Many parents are taking advantage of the numerous benefits that homeschooling offers while still trying to keep their budget in check. But how can you homeschool your child for free? It’s possible to provide an enriching educational experience without breaking the bank.
Here are 15 tips to help you on your journey to free homeschooling.
1) Take Advantage of Free Online Resources
The internet is your best friend when it comes to homeschooling for free. There are a plethora of online resources available to use. Websites such as Khan Academy, ABC Mouse and National Geographic Kids provide lessons for all grade levels and areas of study.
Most of these sites also come with parent-teacher resources and tutorials. These sites provide engaging activities such as interactive games and activities, short videos, and printable worksheets that you can use with your child in no time.
2) Do It Yourself Activities
Fortune favors the bold. Get creative with your resources and find ways to make activities and lessons by yourself.
You can make use of simple household items and recycle materials to create learning activities and projects. For example, you can pour various sizes, shapes and colors of beans into a tray or container and have your child sort them or count them. You can also use cardboard boxes, empty cereal boxes and old clothes for art projects for your children.
Reuse and upcycle; it’s good for the environment and your wallet.
3) Benefit from Donations
Donations are a great way to access the materials and resources you need for homeschooling for free. Consider asking for books, art supplies, educational toys, and activity materials from friends, family, and friends of family. You can even post a status on social media and ask for donations from other contexts.
When it comes to donations, the possibilities are endless.
4) Take Advantage of Local Resources
Your community will likely have several resources that you can find and use for your homeschooling needs and they may even be free. Start by checking out the local library. Many libraries have free lending programs specifically geared towards homeschoolers.
Libraries may also sponsor special events or guest lectures that offer an educational opportunity for free. You can also look into religious institutions and other organizations that may offer free classes or clubs.
5) Join Homeschooling Support Groups
Joining a homeschooling support group can help you save money by allowing you to meet and exchange ideas and materials with other homeschoolers. It’s also a great way to get access to new and used books, educational toys and activity materials. These groups often host discussion sessions, workshops and activities for homeschoolers where everything is free or at a minimal cost.
6) Make Use of Educational Materials in Your Pile
It’s likely that you have educational materials lying around in your house, such as textbooks, classic literature, encyclopedias, children’s books, audio books, educational games and puzzles. These materials can be easily utilized for your homeschool classes.
To enhance the learning experience, make sure to turn them into interactive activities.
7) Invest on Multi-Purpose Materials
When it comes to materials and resources, it’s always wise to go for the multi-purpose ones; this way you can save money on the long run. Invest in tools and materials that you can use for different purposes and grade levels. For example, buy literature books that can be used across grade levels and in multiple school subjects.
8) Make Use of Free Audios and Videos
Audios and videos can be found all over the internet and a majority of them are free. There are a variety of resources and materials available, some of which include virtual tours, lessons, songs and other educational videos. You can even make use of popular videos, such as musicals, movies and animations and make them part of your lessons.
9) Utilize Open Educational Resources
Open Educational Resources (OER) are free and openly licensed educational materials, such as lesson plans, textbooks, lectures, and activities. They are created and shared by teachers, organizations and other education professionals. These resources can be found online, and most of them can be used with no restrictions.
10) Take Advantage of Free Art Lessons
Art is an important part of any education and there are plenty of free options you can use to practice this skill. Some art programs, like Khan Academy, provide tutorials and online classes for free.
There are also many online art courses and educational websites that offer free lessons and tips for crafts, painting, and drawing.
11) Make Use of Online Field Trips
Online field trips are a great way to provide an enriching learning experience to your children. Many websites have virtual tours and videos of different states, monuments and locations around the world.
Virtual field trips can replace physical field trips, thus saving you a lot of money.
12) Research and Utilize Local Scholarships
Check with the local school district and your state government to find out if there are scholarships that you can apply for. Many states offer free or reduced cost educational programs for parents with children who are homeschooling.
There are also some states that offer reimbursement for homeschoolers for educational materials.
13) Check for Free Online Lessons and Exercises
Free online activities and lessons are a great way to get educational material without breaking the bank. Websites like Education. com and Future learn provide plenty of fun and interactive activities and games for children of all ages and grade levels.
You can even find tutorials for core curriculum subjects like math, science, and language arts.
14) Utilize Free Workbooks
Workbooks are one of the most cost effective and engaging ways to teach core subjects such as math and reading. Fortunately, there are several free workbooks and workbook-style activities that you can use with your home schooler. Education.
com and Teach Moneyology offer a variety of free and downloadable printable activities that you can use with your student.
15) Find Free Curriculum and Textbooks
Finally, if you’re looking to provide your student with a structured and comprehensive curriculum, you may be able to find free textbooks and curriculum online. Free textbooks and curriculum can be found on websites such as OpenStax and Khan Academy.
Consider these options when homeschooling your child for free.
Conclusion
Homeschooling can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. There are many ways you can save money when homeschooling your child.
Fortunately, there are a bevy of free online resources, activities and materials that you can use to provide a meaningful and enriching education to your child. With a little bit of research, creativity and confidence, homeschooling for free can be easy and even enjoyable.