Help for Homeschoolers: Encouragement, Resources, FAQs
We’ve fielded a lot of questions over the years on the topic of homeschooling. Below are a few of our most helpful (and frequently requested) posts, pages, and printables for homeschoolers — whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been at it for years.
Why Homeschool?
There are as many different reasons to homeschool as there are homeschoolers, and I don’t pretend to speak for all of them.
But I can share why our family started homeschooling in the first place, what kept us homeschooling even when it was hard, and why, 30+ years later, we still consider homeschooling one of the best and most rewarding decisions we ever made!
Benefits of Homeschooling
Preschool & Early Learning
A Foundation for Learning
Don’t get in too big a hurry to do desk work with your little one. She likely has years of “formal education” ahead of her. You needn’t rush to get started.
There are better, more effective ways for her to learn during this season of her life than crouched over a workbook with pencil in hand.
Keeping Toddlers Occupied
One of the most challenging aspects of home schooling multiple ages is balancing the different needs of each child. This is especially true when there are preschoolers in the home. Keeping toddlers occupied long enough to do lessons with bigger kids becomes a daily challenge.
Here is a list of ideas I keep posted inside a cabinet door for easy access. It’s full of things they could do with minimal supervision and posted it inside a cabinet door where I could access it easily when my brain felt too fried to think of anything on the fly.
More Early Learning Resources
Elementary School Resources
High School Resources
Get a Head Start on College
Secondary School Subjects & Electives
Free Homeschool Record Keeping Printables
We offer a variety of printables to help keep your homeschool running smoothly! Check the topical listing below to locate exactly what you’re looking for or follow the photo links to access a few of our most popular transcript template, lesson planners, and weekly schedules.
Transcript Templates & Lesson Planners
Let us help you keep things organized
- First Day of School Signs – take one for the scrapbooks or photo album
- Assignment Charts – help kids plan ahead and better budget time spent on studies
- Weekly Schedule – keep track of music lessons, co-ops, sports practices, etc.
- Attendance Record – for states that require you to track school days
- Academic Calendars – print a new year-at-a-glance calendar every school year
- Homeschool Report Cards – for satisfying grandparents & governmental agencies
- Middle School Report Cards – same as above, but with secondary subjects
- High School Transcripts – essential for college-bound students
- High School Diploma – design a high school diploma for your homeschool student
Reading Resources
We have a family full of bookworms, so you’ll find lots of reading-related posts on our website. Here are a few of our favorites:
Raising Kids Who Love to Read
More Resources for Avid Bookworms
Math Drills & Practice Sheets
Our Most Popular Math Printables
Bible Study Resources
Bible Memory Aids
Bible Memory Tips & Tricks
Here are 17 helpful tips to make memorizing scripture easier.
Let’s hide God’s Word in our heart! Man can take the printed scripture away from us, but they cannot erase from our mind the verses we commit to memory.
Bible Reading Plan
Read through the entire Bible in one year. This is my favorite reading plan and one I’ve used for nearly 20 years.
It alternates between Old and New Testaments, with a different genre for each day of the week: gospels, letters, law, poetry, history, prophecy, and books of wisdom.
If you’ve never read all the way through God’s Word yourself, I highly recommend giving this reading plan a try.
Recommended Curriculum
Take a peek at our family’s favorite curricula
- Reading: We started with 100 Easy Lessons and Funnix Reading, then did a few years of Pathway Readers before moving on to living books
- Math: We use Horizons’ colorful workbooks for lower grades, but switch to Saxon Math 54 around 3rd or 4th grade and stick with Saxon through high school. Saxon the gold standard, in my opinion, although I use Math-U-See to teach my once-a-week co-op classes.
- Science: We Apologia for elementary science and either Apologia or Jay L Wile’s texts for high school
Found you quite by accident – I’m in the grandsons phase right now. I homeschooled (had 3 children) and loved our lifestyle. I’m hoping I can get my daughter and daughter-in-love to visit your site and glean from all you have compiled – would have loved to have your resources in my mothering days. But thankful I can use many of your ideas with my grandchildren as well. Blessings…
Thanks, Paris. The grandkid phase has its perks, for sure! Glad yours have a grandma who enjoys being involved. 🙂