How do I homeschool?

With the uncertainty of school in the fall amid the covid-19 pandemic, many more parents are choosing to homeschool their children. Some are looking to seasoned homeschoolers for help, others to blogs, and others to their school district's virtual offerings. Regardless of where you fall, schedules and curricula choices are overwhelming. I have previously posted the schedule we follow here. It works for us because of our unique situation with a parent working from home, and one away. You will have to figure out what sort of routine works best for your family dynamic, but interspersing fun times with book times is crucial. We do not use curriculum in our house simply for budgetary reasons. They can be pricey. I did find one, though, that is free. Because we are already so many years in and have what works, I didn't switch to it. But easy peasy all in one homeschool (Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool – A complete, free online Christian homeschool curriculum for your family and mine) is a curriculum written by teachers. It is laid out in daily lesson plans for each grade level and subject. The links to visuals or printables are in the text. It is truly easy peasy. However, it is a Christian based curriculum, which many don't like for science and social studies. The language arts likely has a religious flare too. The comprehensive nature of this curriculum helps even the most unfamiliar parent fully educate their child without missing any important bits. The free aspect means everyone can use it without having to sacrifice other budgetary areas. My Father's World (www.mfwbooks.com) is another complete curriculum. It is very heavily faith based, and uses unit studies to combine all subject areas. Unlike easy peasy, My Father's World is not free. Each year is around $500. There are also theme packages with a similar price tag. Classical Conversations (https://www.classicalconversations.com/) is more rigorous than My Father's World or Easy Peasy, but shares the religious theme. It also covers all subjects. CC is a curriculum you can choose pieces for rather than spending all at once. CC can be great for students who need a bit more structure and a faster pace. But any curriculum can be faster paced based on the student's needs. Moving Beyond the Page (https://www.movingbeyondthepage.com/curriculum/secular-homeschool-curriculum.aspx) and book shark are both (https://www.bookshark.com/secular-homeschool-curriculum) full curricula without the religious flare. Moving beyond the page is specifically more rigorous for those dealing with gifted learners who yearn for more than the standard curriculum offers. Book shark is heavily literature based which reaches those who love to read. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I direct you to Steam Sational for more secular options for secular homeschooling options. https://www.steamsational.com/secular-homeschool-curriculum/ The above are all inclusive curricula. There are countless subject specific ones too. All About Spelling dissects spelling and reading rules to reinforce the basics. Flashcards and repetition are cornerstones of this curriculum. Teach you child to read in 100 easy lessons is a well lauded reading curriculum. You can truly accomplish it in 100 lessons, or less, or more. Math-U-See is a math only curriculum that relies heavily on manipulatives. Life of Fred is a literature based math exploration that engages students through stories. Khan academy is an online option with video instruction for every topic covered. It is engaging, and moves through specifics at your child's pace. Prodigy is a free math based game wherein one must fight cute cartoon monsters by getting math problems correct. In addition to the complete curricula, websites, and piece meal curricula, there are several sites to print free worksheets from. Math Color the Fraction – 4 Worksheets / FREE Printable Worksheets – Worksheetfun Education Materials | The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair Math.com Algebra Worksheet Generator Measurement Worksheets | Free - CommonCoreSheets Geometry Definitions, Postulates, and Theorems - Geo-PostulatesTheorems-List.pdf Printable Math Worksheets at DadsWorksheets.com High School Geometry Worksheets Math Worksheets | Dynamically Created Math Worksheets Algebra Worksheets Overview Dashboard | SAT | Khan Academy Prodigy ELA Englishlinx.com | English Worksheets K12 Placement Tests Free Literacy Assessments - Mrs. Judy Araujo, Reading SpecialistMrs. Judy Araujo, Reading Specialist Reading Comprehension Assessment and Lessons KISS Grammar -- Printable Books Cursive Handwriting Practice - WorksheetWorks.com Free Grammar Worksheets | Ereading Worksheets Free Printable Worksheets for Preschool - Sixth Grade in Math, English, and more Free Cursive Words Worksheets - Printable | K5 Learning Chem MSHDA - Archaeology Projects in Michigan Introduction to Physical Geology Syllabus Radiocarbon Dating - Chemistry LibreTexts Carbon Dating Chem4Kids.com: Sodium: Orbital and Bonding Info Electron shells | Configuration | Chemistry@TutorCircle.com This is not exhaustive by any means. There is much much more out there. A simple google search of the topic and "free worksheet" or "book" will turn up hundreds of pages. Google scholar is a great source for research too. Each state has a published list of what they expect students to be able to do at the conclusion of each year. https://www.educationworld.com/standards/ The list is free to access. I also like the world book (https://www.worldbook.com/typical-course-of-study.aspx) subject expectations list as it is easier to follow. Please ask any questions that arise. This is by no means simple, but it can be easy.