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Looking For Some Free School Resources?

By Melissa Shrader Editor/Publisher Fort Collins Macaroni Kid August 10, 2020

We have been going back and forth, laboring over all the concerns, all the flips, all the changes and amendments to everything going on.

COVID changes, guideline changes and of course the schools changing over and over per the guidelines of the districts. All geared towards keeping us safe. And believe me it's very appreciated.  This year we decided to homeschool. We've looked at what seems thousands (at least hundreds right?) of different options. In our journey we came across some great websites and apps.  

Easy Peasy/ All In One Homeschool - This one is a great one stop shop. The website can be found at allinonehomeschool.com. They offer full course curriculum for all grades. Lessons are broken down, as well as videos being available. 

Khan Academy - Khan has been around for a long time and we used it to supplement our school - at - home experience last spring. The best part is that it's a completely free resource. Everything you need in a complete course curriculum at your disposal on the Khan Academy website. There are video lessons and practice questions that your child can utilize to gauge how they're progressing. Khan Academy also has a learning app by the same name that you can use on Apple or Android devices. I used the parent app that pairs with the childrens app, to give an overview of their progress on each topic. You can even set up a schedule of subjects for them to complete.

Varsity Tutors-  Varsity Tutors has a wide range of topics offered in both free and paid options. You can set up single session art classes to month-long science courses, there's something for everyone. We have enjoyed hands-on science experiments, have started some basic coding in Minecraft, and have also learned about various animals. 

Zip School -  Zip School is a live Zoom virtual classroom for "curious kids 4-9. Classes are single offerings, and are posted every Sunday. Our favorite Zoom class was learning about a day in the life of an astronaut at the International Space Station.

If you're looking to homeschool this year, I highly recommend searching local resources for homeschool sources like Museum of Discovery and Loveland Museum/Gallery. They, and other local community businesses offer experiences for all ages. I'd also suggest joining a local group, either in person or online, to find out more about what your area has to offer. 

Our Local libraries are so very valuable and offer so much for enhancing the online school of the districts as well as homeschooling. They offer books electronically for short periods of time, so you don't have to leave your house! Think out of the box for teaching subjects. Read biography's and learn not only the facts but gain another layer of what the period had to offer.  

Homeschool is meant to reflect your family and how they learn. Cover subjects your child needs but in a way that is individual to them and if it doesn't look like a typical school day - that's ok.