Grace Abounds Some people equate homeschooling to having a classroom set up at home — a dedicated room complete with all the learning materials, a proper table and set of chairs, and an expensive curriculum. While those things are nice to have and definitely Instagram-worthy, it does not define the whole idea of homeschooling. Educating your children at home does not mean that you need to recreate a traditional classroom setup. The beauty of homeschooling is that you can learn with your children anytime and anywhere — at your children’s unique pace and the method that best suits your family’s lifestyle.
In fact, you can educate your children at home with:
- What you currently have at your disposal
- Teaching your children what you already know
- FREE teaching and learning resources online
When you have a burning desire to homeschool your children, you do everything that you can to make learning at home possible and enjoyable for both you and your dear students. I am blessed that my husband also found his way to see the significance of homeschooling in the lives of our children. He is onboard in this homeschooling lifestyle and even takes on the responsibility of teaching the other subjects to our children. Over the years, homeschooling has helped me and shaped my being as much as it did to my children. I was able to do things that I didn’t know I was capable of, which contributed tremendously to our homeschooling journey.
In this post, I’d like to give a glimpse of what we do in our homeschool. If you are still contemplating homeschooling your child or you are still new in this journey, my hope is that you will be encouraged after reading this blog.
Use what you have at your disposal
In my previous post, Homeschooling: My Whys and Hows, I have shared that I used to make handwritten worksheets for my firstborn when we started homeschooling. We got books from thrift shops and hand-me-down books and flashcards from cousins. I also cut out cereal boxes for our Letter of the Week and fine motor skill activities. We also used beads, yarn, and other stuff from my crafting stash. We also used uncooked pasta for sensory play, fine motor skills development, and crafting. These days, we also utilize cooking ingredients, recycled and sanitized food containers and boxes, even the leaves from our little garden as materials for our lessons. Making use of the things that we see everyday has enhanced our creativity and resourcefulness. My children are learning how to put together ordinary objects and turn them into something else. We are able to think of other ways that we can further use what we already have.
Teach what you already know
You must definitely know a few nursery rhymes, stories from the Bible, the alphabet, the basics of English grammar as well as the fundamentals of Math. You can teach what you already know to your children. If you are unsure about something you have learned in your student years, you can always verify it online through legitimate sources like educational and homeschooling websites and blogs.
FREE teaching and learning resources
One of the many wonders of advancement in technology is the proliferation of countless learning resources that are mostly free. I am very grateful for the talented individuals and generous organizations that have offered their curriculum and educational materials free of charge. Some content creators and entities provide a free trial of their online products and applications for a certain period, giving users the option to become regular subscribers. Here’s a compilation of all the resources that we use for our homeschool. Most of them are FREE while others have a trial period and offer the option for a subscription.
- Canva – FREE. I use this for making presentations for school openings and lessons.
- Twinkl – 1 MONTH TRIAL then switched on MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION – Has plenty of resources for most subjects – multicultural, inclusive, and diverse.
- Khan Academy Kids – FREE. Resources for Pre-K up to Grade 2.
- Duolingo – FREE. Also available on Premium. We use this for studying the Korean language.
- The Good and the Beautiful – Has FREE curriculum and unit studies like Marine Biology, Math, Language Arts, and Handwriting. A vast collection of curricula is available for purchase.
- Discovery Plus – We got this recently at a promo price of Php129 for the first year. We’ve been using this for Science and for watching baking shows.
- Number Blocks and Alpha Blocks – FREE videos on Youtube. MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION on Netflix. These have helped my kids in appreciating numbers (counting, addition, and multiplication) as well as phonics and spelling.
- Flocabulary – FREE FOR 30 DAYS. Most subjects including social and emotional development
- Nearpod – FREE. Most subjects include Technology and Computer Science. For Kinder up to Higher Ed.
- Ambleside Online – FREE, courtesy of homeschooling parents who are using the Charlotte Mason method for their children. Has a vast collection of free living books, worksheets, and even exams.
- Spotify – FREE. Also available on Premium. We use this to listen to bedtime stories, Sandaang Salaysay, Classical Music Appreciation, various Charlotte Mason podcasts, Praise and Worship, and sound effects for our pretend play.
I hope that I was able to encourage you in your homeschooling journey and have enriched your learning resources.
Homeschooling is never easy but it is so worth every effort and time that I have spent on my children’s learning.
