Saturday, April 28, 2012

How to spell "Intrinsic Motivation"

There are hundreds of websites containing valuable information useful to homeschooling families. Lately I've been concerned about the intentions of the people behind some of those websites. A website offering a complete homeschool curriculum states that the only way they'll bring the USA back to Jesus is through the homeschooling movement. People with strong Libertarian or Objectivist leanings develop websites for the purpose of teaching about history, the Constitution and their interpretation of the words of our Founding Fathers. I feel I need to be on guard to protect my child from corruption by people with radical agendas.

I've been reading "Don't Think Of An Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate: the Essential Guide for Progressives" by Goerge Lakoff. One of the things he says is that we often vote according to our core values. The Republican Party spends many millions on think tanks which are tasked to create the language frames that will appeal to their voters. This is why Fox News is loved by some and hated by others. because the language that appeals to Conservatives repulses Liberals and vice versa. I'm also reading, "Raising Children Who Think for Themselves" by Elisa Medhus, M.D., and she states that parents need to help their children develop their own moral compass, so that they can make good decisions for themselves, rather than needing us to act as their conscious all the time.

It's not unusual for me to read several books at once but it's rather synchronous that I happen to pick up two random books that help address the issue that's been keeping me awake at night. It's simple. If the child knows who he is, he won't be easily transformed into an End Days SuperPrepper. He apparently won't be as likely to become a crackhead, either.

And then, I saw this video on Youtube, called "The High Price of Materialism," about how materialism is externally motivated and does not lead to happiness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oGab38pKscw

If I were superstitious, I would think my spirit guides are conspiring to send a message.

I almost bought a "how to homeschool" type book, until I saw in the reviews that the author advocates spanking children who won't study hard enough. I do not wish to lean on my son and force him to do what he should. I want him to be intrinsically motivated. He's old enough to understand the connection between education, the ability to think, and thriving in today's world.

Last night I asked him to fill out his schedule for today. I said, "Think about what you need to accomplish in order to succeed and have the life you want to have. And then think about what tasks you need to perform each day to get there. Then make out a schedule with all of those tasks on it." And so he did. And today he stuck to his schedule. I was so proud of him.

Spelling has been a stumbling block for him. The tactic I have been using is to have him pick a word from his spelling list that's been a challenge for him to spell. We spend several minutes focusing on that word. We talk about the word's origins. We say it in Latin. We talk about how the particular word traveled. For instance, "Music." Rumored to originate in Persia, where it traveled to Greece, then Greece to Rome. We talk about how the Romans traveled to what is now France, and those people began using that word. From there it traveled to England with rest of the English language, then to the USA, and later to places like India and China. We talk about why this word matters, and the things we wouldn't be able to say quite so accurately without it. We look at the synonyms we'd have to use if that word didn't exist. Finally, we break it down into consonants and talk about the spelling rules that apply to that word. By the end of this time, he is better acquainted with this word. He spells the word. He looks at me in surprise - he didn't think he'd do it. A few hours later, I quiz him again. He remembers. We contemplate the importance of language.

He seems to have so much faith in me. I want him to be able to transfer that faith to himself. Even if he barely gets the core subjects by the skin of his teeth, (of course we hope he will do much better than that) if he has faith in himself, that will make a big difference for him.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

The Main Thing I Learned About Japan

When we first started homeschooling, just a short twelve weeks ago, (gulp) one of the first things I did was to get my son started on a unit study about a country of his choice. This was because I can't just let a 6th grader drop all educational efforts and play video games all day, irregardless of what the experts say about the unschooling period. He chose Japan.

Then I began a furious process of cramming on homeschooling. I had nightmares for the first week but it's better now.

In the meantime I've been trying to figure out what the heck I'm going to do to make sure this kid is going to get an education -

Open doors?

Plant seeds?

Light fires?

I hate to say it but I fear the public education system has nearly snuffed out his desire to learn, and allowing his natural curiosity to take over isn't going to cut it. I'm not saying there isn't a spark there, but I am saying that he doesn't seem to know what to do about it.

The unschooling dilemma reminds me of the problem of depleted soils in industrial agriculture. They say it takes seven years to turn sterile soil into fertile organic soil. My son doesn't have seven years to get the gears going again. He's a sixth grader who was working at a fourth grade level in some of his core subjects. I can make compost all day long, but we need productive fields NOW!

So what does this have to do with Japan? We checked out every library book on Japan that we could find. We watched Japanese language, art and culture videos on Youtube. We watched Japanese movies on Netflix. We even shopped at local Japanese markets. Gradually he completed the unit study, while simultaneously working on some basic core subjects.

So today we were talking. I said something like, "You know, I have a lot of respect for Japan. When our military dropped those bombs at the end of WWII, they didn't waste time blaming the Americans for dropping that bomb. They didn't waste time blaming their Emperor for getting them into the war. They looked around, assessed the damage, rebuilt, and came back stronger than ever.

You were not getting an adequate education in public school. Now, we can say that it's all my fault because I didn't do enough to intervene. Or we can say it's your fault because you didn't study hard enough. Or we can say it's the school's fault for not teaching you well enough. Or it was the voting taxpayer's fault, for being unwilling to invest in education, making our state one of the lowest ranking states in public education.

But we aren't going to say any of those things. We are going to take a look around, assess the damage and rebuild."

My son said, "And we are going to come back stronger than ever."

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

The Importance of the Availability of Public School

I am fortunate to be capable of and willing to homeschool my child. But not every family is like mine.

The world is made up of a vast diversity of different types of people and families. There are many different types of parents and different types of children. Choice is good, and the more choices we have, the better the lives we can craft for ourselves.

I think sometimes people forget to appreciate this. They forget that the choice that is best for themselves is not the best choice for everyone else. Sometimes they even demonize or look down upon those who do not agree with their world view.

(ahem.)

But diversity is a good thing. I personally believe that if everyone on the planet held identical lifestyles, views, opinions, beliefs etc., the world would not be as rich and wonderful. In fact in my opinion, civilization would quickly fall apart if everyone had to do everything exactly the same way. For one thing, when people hold different viewpoints, these different ideas have a way of balancing each other out and keep things from becoming too extreme one way or the other.

I do not wish to be a judgmental person. For example, I do not wish to say that homeschooling parents are better parents than non-homeschooling parents. (That would be silly - one of my children is homeschooled, one is not, and one graduated from public school. Nor do I wish to say that people who follow a specific path are better than people who are better suited to a different path. I feel that when people are judgmental, it says more about them than the people they are judging. I guess that IS judgmental.

One of the miracles of life is that some kids turn into competent adults even though they have parents who do not take advantage of the opportunity to be the best parent they can be. Either they are incapable of being great parents or they choose not to. But it doesn't always turn out that way. Some kids are damaged by their homes and communities and it creates a negative cycle that repeats with their children. When it doesn't turn out well for these kids it doesn't turn out well for the rest of us either. I'm not talking about socioeconomic class. Some of the wealthiest people put the least effort into parenting. Some parents simply should not homeschool their children, and hopefully they are wise enough to realize that. Not all parents are honest with themselves about their own limitations, but hopefully most are capable of judging what is best for their children and families.

Where does this leave the kids? None of this is their fault - and every child deserves the best. I believe in parental rights but I also believe that every child deserves an education of the best quality, whether it's home, charter, private or public school.

This is why, while I support the rights of homeschooling families, I also support the availability of pre-K AND a top-notch public education for all children. If parents and kids want to opt out and homeschool, fine. But kids shouldn't be penalized because their parents can't or shouldn't homeschool.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Unit Study Themes

Little House on the Prairie
The Human Body
The Titanic
Shakespeare
The Holocaust (Anne Frank)
Unit Studies by Nation
Nevada
The Environment
Ecosystems

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Online Resources

Over the past several months I've collected so many homeschooling bookmarks on my browser that I decided to organize them here for sharing. This blog post will serve as a handy reference page for my own use, and maybe others will find it helpful too. I will be adding new links and comments about existing ones as time permits. It's only a drop in the vast ocean of educational resources available online.  Since I'm a socially progressive secular homeschooler, my opinion about about the materials and websites will differ from those who have a conservative or religious perspective.  This page is a work in progress, and it may eventually be divided into several if it gets too large.


If a link isn't working or something is mislabeled I would appreciate a note in the comments section. If you know of a great educational website that you'd like to share, please add a comment, and I'll check it out. If I think it might be useful to our family I'll add it. Please keep in mind that I created this list for my own reference, so it may not be as useful for you as it is for me. Since this is a family friendly blog, comments will be monitored.


Any comments I make about a link are my own personal reaction to the content on the page. These are not endorsements - I am not receiving any payment and cannot accept responsibility for the quality of the content. We have found some of these links extremely useful. Others were added for future reference after spending only a few moments on the page or printing one worksheet, and the website may not be as good as it appears to be. Apart from loosely organizing the links by topic, they are in no particular order.


Some of the resources require completion of a membership form before gaining access. It's a good practice to find out what the website owner will do with your information before you provide it. Just in case, it makes sense to remember to surf safely, use your virus protection and spam filter tools, and let the buyer beware.


Where to go for information on how to get started in Nevada, find support groups and get legal:


free: http://nevadahomeschoolnetwork.com/


The Rise Resource Center is a non-profit organization in Las Vegas providing resources to Las Vegas homeschoolers.  They offer some free workshops and some classes for kids and for parents, many of which are very low cost.  http://riseresourcecenter.org/

http://lasvegasvalleyhomeschoolnetwork.com/


http://www.meetup.com/LasVegas-Freethinking-Homeschoolers/


New to Homeschooling 50 States:

This article categorizes the states according to how friendly the laws are to homeschooling:
http://voices.yahoo.com/which-states-best-homeschooling-laws-1395073.html?cat=17Which States Have The Best Homeschooling Laws

A for-fee resources: http://www.newbeehomeschooler.com/2012newbeebootcamp.htm

I'm not sure about this site yet. It appears to be new but there isn't much here and I'm uncertain of the benefit of joining: http://4yourkids.memberlodge.com/

How-to homeschool class, for $10.00 per month: http://www.homeschoolingabcs.com/home2.html

Here is a big list of homeschooling acronyms, including the acronyms of common curriculum.  Trust me, as you delve into the message boards about curriculum, the acronmys can drive you nuts at first!  Lots of Kids Homeschool Acronyms and Abbreviations


Standards:


http://worldbook.com/typical-course-of-study

http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards

Learning Styles:


http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire

http://www.d.umn.edu/kmc/student/loon/acad/strat/lrnsty.html


Different Homeschooling Methods or Philosophies:


http://www.homeschoolmarketplace.com/choosing/approaches.html

http://www.hsunlimited.com/resources/homeschool-methods/index.php


John Holt was a schoolteacher who eventually wrote several books about educating children and has become an icon in the unschooling movement. This website includes free back issues of his magazine Growing Without Schooling: http://www.holtgws.com/index.html

Testing Services

This Christian site offers free practice SATs https://www.forsuchatimeasthis.com/

http://www.shopchristianliberty.com/testing-service/



General Support for Homeschooling Parents and Caregivers:

Homeschool Legal Defense Association is a "United States-based "nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms." They have been criticized for their close ties to the Christian right. As a secular homeschooler I have my own concerns about this organization, and I am probably not in sympathy with all of their objectives. However they were involved in blocking a bill that would make all teachers in the U.S., including homeschooling parents, get a teacher's certificate, which would have made homeschooling nearly impossible for many families. Regardless, homeschooling families should be aware of this organization. www.hslda.org

Behavior modification charts  http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/pet_charts.htm#Cat

http://www.homefires.com/courses/therapist.asp


http://www.homeschooling-ideas.com/index.html

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/

There are many homeschooling communities and forums. Websites like Yahoo, Meetup, Facebook and About.com have many communities and articles. Here are some additional places to find homeschooling community:

http://www.secularhomeschool.com/content.php


Planners and Getting Organized:

http://www.newbeehomeschooler.com/Unit%20Study%20Pages/Unit%20Study%20Year%20Planning%20Form%20july%20to%20june%20black%20white.pdf

http://www.newbeehomeschooler.com/Unit%20Study%20Pages/Unit%20Study%20Year%20Planning%20Form%20july%20to%20june%20blue%20green.pdf


http://www.pros-and-cons-of-homeschooling.com/homeschool-schedules.html

The Donna Young website contains a lot of resources, but I find the planners esp. useful:

http://donnayoung.org/forms/planners/daily.htm


This Christian site offers a free online planner, and it also has links to a fee membership a legal guide for your state, and a curriculum bookstore:

http://www.home-school-inc.com/


www.keepandshare.com


http://www.homeschoolskedtrack.com/HomeSchool/displayLogin.do

http://www.chartjungle.com/

Here's a great daily organizer for busy moms:  http://www.simpleorganizedliving.com/2011/02/09/my-daily-routine-free-printables/


Curricula and Supplies, Co-ops and Reviews:

Teacher's Notebook is a great place to go to for things like clipart, teaching tips, lesson plans and activities.  The great part is that the teachers are selling resources that they developed themselves.  www.teachersnotebook.com

State of Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum:  http://www.doe.state.la.us/topics/comprehensive_curriculum.html



A store that sells curriculum and supplies: The Knowledge Tree

Glencoe McGraw-Hill Publishing, used by many public schools and other institutions of learning: https://www.mheonline.com/
The partner site, http://www.glencoe.com looks interesting, and I'm still looking into how it's used.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt offers Pre-K–6 resources for teachers, students, and families to support instruction in the classroom and at home, customized by state.

.http://www.eduplace.com/


AVKO Education Research Foundation is a non profit organization known for Sequential Spelling and other language arts curriculum, including materials designed for students who learn differently: http://www.avko.org/

Singapore Math, offers curriculum in math, science, Chinese and English. Their math textbooks are said to be the best in the world. http://www.singaporemath.com/


Secular curriculum: http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/secular-homeschool-curriculum.html

A highly recommended science curricula: http://www.noeoscience.com/

All about Spelling and All About Reading:  All About Learning

Lapbooking: www.handsofachild.com/


This website includes a handy questionnaire tool for figuring out what curriculum is right for your student. http://cathyduffyreviews.com/


http://www.dositey.com/2008/index-page-home.php


Chalkdust Math curriculum: http://www.chalkdust.com/index.html


VideoText Interective Easy-to-Understand Algebra & Geometry


Winter's Promise Publishing, curricula for language arts, math, and science: http://winterpromise.com/index.html

http://www.mathusee.com/


http://teachingtextbooks.com/

http://www.horriblebooks.com/



Evolution for kids: http://charliesplayhouse.com/

Ring of Fire Earth Science Curriculum:  Ring of Fire Science Company

Lab of Mr. Q


http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/

 Handwriting without tears

http://www.currclick.com/

poetry course: http://www.chirotoons.com/poetry/

High school writing curriculum One Year Adventure Novel

www.reallygoodstuff.com/


http://www.homeschool.com/


http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/


Along with reviews, this one has lots of links and a free country notebooking unit study with subscription: http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/

These are resources available for purchase by learning institutions. There are supposed to be free resources here too but I'm having difficulty accessing them: http://www.learner.org/

Christian Light Publications offers a terrific student planner that can be adapted for any religion or for secularism. http://clp.org/

http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/


http://www.lifeskills4kids.com/acorn.php?page=home

Despite the fact that I am not a Christian and would never dream of teaching Creationism or Intelligent Design to my children, I have listed Christ and Bible-centered curriculum here. I find that it does help to know about all of the curriculum in order to follow homeschooling discussions.

The Robinson Curriculum is a Bible centered Creationist curriculum based on the homeschooling materials Lauralee Robinson compiled for her children before her untimely death. Her husband, Arthur Robinson, one of the world's leading global warming denialists, started marketing the homeschooling curriculum after her death. He plainly states on his website that homeschooling is necessary to return the country to Christian values, so he is also a Dominionist. The course of study includes Saxon math and the historical fiction of G.A. Henty, (1832-1902). Henty's fiction is commonly criticized for being xenophobic and downright racist. Another thing I find interesting about this curriculum is the emphasis on the children teaching themselves. To me it sounds like they not only wish to brainwash children with conservative Christian beliefs, but withhold nurturing, time, and attention while they are at it. Some secular homeschoolers have said they use these materials because they teach the classics, however I feel that there are other ways to teach the classics and I will not spend my hard earned money furthering Arthur Robinson's agenda. I do not wish to promote this curriculum but as a homeschooler I think it's important to know what it is. http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/

Heart of Dakota (HOD) is another Christ-centered curriculum that teaches Creationism with a skeptical attitude about evolution. Their titles include Little Hands for Heaven, Little Hearts for His Glory: www.heartofdakota.com

The website at My Father's World (MFW) states that they recognize that the Bible, God's truth, is the foundation of of wisdom and education. The website also has a strong Christian statement of faith. http://www.mfwbooks.com/

Shurley English is an English and Grammar curriculum: https://www.shurley.com/

Common Sense Press: Language Arts, Writing Skills, Math, Biblical History and Science. This program would be of interest to homeschoolers who wish to teach from a Creationist or Intelligent Design perspective. The science curriculum says it contains only scientific "fact," no theory about evolution, no information about when the earth was created or how it was created. http://commonsensepress.com/index.htm

Alpha Omega Publications provides curriculum for Christian families who consider Bible study to be one of the five core subjects. They offer five different curriculum options, Switched On Schoolhouse, Monarch, LIFEPAC, Horizons, and The Weaver Curriculum. http://www.aophomeschooling.com/index.php

Bob Jones University Press 

Life of Fred is a popular series of books that teach math in a story format.  It 's not completely secular, but some atheists have used it and reported that it wasn't offensive:  http://lifeoffredmath.com/


Special Needs

http://www.tooloftheweek.org/

English For The World of Work   http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZu1n&PMDbSiteId=4621&PMDbSolutionId=33862&PMDbSubSolutionId=&PMDbCategoryId=33864&PMDbSubCategoryId=&PMDbSubjectAreaId=&PMDbProgramId=32081


A fully interactive curriculum for special needs.  One drawback:  It's not a sight-word curriculum.
https://www.n2y.com/unique/

This site contains interactive lessons in math and English, 
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/

This one isn't just for special needs, but it has some terrific sight words games: 

http://interactivesites.weebly.com/


This is a terrific picture chart maker which is useful for younger or developmentally delayed kids:

http://www.pogoboards.com
PCI is a reseach based reading program for children with autism, developmental delays, etc.
http://www.pcieducation.com/

Sen Teacher Free Teaching Resources for Special Education

http://www.superduperinc.com/Default.aspx



I love this tool for making customized handwriting worksheets: http://www.senteacher.org/Worksheet/35/Handwriting.xhtml

Free adult literacy pages: http://www.skillsworkshop.org/

A Youtube Channel that teaches sight reading:

http://www.youtube.com/user/mebmoose?feature=watch

A good article about functional sight words for older readers:
http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2554&context=reading_horizons

Sight word teaching strategies:

http://www.k12reader.com/sight-word-teaching-strategies/

Websites about inclusion and transitioning to adult services:

http://www.communityinclusion.org/

http://www.pacer.org/tatra/knowledgecenter.asp

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/

http://ichp.ufl.edu/research/videos/

http://www.syntiro.org/hrtw/

http://www.brainpopjr.com/

edhelper.com

Preschool

http://thepreschooltoolboxblog.com/?p=3901

Websites where you can look up or learn about just about anything:

earthcam.com



Websites With Supplemental Teaching Aids In The Core Subjects:

Make your own quizzes:  http://quizzes.cc/ 

quizlet.com

These workbooks are used by classroom schoolteachers and are terrific for homeschoolers and parents who wish to supplement their child's education at home or over the summer:
http://www.evan-moor.com/


Educational comics collection:  http://contentdm.unl.edu/cdm/search/collection/edcomics/searchterm/Adventures%20in%20Electricity/order/nosort


Some lesson plans that look pretty good.  Check out the CareerStart lessons:  http://www.learnnc.org/lp/organizations/52

This is a fantastic resource.  All sorts of materials written for teachers, by teachers, and many are free:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com

This one has a fee:  http://www.brainpop.com/


Here's a big list of free learning resources:  http://noexcuselist.com/


Supplemental Curriculum in a wide range of subjects, featuring the Bridge Books:  Carson-Dellosa Publishing

Don't forget Scholastic and Teacher Express!


This company offers online supplemental programs in reading and math.  For a fee, but it looks affordable.  Popular applications include Ticket To Read for K-6:  Voyager Learning


Giant Website with tons of general homeschooling links:
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/index.htm

Several topics, all free: http://www.thinkquest.org/pls/html/think.library

http://www.watchknowlearn.org

www.homeschoolshare.com

Some of the items here are available with a membership and some are free: http://homeschoolnetworklibrary.com/

http://www.edhelper.com/

This online translator contains sound files so you can hear how it is pronounced: www.dictionarist.com

1500 free pages http://www.easyfunschool.com/

Another free huge resource on several topics: http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/

all free: http://www.internet4classrooms.com/index.htm

This one is a subscription page with lots of freebies. We went here for map outlines:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html

This one is designed for professional teachers but it's also useful for homeschoolers: http://blog.reallygoodstuff.com/

Christian homeschooling page chock full of resources: http://oldfashionededucation.com/fullcurriculum.htm

Designed for professional educations and schools, a subscription page with thousands of educational resources and a 14 day free trial period: www.nettrekker.com

Lots of printables and lesson plans. Subscription but some freebies too: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/

Home Education Council of America, free and low cost membership: http://hecoa.com/

This site is a wealth of information and support: http://donnayoung.org/index.htm

http://funtasticunitstudies.com/

http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/

http://www.myfreeflashcards.com/

educational games: http://www.purposegames.com/

http://www.hslaunch.com/mypage/files

http://www.hsunlimited.com/freestuff/

http://sunflowerschoolhouse.com/

clickschooling.com

http://dynamic2moms.webs.com/

tons of educational online games, flash tutorials, videos and printables: www.gamequarium.org/

http://www.sophia.org/about

Compare, contrast, and find the differences between things: http://www.diffen.com/


Free worksheet generator in math, English, geography, calendars and planners, eye/hand coordination and puzzles.  WorskSheetWorks

Math, English, Science, Art and Design, Design and Technology, Geography, History, Music, French and Spanish, Religious Education: http://www.topicbox.net/


Math Teaching Aids:



Khan Academy is the best! This free, donation based program provides video tutorials, online exercises and virtual badges for completing work.  They also offer classes in some other subjects.

http://www.khanacademy.org/

buzzmath.com

Here is an excellent math program that is just as exciting as Khan!  It helps you keep track of math standards for your state:

http://www.ixl.com/

real world middle school math:  http://dfi.wa.gov/financial-education/educators-middle.htm

Singapore Math is said to be one of the best math curricula in the world.  Here is a link to their free placement tests:  http://www.sonlight.com/singapore-placement-tests.html

comprehensive middle school math, mostly free with fees for tutoring:  http://www.mastermath.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1

middle school math games:  http://www.math-play.com/Middle-School-Math-Games.html

free math tutorials online, or if you don't want your child online you can buy the cd: http://www.aaastudy.com/

Discovery Education's web math:  http://www.webmath.com/index3.html

Teaching Textbooks Math 6 Placement Test: http://184.168.83.81/Diagnostic/Math6.pdf


http://www.geogebra.org/cms/


more free math: math.com

http://www.mathgoodies.com/


http://www.purplemath.com/


http://www.bymath.com/


tons of free worksheets, including a tool for creating targeted custom worksheets: http://www.math-aids.com/


this one also offers a free email course: http://www.mathmammoth.com/


free math worksheets by mathmammoth: http://www.homeschoolmath.net/

elementary school math, tons of free worksheets: http://www.math-salamanders.com/


Timez Attacks Multiplication games: http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/timezAttack/timezAttack.htm

http://www.homeschoolmath.net/

for-fee live online math tutoring: http://www.liveonlinemath.com/

Right Start Math teaches math using an abacus.  They offer an online test to help you figure out where to start your child.  Right Start Math

http://www.visnos.com/home


English/Language Arts Teaching Aids Online :

http://www.grammarbook.com


Many, many reading links:  http://www.eds-resources.com/edreading.htm

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/story-starters/index.html


http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/childrenindex.html


http://www.free-training-tutorial.com/spelling-games.html

http://www.pcboe.net/les/elderweb/other%20resources/Prefix%20Task%20Cards.pdf

why does grammar matter:  http://grammar.about.com/od/grammarfaq/f/grammarvalue.htm


Grammar, literature and writing, middle school:  http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek1/larts.htm

http://www.grammar-monster.com/

http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1423

teacher written eduware:  http://www.lapresenter.com/


Spelling quizzer is a downloadable spelling bee game for 29.99  http://spellquizzer.com/

http://www.phonicsontheweb.com/

How to teach spelling: http://www.primary-education-oasis.com/how-to-teach-spelling.html

http://www.spellingcity.com/


A Laura Ingalls Wilder Unit Study that looks promising: http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=7880


California Dept. of Education recommended literature k-12 http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/rl/ll/


reading from scratch spelling rules: http://www.dyslexia.org/spelling_rules.shtml

http://www.rfwp.com/pages/michael-clay-thompson/


A great online spelling program: http://www.bigiqkids.com/SpellingVocabulary/Main/VocabularySpellingTest.html


A free online grammar course that breaks it down into 400+ easy daily lessons: http://www.dailygrammar.com/

A free online grammar course for high school students: http://www.englishgrammar101.com/

http://www.rfwp.com/series/grammar-elementary-program-by-michael-clay-thompson#book-grammar-island


http://www.chompchomp.com/menu.htm


stories for children: http://www.longlongtimeago.com/


homonyms: http://www.ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/lang/ceclang/ceclang054.html

synonyms: http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/synonyms/synonyms.htm



comprehension: http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=activity1&topicID=11&storyID=104

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

vocabulary: http://flocabulary.com/6th-grade-vocabulary-word-list/


8 week supported writing course for fee, with some free resources: www.time4writing.com


http://www.kidslearntoblog.com


A great free spelling and vocabulary resource: http://www.aaaspell.com/


Language arts games for middle and high school students: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games_vocab.htm

spelling game software with a 60 day free trial: http://www.ispellwell.com/index.htm


Free spelling course: http://www.splashesfromtheriver.com/spelling/courseoutline.htm


Spell It Right - Learn How To Spell Confidently: http://www.spelling.hemscott.net/


quizhub: Free online interactive k-12 games (Ipod compatible) http://quizhub.com/quiz/quizhub.cfm

Language arts program from the UK: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/english/spelling_grammar/

High school english: http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/tools/english-hs.html

http://www.learner.org/interactives/story/

Literature

The Western Canon:   http://codex-librorum.blogspot.com/#cont 

Science:

A great place to find answers to science questions:  http://www.tpt.org/newtons/

The Burgess Bird Book Companion and other bird resources http://satorismiles.com/2010/03/08/burgess-bird-book-companion/#1

http://www.ck12.org/flexbook/

Live camera inside an owl house: http://sportsmansparadiseonline.com/Oceanside_Barn_Owls.html


The science behind the news. A good one to check into regularly: http://whyfiles.org/

human body lapbook: http://www.squidoo.com/humanbodylapbook#module7860624

Human anatomy:  Inner Body


Learning together anatomy: http://www.anatomia.learningtogether.net/


Pakistan science club: http://www.youtube.com/user/pakscienceclub?feature=watch

how to extract DNA from an onion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsXxf5VfYaY


Ellen McHenry's Basement Workshop: http://ellenjmchenry.com/


Supercharged Science, an online subscription program with experiments: http://www.superchargedscience.com/

A unit study about the central nervous system and the brain: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/bex/bex2unit1.pdf


Neuroscience for kids: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html


http://animatedtooth.com/decayindex2.htm


http://www.50birds.com/


http://www.unmuseum.org/unmain.htm

Anatomy arcade: http://anatomyarcade.com/


what's a solstice: http://scijinks.nasa.gov/solstice

explore the universe: http://www.childrensmuseum.org/cosmicquest/index.html


http://www.savethemanatee.org/info.htm


kids do ecology: htthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifp://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/


http://www.stevespanglerscience.com

http://humananatomystudyguide.com/recommends/humanantomystudyguide


http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/



bodyquest physiology: http://library.thinkquest.org/10348/


http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/


the respiratory system: http://www.lung.ca/children/index_kids.html

subcategory:  psychology

 http://psychology.about.com/od/psychology101/f/psychology-101-ecourse-faq.htm
http://allpsych.com/psychology101/index.html
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/brain-and-cognitive-sciences/#undergrad
http://epsych.msstate.edu/Contents.html
http://znzixt.in/index.php?time=06110410-1658050264&src=10&surl=www.intropsych.com&sport=80&key=4C2A0C8F&suri=/
http://freevideolectures.com/Subject/Psychology#
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/series.html#c,d,Psychology
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Psychology

Health and Fitness

http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-food-calorie-counter
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-fitness-calorie-counter
Here's a calorie tracker that doesn't block kids:
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/supertracker-tools/supertracker.html
http://www.foodrenegade.com/realfoodnutritiontext/

http://www.nourishinteractive.com/


http://kidshealth.org/

growth charts for kids:  hhttp://pediatrics.about.com/od/growthcharts2/Childrens_Growth_Charts.htm

Our Whole Lives Sex Education Curricula:http://www.uua.org/re/owl/

Dental Health:

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson332b.shtml

http://www.homeschoolshare.com/teeth.php

www.healthyteeth.org

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/anatomy/teeth/toothanatomy.shtml

http://www.ada.org/


History, Geography, Social Studies:

A list of movies about American history:  http://www.learningliftoff.com/best-american-history-movies/?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=socialmedia#.U3vv5SgzQ2A


http://www.mission-us.org/

http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/schoolroom/states/nevada.php#sthash.iCMpFIqB.dpbs


Here's a terrific Civil War unit:   http://homeschoolnetworklibrary.com/civil_war.htm


http://historyatourhouse.com/

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

http://www.time.com/time/

United States History Map - The Indians: http://www.learner.org/interactives/historymap/indians.html


A flash game about the continents: http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/continentNames/default.htm#


http://www.parents.com/blogs/homeschool-den/2012/04/12/science/black-plague-activity/


A comparison of the British House of Commons and the U.S. House of Representatives: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32206.pdf


Facts about all 50 states: http://www.50states.com/


http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/inside-white-house/interactive-tour


http://podcast.history.org/



History picture library: http://www.lookandlearn.com/index.php


The science of cooking: http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/icooks/
free lap books and unit studies: http://dynamic2moms.webs.com/


ancient Egypt lap books: http://paganhomeschool.com/ancient-egypt-lapbooks/


Anne Frank printable: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/holocaust/printable/9362.html?detoured=1


A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust: http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/activity/MiddleSc.htm


http://www.brighthubeducation.com/middle-school-english-lessons/68091-holocaust-literature-resources/

Languages: 

http://www.duolingo.com/


memrise.com has an excellent Mexican Spanish language course, in addition to other classes.

http://www.babbel.com/



MisCositas.com


Music

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/music-and-theater-arts/index.htm

http://www.kidsknowit.com/educational-songs/


http://classicalcomposersmonthly.com/handel/

http://www.teoria.com/

http://www.musictheory.net/

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/40-ways-to-learn-music-online-for-free/

http://digitalmusiceducator.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/get-a-free-music-education-online/

http://www.emusictheory.com/

http://www.smartboardmusic.org/freegames.html

http://www.gopiano.com/

http://www.interactivemusicteacher.com/

Arts and Crafts:

http://www.getty.edu/publications/virtuallibrary/index.html


http://classicalcomposersmonthly.com/claude-monet/

http://gardenofpraise.com/art.htm

http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2011/06/worlds-greatest-artists-http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifunit-study.html

crafting:  http://www.cool2craft.com/

A mostly crafts site for younger children up to age 8: http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/middlelessons.html

http://www.ehow.com/list_6700568_art-appreciation-crafts-projects-children.html

Website for a Las Vegas art teacher, no online resources here: http://www.artstartshere.com/


Life Skills

http://www.abcfeelings.com/index.html


http://zenhabits.net/27-skills-your-child-needs-to-know-that-shes-not-getting-in-school/

http://facs.pppst.com/lifeskills.html


http://www.wingsforkids.org/experience/hot-wings


Character Education:

http://goodcharacter.com/

http://www.teachingvalues.com/

Comparative Religion:

http://www.interfaith.org/

http://www.religioustolerance.org/reledchil.htm

http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/Religion.html

Pagan Religion:

http://greyschool.com/

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/religion/pagan.htm

http://paganhomeschool.com/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/paganfreedomschoolers/

http://www.paganmoonbeams.com/

http://www.pookapages.com/

Free college courses online

https://www.coursera.org/

Non-accredited online programs for a fee:

An affordable, complete online program. http://www.time4learning.com/
This one is actually free but there is some cost involved because you need to buy the books: http://amblesideonline.org/

http://www.keystonehomeschoolcoalition.com/index.html

kindergarten program:  http://www.starfall.com/

Accredited programs that charge for enrollment:

http://www.clonlara.org/home/why_choose_clonlara

http://www.oakmeadow.com/index.php

Christian Light Academy School System:

Free Accredited Programs through the Clark County School District or the State of Nevada:


Academy for Individualized Study: http://schools.ccsd.net/ais/index.html

http://odysseyk12.org/

Nevada Virtual Academy: http://www.k12.com/nvva/

http://www.connectionsacademy.com/home.aspx

http://www.deltaacademylv.com/

http://beaconacademynv.org/

Virtual High School: http://ccsdde.net/ (not free)

https://www.internationalvla.com/about.php (not free)

http://www.lanv.org/

Articles and Blogs About Homeschooling and other "WonderMom" topics:


http://livinglifeacademy.blogspot.com/


http://project-based-homeschooling.com/camp-creek-blog


http://www.foodrenegade.com/


Mastermath blog:  http://stan0403.edublogs.org/

http://www.newbeehomeschooler.com/apps/blog/

http://freeeducationforhomeschoolers.wordpress.com/

A good series of articles by psychology professor Peter Gray, under the category Freedom To Learn
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn

highonhomeschool.blogspot.com/

Author of "The Well Trained Mind," "The Well Edcuated Mind,"and several history books including the series "History of the (whole) World"  http://www.susanwisebauer.com/blog/


http://www.howtohomeschooltoday.com/sitemap

http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/

http://simplehomeschool.net/

http://www.bitterhomeschooler.com/?p=183

http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/10/my-view-why-i-chose-home-schooling/?hpt=hp_bn1

http://www.wendypriesnitz.com/articles/learning_is_childrens_work.html

http://blesseddragonsacademy.wordpress.com/

http://lifeasmom.com/

http://www.flylady.com/

http://cleanmama.blogspot.com/

http://www.thehomemakersmentor.com/

http://www.pros-and-cons-of-homeschooling.com/index.html

Clubs and Organizations:


http://www.nevadaboysstate.org/

Local Field Trip Ideas:

http://parks.nv.gov/category/mormon-fort/



Not so Local Field Trip Ideas:


http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20120604/NEWS/120609987/1002&parentprofile=1056