Homeschooling does NOT have to cost an arm and a leg!   I want to show you how to homeschool for free (or really cheap).  This is the first in a 2 part series.  Be sure to check out Part 2!  There are so many resources available online that it’s almost a crime to pay hundreds of dollars each school year for various curriculum.

Just as a general side note here: Don’t forget to use your library as much as you can! Most libraries have online reservation capabilities so you can browse their website and place a hold on the books you’ll need for the next week or two. This helps with organizing what you need and when. 🙂

Get It New (At a Discount!)

Homeschooling’s #1 Way to Save

Please note that this link is my referral link. 🙂

The Homeschool Buyer Co-op is a free homeschooling organization for both new and veteran homeschoolers. Co-op membership is free and confidential, and entitles homeschooling families to discounts from hundreds of educational suppliers. The Co-op also sponsors “Group Buys” for curriculum packages that can save homeschooling families lots of money. On the site you’ll find lots of free information, such as databases of free curriculum, field trips, and educational contests and scholarships.

I have used the Co-Op SEVERAL times over the past year and a half. I ordered Mark Kistler’s Drawing Lessons from the co-op for 60% off of the normal retail price and my daughter has absolutely LOVED doing the lessons! What I paid for 3 full years of online access ends up being about half of what an 8 week art course in my town would have cost for *one* kid. I love that I can use this with all of my kids. Awesome value!
I also used the co-op to purchase Math Mammoth. They had it on SUPER super cheap around the beginning of the school year. I believe they have Math Month in March, so the deal should show up again soon! 🙂
Click here for more information. You can also find them on Facebook!

Think FREE!

~All In One Homeschool  (Easy Peasy) is amazing!  It runs from pre-k through high school and provides 180 full days of instruction for each of the grades and links to free resources for all instruction.  It is VERY direct and to the point.  I’ve heard of people using this site during tough times in their lives, like moving or going through health problems, because it is so easy to use and well laid out.  I am considering using this next year and supplementing with some science and history as needed!

~MobyMax offers an incredible amount of FREE, secular coursework for students to do online!  This is for K-8, and includes literature, reading, mathematics, social studies, science, vocabulary, writing, and more.  It could easily be used as a stand-alone, full curriculum for elementary students.  We have really enjoyed using it over the past 2 years.  We use the free version, but you do have the option to upgrade.  None of the paid features really appeal to me to make me pay, though!

~There is an absolutely WONDERFUL THREAD of free curriculum choices on the Well Trained Mind forum. There are tons of links to resources, both full curriculum and individual subjects for all ages. Be sure to click through the thread to see what suggestions folks replied with as well. 🙂

~A popular free online curriculum is Ambleside Online. It follows the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education. Most of the books for the course can easily be found through the library or online. This curriculum currently goes through 11th grade on the website.

~Another similar program is Old Fashioned Education. Please note that this is a program that is heavily Christian in foundation. There is information on schooling with the program through 12 grade.

~If you are looking for an early childhood/early elementary program, Letter of the Week is awesome!

~Learning Lynx Classroom is a wonderful resource for preschool – 8th grade.  It provides users with exact lessons for each day of the school year!   This one seems wonderful for those that have children that learn best online.

~Khan Academy offers a wide range of COMPLETELY free classes for kindergarten through college-level work.  Math, Science, Economics, Finance, Arts, Humanities, Engineering, Computing, and Test Prep are available at no charge.  It has a built-in reward system and placement tests.  It’s a great one for visual or auditory learners.

~Open Education Source has a comprehensive list of free resources to use to homeschool from across the web.  You can search by subject or by grade level (preschool-university level).

~Mater Amabilis is a Catholic Charlotte Mason style curriculum for preschoolers through 8th grade.  If this is your preferred style of homeschooling, it’s a great site to check out.

~Interactive Sites for Education is a website with tons of online games, indexed by subject and topic for students in grades kindergarten-5.  If you’re looking for something fun to break up your day, or maybe your child learns best by playing, you won’t want to miss this.

 Homeschool for Free

You’ll be so glad you checked these resources out!  Instead of spending hundreds or thousands on curriculum that you or your children may hate, why not give these a shot?

I hope you’ll stay tuned! Part 2 is coming up in the next day or so and will include more FREE resources, as well as ways to acquire used curriculum at huge discounts.