This resource list was released on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/demystifyingeducation in 2020 as a response to the shut down of schools. I have separated the online resources here by age/grade. I hope everyone gets to enjoy the freedom and benefits of homeschooling their children!
Learning resources
Primary/Elementary Grades:
Literacy:
- Learn to Read: Teach your monster to read
- Early Literacy program with printable resources from BYU
- Outschool has high-interest (paid) classes for every age.
- Beanstalk for littles: https://beanstalk.co/
- Free printable Worksheets and games
- Free Audio books from Audible: https://stories.audible.com/discovery
- Fun brain (K-7): https://www.funbrain.com/
- Spokane Public schools released a good list (all grades)
- Reading: www.getepic.com free class code available if you write to me
- K-6 educational games: https://www.abcya.com/
- K-6 games for practicing skills: https://www.arcademics.com/
- Famous people reading stories to younger kids: https://www.storylineonline.net/
- Seussville games, activities, and even recipes: https://www.seussville.com/
- Squiggle park (ages 3-8): https://www.squigglepark.com/ ($60/year)
- Dreamscape (ages 8 – 15): https://www.squigglepark.com/dreamscape/ (has a free version for parents)
- Learn to type: https://www.typingclub.com/
- The site for ABC mouse from PreK to 2nds grade is here: https://www.abcmouse.com
- The site for Reading IQ PreK- Grade 6 is here: Reading IQ ($7.99USD/month)
- The site for Adventure academy Grade 3-8 is here: Adventure Academy ( $12.99USD/Month)
- Comprehensive Homeschool resource: https://allinonehomeschool.com/
- Make a story book: storyjumper.com/joinClass/1731416 (Class Password: 123)
- TVO kids
- CBC kids learning games
- PBS learning games for kids
- Homeschool Compass: free resources to teach in a fun way.
- Free Home school Curriculum: Freedom Homeschooling
- NFB films: here
- Free printable early reading books here.
- Zoey and Sassafras: science and literacy in one!
- Simbi is a new and free-for-families resource for reading at home.
Humanities and Arts
- Lulu’s has a great resource page with Jewelry making, knitting and other patterns, all for free!
- Outschool has high-interest (paid) classes for every age.
- Free printable Worksheets and games
- Spokane Public schools released a good list (all grades
- Craft ideas, printable worksheets, activities, colouring pages, mazes, etc https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/
- History for kids: https://www.historyforkids.net/
- National Geographic -for learning about different countries
- World Travel Guide for kids – for learning about different countries
- Comprehensive Homeschool resource: https://allinonehomeschool.com/
- TVO kids – free videos
- Virtual Field Trips – several from different sites, published by the Homeschool Compass
- NFB films: here
- The history of ceiling fans infographic
- Project based learning ideas, Edutopia
- Boston Children’s Museum virtual tour
- Crayola has a page with lesson plans, resources and webinars
- Art Hub for kids. They also have a YouTube channel.
- Learning about famous artists here at Mati & Dada
- Canadian history game for kids: TVO kids Canadian history game
- My Canadian Time Capsule is a very good hands-on Canadian history program for multiple children:
Math
- Codes and cipher terminology for kids learning to code: https://unscrambler.co/codes-cipher-terminology/
- Food recipes and math: Nomster Chef
- Spokane Public schools released a good list (all grades)
- Scholars Canada will email you resources daily.
- Splash Learn math
- Try Scratch or Scratch Jr. for learning to code by building a game
- Project based learning ideas, Edutopia
- Lessons for all grades in science, math, social studies and photography: CK12org
- Math games: www.prodigygame.com
- Math learning videos: www.khanacademy.org
- Geometry for kids: https://www.canfigureit.com/
- Math story time for little ones: http://www.mathstorytime.ca/
- Splat! A math learning resource for parents
- Poly Pad: Virtual manipulatives
- Build a town like an architect (out of cardboard)
- Zearn.org K-5 Math learning and assessment (free resource for parents and individual teachers)
- PBS learning games for kids
- Number Blocks YouTube channel for kids learning math.
- BitIRA has a great resource selection for kids with special needs who want to learn about Crypto, Math, or Computer Science.
- Math Pickle has an awesome site that has logic puzzles and games for students.
Science
- Titlemax Engineering Games and Projects
- Dr. Binocs show on YouTube – Peekaboo Kidz
- Crash course for kids – Science with a side of AWESOME
- Sci Show for kids on YouTube
- Science Buddies – hands-on science resources for home and school
- Ingenium – Online resources for science at home
- Earth Net – a virtual resource center for Earth science
- Canadian Space agency educational activities for kids (free)
- Agricultural education – curriculum support for Albertans
- Discover the Universe activity guides
- Looking Up! Astronomy activity guide for teachers (or home educators)
- Kitchen science experiments for kids: Steam Powered family
- Fun Science Experiments for kids
- The history of ceiling fans infographic
- Physical education: www.gonoodle.com
- Inquiry based science lessons: https://mysterydoug.com/
- Lessons for all grades in science, math, social studies and photography: CK12org
- Nature colouring pages: https://www.coloringnature.org/
- Project based learning ideas, Edutopia
- Try Scratch or Scratch Jr. for learning to code by building a game
- Spokane Public schools released a good list (all grades)
- Engineering projects for kids
- A paid subscription service that has some high-interest classes: https://diy.org/
- Free science books from Edmonton Public schools:
- Toronto Zoo is offering live sessions with zoo animals, worksheets, a podcast and lesson plans https://www.durhamradionews.com
- National geographic: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
- Take a tour of a Canadian farm: https://www.farmfood360.ca/
- Project based learning ideas, Edutopia
- San Diego Zoo Kids page
- Discovery Education tundra virtual field trip
- National Geographic: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
- Exploring by the Seat of your Pants: Free science lessons and explorations
- How Stuff Works has an amazing page on science projects designed to help kids learn about the Universe
Early Childhood Education (preschool)
Play Garden Prep is a program based in NYC that specializes in a preschool online subscription service.
Other Language Learning Resources:
French:
- The French Experiment: children’s stories and lessons (Free)
- French Sing and Learn online: $14.99 for unlimited access
- Cheneliere Education resources (paid)
- Modulo (paid)
- Teachers pay teachers French resources (some are free)
- Hello-world: World languages for children (free games and other resources)
- Europa: Free French course for beginners
- Jack Hunt school: downloadable resources (free)
- Online French games (free)
- Historie du petit Poupouyaki: French read-aloud books and interactive activities
- Abracadabra: Read aloud and other resources in French
Inuktitut:
- Angirrami Ilinniarniq: Digital resources you can use at home with your children from the Government of Nunavut
- Pinnguaq: Inuktitut Language Resources from Pinnguaq
- Inuuqatigiit: Inuktitut App resources from the Centre for Inuit Children, Youth and Families
- Inuktut Tusaalanga “Let me hear!” A language resource (you can even change the dialect)
Junior and Senior High Learning Resources:
Language Arts
- Math, Language Arts, Science, and many others: Khan Academy
- Lessons for all grades in science, math, social studies and photography: CK12org
- Learn a new language: Memrise
- Homeschool.com has many free resources for high school Language arts.
- Tools for plagiarism check, grammar, proofreading and more are on Grammica
- The Internet Advisor page has lots of ideas about how to write a formalized paper and do excellent research using different sources.
- Skillshare is a site that offers many different types of classes for $10.50 CAD/month
- GrammarChecker is a site that helps you check your papers for plagiarism, spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.
Humanities and Art
- Virtual tour of Yellowstone park
- Virtual tour of Le Louvre
- Lessons for all grades in science, math, social studies and photography: CK12org
- Crash courses for older kids: https://thecrashcourse.com/courses
- Art instruction: 30 days of art
- Mr. Donn’s History for kids. The site looks hard to navigate at the beginning but the links are great.
- Mad Brain Lab: A YouTube channel that asks very interesting and difficult question and then answers it.
- Future Learn has some courses you may find interesting. $27.99 a month for unlimited access, a 7 day trial and they have an extensive course list.
- Presentation tools: here is a free jpeg compressor for presentations, art work, card making, etc.
Science
- Codes and cipher terminology for kids learning to code: https://unscrambler.co/codes-cipher-terminology/
- Math, Language Arts, Science, and many others: Khan Academy
- Biology Simulations
- Mars Rover 360 virtual tour
- Discovery Education tundra virtual field trip
- Try Scratch for learning to code by building a game
- Lessons for all grades in science, math, social studies and photography: CK12org
- Hour of Code: https://hourofcode.com/ca
- National Geographic: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
- Chemistry articles: Chem matters
- Quaratime science demos on YouTube
- Physics for High School: Flipping Physics
- SciShow for high school students and adults
- A fun site for biology videos: The Amoeba Sisters
- Ingenium – Online resources for science at home
- Titlemax Engineering Games and Projects
- Future Learn has some courses you may find interesting. $27.99 a month for unlimited access, a 7 day trial and they have an extensive course list.
Math
- Codes and cipher terminology for kids learning to code: https://unscrambler.co/codes-cipher-terminology/
- Math, Language Arts, Science, and many others: Khan Academy
- Geometry help: Can Figure it
- Lessons for all grades in science, math, social studies and photography: CK12org
- Hour of Code: https://hourofcode.com/ca
- Math for older students: YouTube
- Junior and Senior high math how-to videos: Math Antics
- Cryptography: Cryptoclub
- Solve me mobiles: using hanging sculptures make of shapes, strings, and beams.
- Financial literacy: Money Laughs
- Financial literacy: Money and Youth
- Would you Rather? Grades 7-12 reasoning and critical thinking skills
- University of Waterloo brings us Junior/Senior high school math and computer science
- BitIRA has a great resource selection for kids with special needs who want to learn about Crypto, Math, or Computer Science.
- Math Pickle has an awesome site that has logic puzzles and games for students.
- Financial Strategists have an information page about financial literacy
General resources/learning experiences:
- A list of other learning resources: http://orientlearning.surge.sh/index.html
- Massive Open Online Courses: MOOCs
- Spokane schools came up with this list of resources for all grades.
- Masterclasses are amazing. Sign up here: https://www.masterclass.com/
- Outschool classes are fun! Sign up here: Outschool
- Time4Learning covers many different subjects. $30/month
Gameschooling resources:
Game-schooling is a term to describe children (and adults!) learning through games. Here are some great resources to get you started:
- Gameschool Academy is a great place to start. Meg (the owner) reviews games and even has free printable games on her site.
- My Little Poppies is also a great site full of reviews and ideas about adding games to your homeschool experience.
- What Do We Do All Day? is another site who have reviewed games and have great free printables.
- One Board Family also has reviews and videos on games their family has tried. They also have a podcast!
Resources for homeschooling and unschooling:
Podcasts:
Honey, I’m Home schooling the Kids
Websites:
Edutopia covers quite a few educational topics
Hip Homeschool Mom’s website. Packed full of great resources.
Blogs and other resources:
- Stop Stealing Dreams by Seth Godin.
- Carol Black blog. Love her perspective on education!
- The Koala Mom, by Bonnie Way. I like her curriculum reviews.
- Living Joyfully by Pam Laricchia in Ontario. A blog and a podcast.
- Pat Farenga’s blog on the John Holt website. Great topics.
- Parent Engagement Matters: inspiring children to learn and love math
- Mom Possible: helpful tips and how-tos for home school parents.
My Favourite books:
Judy Arnall: Unschooling to University. Relationships Matter most in a world crammed with content
Peter Grey: Free to Learn
Kerry MacDonald: Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well Educated Children outside the conventional classroom
John Taylor Gatto: Dumbing us down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
Blake Boles: Why are you still sending your kids to school?
