After several years of trying (what feels like) everything out there on the market for homeschoolers, I feel confident in sharing the very few things that we just can't live without!
Less really IS more when it comes to our homeschool. Less choices allow me to focus on what we have and to use those resources to their full potential.
If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you might be familiar with the journey I am on to simplify our lives. Just a few weeks ago I cleaned out our entire downstairs and got rid of over half of the "things" that were cluttering my heart, mind, and home.
I have ONE tall bookshelf now for resources - and will rotate things in and out of that bookshelf periodically. If I don't have room for it in the bookcase, it cannot stay.
Period.
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{Our family takes part in Classical Conversations, which greatly simplifies curriculum for us, but all of these suggestions can be used with ANY curriculum or method of homeschooling.}
Read Alouds
If all I could have in my homeschool were good books and pencil and paper I think we would survive.
My children have learned the most and have the best memories from books we have read together. I'm always searching for books that tie into what we are learning about, but I also have a few favorite places I go when searching for read alouds:
And - the most beautiful read-aloud for your children is the Bible. Where would be without God's word in our lives? Always be sure to incorporate this DAILY - it should be the foundation of your homeschool.
Notebooking Pages
Notebooking allows your child to create a scrapbook of their learning. We have used Notebooking Pages, an online treasury that contains notebooking pages for all subjects, in so many ways.
We have notebooked our way through The Story of the World.
We have notebooked studies of birds, historical figures, math concepts, and more.
We now use notebooking with Classical Conversations.
A lifetime membership to Notebooking Pages has proven to be one of the single best investments in our homeschool.
Kingfisher Encyclopedias
Having the Kingfisher History & Science Encyclopedias in our main bookshelf allows my children to quickly and accurately research (without always going to the iPad or laptop!).
Many times, I will take our CC history sentence and tell my son to look up in the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia.
My daughter used the Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia countless times this past year in Challenge A.
They are just GOOD books to have on hand.
Snap Circuits
Any parent I know that owns Snap Circuits LOVES them. Not only do they teach your child amazing things about circuitry, they build patience, curiosity, and independence as well.
Snap Circuits are an integral part of our homeschool days. I don't ever formally schedule Snap Circuit time, but they are a great resource for children to use while they have to wait for me, or just whenever they feel "bored".
I know there is a student guide, and I would be interested one day to formalize our learning with them a bit more.
LEGO® Bricks
I know, I know.
I have to include LEGOS on this list because I'm just not sure we could survive homeschooling without them.
They have been used to keep little hands busy while I'm reading aloud.
They have been used to learn about history, science, and math.
They have been used to inspire writing.
Might I make a suggestion, though? Please don't waste your money on a lot of the themed sets. Purchase a good set of basic LEGO bricks and let your child's imagination soar. (I've included my recommendations in the widget below:)
What about you?
What is YOUR favorite resource for homeschooling? I love how we can choose what works best for our own children and then share our ideas with each other, don't you?