems, videos, interactive activities, homework problems and solutions. It is meant for K-8 teachers but will work well for middle school students as well.
www.learner.org/courses/learningmath/geometry

Algebra 2 Video Lessons
This site includes online video lessons and other support materials to accompany Holt Algebra 2 textbook. Click on the Homework help, choose a chapter, and then view the lessons.

Mathematics Illuminated
Mathematics Illuminated is a 13-part, integrated-media resource created for adult learners and high school teachers.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Freebie Fridays!!! Language Arts

Surely curriculum is on the mind of most homeschoolers. We are anticpating the needs of our students for the upcoming year, we are looking at our pocket book and figuring what we can afford. And for many of us, we are working on a limited budget.

Thankfully, there are amazing websites available that provide curriculum or activities that are free for your student to use and learn from!

Today we are gong to cover Language Arts. All ages are represented below, take a look and see what treasures you can find!  My prayer is that you will use this list to inspire you to search out free resources of your own. If you find something great, please come back and share it in the comments!

Happy Homeschooling!

 

Free Books

http://my.homewithgod.com/joyfullight/booklevel.htm

This is a booklist that was actually created for the Robinson Curriculum, however, it is a list that puts the books in "grade" levels. So it is helpful, if you are unsure of what age a book is for. Most of these books are classics.

http://henty.ae6gn.com/bookschron.php

Free downloadable G.A. Henty books

 

Free Grammar Lessons

http://englishgrammar101.com/

Free grammar program for Middle and High Schoolers

http://www.brainpop.com/english/

Short movies on various topics.. not limited to Language Arts!

http://www.dailygrammar.com/

Sent free to your email daily with quiz on Saturday, Daily Grammar is a fun supplement to learning parts of speech

http://www.mrdonn.org/languagearts.html

language arts lesson plans and activities. A very extensive list

 

Free Spelling and Handwriting

http://www.spellingcity.com/

Free online Spelling program!

http://www.sfreading.com/resources/ghb.html

Online FREE Handwriting and Reading workbooks. Grades 1-6

 

Free Phonics Programs

http://www.starfall.com/

FREE Phonics program

http://www.progressivephonics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81&Itemid=32

Progressive Phonics - Free phonics program. Also good for reading recovery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Freebie Fridays! Putting the Fun in Home Education with Terri Camp!

Happy Friday everyone!

I trust that you all had a wonderful week! Most of us are at least in the beginnings of our Summer Vacation. Or perhaps some of you are still doing school. ( we are!)

Either way, these FREE Mp3's will bless you and your family, no matter how old your children are!

If you have been following my blog over the past few weeks you have heard (seen) me talk about Terri Camp, author of Ignite the Fire!

I have been talking to you about her new program Homeschool Mom's Making Money at Home http://www.bityurl.com/HMMMAH-CL

However, today we are going to be looking at her homeschool website

When you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you will find a form you can fill out to receive 2 free audios for one of her popular workshops " Putting the Fun into Home Education!"

Also, on that same page, you can purchase an e-copy of Ignite the Fire for $10 and with it you will receive 3 bonus audios! You are not going to want to miss out on this. Ignite the Fire completely shaped my view on home education! I know that you will be blessed by Terri's insight in this amazing book!

Come back next week and each week there after. For the next several weeks I will be listing by subject freebies for your family!

Have a great weekend! See you on Monday!!!!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Homeschooling for FREE!!! Yes it is possible!

Recently, I conducted a poll on my facebook page, asking fellow homeschoolers to share their favorite free or nearly free homeschooling resources.

Why would I do this? It's simple really... look around you, families all around are struggling to keep their heads above water, whether they homeschool or not. However, when you homeschool, that is an added burden to the pocket book. Usually one parent is at home, add to that the fact that we are also responsible for our children's educational needs.

I do not have to look very far to see the effects of the current economical climate. My husband lost his job 2 years ago, while he has a new job, we still have been living on only a fraction of his previous earnings. This has given us the opportunity to see God provide in ways we could never imagine, as well as, really test my ingenuity.

We never were wealthy, so I have always looked for ways to get the most for my money.. or spend no money at all!  Applying this principle to all areas of our life, including educating our children, has served our family well.

What you will find below are the results of my facebook poll, as well as, my favorite resources. Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear what you and your family have done to keep homeschooling affordable!

I want to start by saying that over the years, what I have found is that when you are purchasing boxed curriculum, you are purchasing the convenience of someone else dong all the leg work for you. However, if you are willing to put in the time and effort and the leg ( or finger) work, you will find that you are still able to create a curriculum for your children, far superior to what you had even imagined. You will no longer be at the mercy of your pocketbook!

As a side note, before we move forward, I want to remind all of you, that it is up to you, to use your God given discernment to know if any of these resources are or are not appropriate for your children. Click through, investigate and enjoy creating your homeschool learning environment!

To start, I want to share a bit about what our homeschool group does. We have a curriculum  lending library. Members have the ability to check out available curriculum and keep as long as they need, and as long as they are members. No fee or late fees! Only requirement, you must be a current member! The next thing we offer is a used curriculum sale. We meet in one of our members church, and set up tables and invite homeschoolers in the area. This event serves 2 purposes, it allows us to make a little money on our books we no longer need, as well as, gives us the chance to purchase products we may need at a fraction of the cost.

If your homeschool group does not offer a used books sale, or if you are not a part of a local group, try the website www.usedhomeschoolcurriculum.com for both buying and selling! This site is run by a homeschool family, and there are no fees to buy and sell.

Now onto the suggestions:

The first suggestion was to utilize your public library for books, high school courses on CD and even better you can utilize their heat and air conditioning!  Also, our library has periodic 'friends of the library' sales where you can pick up a book for 25 cents up to $1, and the last day of the sale is $1 a bag.  This is an awesome deal. I was able to pick up 2 Landmark American History textbooks on the $1 a bag day!

Visit any Nature Center, Zoo, Aquarium or Museum website, they usually are jammed packed with awesome resources.

http://www.englishgrammar101.com/ Free online grammar lessons designed for Middle or High School

http://www.oldfashionededucation.com/fullcurriculum.htm Has free homeschool curriculum for K-11th grade. Uses books that have lost their copyright (old) and are available on line for free, among other sources.. You can print for the hard copy, or simply read online.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/cec/online_resources.asp FREE Answers in Genesis Books, including study guides to go with them!

http://peacecreekontheprairie.com/?page_id=196 Free large family printable homeschool forms.

http://www.starfall.com/ For early reading skills (preschool up to around 2nd or 3rd grade). There are online books, games, and a free language arts/writing workbook you can download.

http://harvestministry.org/twghw Teaching With God’s Heart for the World

http://homeschoolheartandmind.blogspot.com/2010/09/homeschool-for-free-math-resources.html This is my friends blog. She started a new weekly posting on free homeschooling resources. This week is a full listing of math resources!

http://homeschoolheartandmind.blogspot.com/2010/09/homeschool-for-free-reading.html This is my same friend, this is a listing of free reading resources.

http://donnayoung.org/index.htm Awesome printables and other resources, both for your home and your homeschool!

http://simplycharlottemason.com/ Lots and lots of resources!

http://www.amblesideonline.org/index.shtml More Charlotte Mason resources.

http://www.currclick.com/ When you sign up for their weekly newsletter you will receive free download each and every week!

http://homeschoolingonashoestring.com/lapbooks.html Lapbooking on a shoestring.. however, this entire website has lots of resources!

http://www.gardenofpraise.com/art.htm Art Appreciation

http://stosselintheclassroom.org/ You can order free dvd's, can be used for civics.

http://www.spellingcity.com/ Online spelling practice and tests.

http://www.theheadoftheclass.com/ K-4th resources,  many subjects.

http://www.education.noaa.gov/ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

http://www.mrdonn.org/ Lots of great history and geography information.

http://lewis-clark.org/ Great Lewis and Clark information

http://www.the-simple-homeschool.com/simple-schooling.html Too many resources to list!

http://clickschooling.com/ClickSchooling is an ezine that brings you one, F.R.E.E, web-based curriculum idea every day — Monday through Saturday!

There are many many more that have not been listed here! So please, post your comment below and let me know what sources have helped your family!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

TOS: Lobster Network

Do you have stuff??? Do your friends have stuff??? Do you ever wanna share that stuff??

Well, Lobster Network, just might be what you are looking for. Lobster Network is a neat FREE service that will help you do just that and much more!



In our homeschool group, we have very generous families! Many of us like to share our books with each other! It's our way to help other families continue to homeschool, by keeping their homeschool budget low! We also do this, to allow people to get their hands on items before they spend their hard earned money on them! We all know what it feels like to buy something to only discover it is not at all what we were expecting!

Lobster Network can help you do that! You can list the items you have available, and so can your friends! You then list them as something that can be borrowed.. or if you would like to sell it, you can list that, or if you would be willing to swap for something in return, you can do that too!

It is a great way to keep track of who has what books from your personal library! The best part, is that it is completely FREE!!! There is no limit to how many items you can list!

Now, the members of the crew tried out this. We all joined and created a community. Which is what you could do for your group of family and friends. You can make that community private, so the entire world is not looking into your library. Only the approved members of your group.

Once you and your friends have joined Lobster Network, you can browse each others 'stuff' and start swapping! And then you can invite more friends to join as well!

Check out Lobster Network to see if it could help you sell, swap, borrow your stuff!!

Please stop by the crew blog to see what my crew mates are saying about Lobster Network!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Pizza Hut Book It Reading Incentive Program

It's that time again! Time to enroll in the Pizza Hut Book-It Reading Incentive Program.


We have been doing this for years with our children! It has always been a huge hit with my kids. When you enroll in the program, they will send you a kit, including vouchers for a free personal pizza for your student, grades K-6. Enough for one a month for every month of the school year! A very good deal!


This is for next school year, so you will recieve your vouchers in mid-September.


Visit here to enroll your homeschool now!



Happy Reading!!!



 

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Free Grammar Lessons for Middle School and High School

We have been loving this resource! My kids hop on and work through several lessons a day! It has been a real blessing! Check it out!!


English Grammar 101 may be used free of charge for individual study and home schooling. Students are  able to complete the lessons, have them scored and print them out for their records!  This has been a real time saver in our home!



http://www.englishgrammar101.com/

Here is what the creator has to say about her program....

Welcome to English Grammar 101. This is an instructional series that I originally designed for students, middle school through high school. I am now offering these materials on the Internet for students or anyone interested in improving his or her knowledge of the English language.


Over a period of years, I have developed a learning method that I believe to be new and revolutionary in teaching the structure of languages. Using the interactive capabilities of the computer, this new method provides for the efficient teaching of complex concepts in language and provides for students to interact with the materials and receive immediate feedback of responses. Students learn language concepts and experience the language at the same time. The materials establish a tutorial relationship with the student allowing the student to work at his or her own pace. Each exercise is an instructional sequence and is completely self correcting with a numerical score provided. Pre-tests and final Post-tests are provided as well as a means for teacher monitoring. Essentially, with this new method, the computer has become a powerful teaching and learning tool.


This grammar series may be utilized as an adjunct text within the regular classroom or as a text within alternative educational settings. A student may repeat a volume as often as desired for reinforcement. The object of the series is "learning" and not just completing the material.


I would encourage each student to do his/her best. Don't be discouraged when errors are made. Errors are an important part of learning and an important part of life. Remember that each exercise is an instructional sequence and not a test. Repeat the exercise or volume as many times as you like.


 


If you are looking for grammar curriculum, why not give this a try.. after all.. it's free!!!


 

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Wholesome Words

I also stumbled across this wonderful little wesbite today. They have a bunch of neat Bible printables for the kids. Among other things. Enjoy! 


http://www.wholesomewords.org/index.html


 


 





 

Free Bible Study Family Devotional

I have just found this. I knew I could purchase Bible Studies from this site, but had no idea they had a free program.


http://www.explorerbiblestudy.org/study.php


What I liked about these, was they had several studies listed for each week, for the different age levels. From Preschool all the way up to adult! This is going to be a great addition for our family!


I hope you all can use it as well!