Don’t get cable. PBS has more than enough educational shows to watch. The library has educational DVDs.
Don’t buy curriculum directly from the publisher. They charge the suggested retail price.
Don’t buy a book or curriculum until you have actually looked through it. You can look through curriculum at the yearly local fair, at many Christian book stores, at the library, or set up a special get-together for the local homeschooling moms to look through each others curriculum.
Don’t buy homeschool materials until you’ve thought about them for awhile.
Don’t sign up with a Homeschooling Distance Program until you have thought about all of the pros and cons. Distance schools are expensive, require that you stick to their schedule, choose the curriculum that your child will use, and copy the learning method of public schools.
Don’t let other people and companies talk you into buying something unless you really want it and have thought about it.
Don’t think that you have to spend a certain amount of money in order to get a quality education. The truth is that many homeschoolers can get a good college prep education for almost free. (However, the almost free method does take more know-how, lesson planning and self-discipline.)
Some suggestions for when you attend your local curriculum fair:
- Take only a certain amount of money. Leave the credit and debit cards at home.
- Don’t take any money or cards with you. Just look and get information.
- Take a list of books that you want to look at. It’s hard to get an accurate idea of what a book is like on the Internet.
- Make your wish list and think about it for a few weeks. You’ll probably change your mind on some of the items.
- Consider leaving your kids with a babysitter or a relative. You’ll be able to look around without having to be responsible for anyone else.
When you are definitely sure about what materials you want to buy - check used curriculum sites like HomeSchool Classifieds.
If you want to buy brand new materials - I’ve found that Christianbook.com
and Amazon.com
are about the cheapest sites to get new homeschooling books.
There is no need to buy an art curriculum when you have all of the free resources of a public library:
- Craft Books: origami, using recycled items, paper crafts, Bible story Crafts, Holiday Ideas, puppets,
- Books about: famous artists, historical crafts, cultural crafts, folk art, historical costumes, famous museums, careers in art
- How to: paint, knit, draw, decorate cakes, sculpt, calligraphy, computer graphics, fashion design, home redecoration, pottery, make baskets, cartooning and doodling, rubber stamp, scrapbook
- Coffee Table Books: paintings, photographs
- DVDs: art history, how-to-paint, art related TV shows
- Displays of local artwork
- Kids art and craft days at the library
Our family has used some of the ideas from Homeschool Your Child for Free. Fortunately, our library had a copy of the book.
The book has ideas for:
- basic homeschool how to’s
- curriculum and learning methods
- language arts
- math
- social studies subjects
- the sciences and health
- the arts
- graduation
- college prep
This 475 page book lists over 1,200 practical resources. It also includes anecdotes from real homeschooling families.
I ask this question whenever I need to buy something.
How Can I Do It Cheaper?
A Homeschool Book – check the library, look for a used copy on the Internet, or find a similar book that costs less. If I have to buy it new – I check Christianbook.com and Amazon.com first.
Church Activities – We go to church classes and activities for the whole family twice a week. This way we don’t have to drive each kid to different locations around town, go on different days, and go at different times. We do our grocery shopping on the way home to save of gas.
Homeschool Activity or Fieldtrip – I plan a Dr. appointment or other errand for the same day of a homeschool event. That way we take less trips to town.
Lessons - Think long about whether or not you want to pay for lessons. Your child can always take Karate in college. If you can swim, you can teach your child to swim. Does your kid really want to play violin bad enough to justify all of the expenses. (I had 10 years of piano lessons and haven’t played during the last 20.) Get an inexpensive guitar and a self teaching course like Guitar for the Absolute Beginner Book & DVD and the whole family can learn. Find someone to barter with for lessons.
School Supplies - Get school supplies only at the Back to School Sale in August. Get just what you really need. It’s easy to talk yourself into a lot of cool looking items. At the August sales: I’ve found that buying lined paper in spiral notebooks is usually cheaper than buying packs of looseleaf lined paper.
You will probably be interested in the section Living for Less at FrugalChristian.com
Some people spend $30 a year on a Reading Text and I’m not sure why.
You probably do not need a Reading program beyond Phonics. Instead - read library books.
Reading Lists of Library Books:
You can also look at the table of contents in reading text books to see what stories the text contains. Then, borrow the entire book from the library.
Homeschooling parents can save a lot of money by sharing their time and talents. You can offer to teach a skill to a group of homeschool kids, or make arrangements with individual families to help each other through bartering. I’ve known homeschooling mom’s that have taught kids how to knit, play musical instruments, do things on the computer, and dance. Some parents lead group art classes, science microscope demonstrations, P.E. days, field trips with lessons included, geography fairs, science fairs, art fairs, and recitals.
Adults are always learning, and we don’t buy ourselves $50 curriculum to learn about a subject. Instead, we watch educational TV, listen to talk radio, learn from library books, take a special class, go to a seminar, join a group or club, go to a community event or attraction, learn from our conversations with other adults, and find out the answer to a question by “Googling” it.
It’s been a big financial help to our family using Spectrum Math . The workbooks cost only $8.50 each. There is about 1 page for each day of the school year and an answer key in the back. We use these workbooks through 8th grade and then switch to Alpha Omega Math for the High School years.
It doesn’t take special curriculum or an exercise program for your children to stay physically fit. Here are some ideas:
- Playground climbing equipment
- Neighborhood ball games and group action games
- Swimming
- Rollerskating and iceskating
- Winter sports - snowboard, cross country ski, snow shoe
- Make an obstacle course
- Do relay races.
- Bike riding
- Walking and running
- Play tetherball.
- Jumprope and use hula hoops.
- Watch dancing on TV and try to copy the moves.
- Get tap dance and exercise DVDs from the library.
- Shoot hoops at a nearby school playground.
- Church group activities and outings
- Boy and Girl Scouts or 4H hikes and sporting events
- Gym day with your homeschool group
- Participate in Awanas (they have group racing games)
If you need more help with P.E. ideas, here’s a deal: Fit Kids!: The Complete Shape-Up Program from Birth Through High School for $1
At Christmas, the kids ask relatives for educational fun stuff. Some of their favorite gifts have been:
- Games: Dutch Blitz ,Board Games , and Card Games
- Books: Dear America, Mandie Books , Sugar Creek Gang , Trailblazer Books
- DVD’s : Little House on the Prairie, The Walton’s, American Girl Movies
- Building Toys: K’nex , Magz-X , CoinStruction
- Kits: Usborne Science Kits , Art Kits
Alpha Omega is a complete, traditional homeschooling program. We use it for high school, because I want a college prep curriculum without having to plan lessons or teach the difficult subjects.
Alpha Omega Lifepac Curriculum:
- easy-to-follow instructions
- no lesson preparation
- self- paced
- kids can work independently
- a complete curriculum with answer keys and electives
- combines reading, exercises, projects, review, and tests
- colored work texts
- a Christian curriculum
If you have a few kids, it’s probably more affordable to buy Language Arts games rather than Language Arts workbooks. There are many games that teach children phonics, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills.
Buy some LA games, add lots of library books for reading, and get a writing/composition book like Love to Write (the assignments can be done on lined paper) and you have a fun, non-consumable Language Arts curriculum for all of your grade schoolers to use.
I noticed that I was getting frustrated with the Spelling lists that my kids were using. They consisted of words that people seldom ever write. In real life, if we don’t know how to spell a “big” word, then the computer spell checker catches it. I’m not saying that spelling isn’t important. I still correct my kids spelling when they write and I suggest that they write certain words down in their “Spelling Notebooks”.
Here are some ways to learn Spelling that don’t involve buying curriculum:
Turn the spell checker on.
Write letters and e-mails.
Read a lot and pay attention to how words are spelled.
Write in a journal and look up words that you don’t know how to spell.
Write “hard to spell” words in a notebook.
Play word games.
Write stories.
Write on a website or Blog.
If you do want your child to have a weekly list of Spelling words, you might be interested in Dr. Fry’s Spelling Book Grades 1-6. For $21 you can have 6 years of Spelling words for all your children.
There is a site that has over 100 Ideas for Evangelism and Witnessing.
Here are some ideas that don’t cost much to do:
Tutor a younger kid.
Collect canned food from your neighbors and give them to a food ministry.
Pass out homemade Christmas cards and cookies with an invitation to your church’s Christmas event.
Disciple younger Christian friends by going through a bible lesson with him or her.
Send encouraging e-mails or e-cards to relatives and friends letting them know that you are praying for them.
Have an outdoor Bible Story Club for the neighbor kids.
Volunteer to help out and baby-sit for a single mother that can’t afford to pay.
Collect blankets for a homeless shelter.
Start a Bible study for kids.
Make a friend at a nursing home and visit once a week
Grow extra vegetables in your garden and give them to a Christian soup kitchen or share with your neighbors.
Invite and take a non-Christian friend or neighbor to church events.
Promote professional looking sites that explain salvation like The Flipz Site, The Alive Site, and The Seek Site.
Share your Christian books and magazines with both Christians and non-Christians.
Write in a journal and write letters about your summer experiences.
Go camping and take along a nature experiment and activity book.
Real a library book aloud, as a Family.
Ride bikes, hike, and swim.
Explore a pond and do pond experiments and activities.
Get a job or volunteer. It’s a great way to learn hand’s on.
Take pictures with your digital camera.
Make an obstacle course in the back yard.
Go to free community music festivals and cultural festivals.
If you go to the county fair - visit the animal barns, the historical pavilion, and other exhibits.
Join the Summer Reading Program at your library.
Read library magazines in the shade of a tree.
Practice flower arranging with wild flowers and ones that grow in your yard. Then, draw a picture of your arrangement using colored pencils.
Start bird watching, use library books or websites to learn about the birds.
Stargaze and track the moon phases.
Do solar experiments and activities.
Put on a play in your backyard using clothing and props you find around the house.
Learn to draw with a library book
Church is a great place to learn. They use teaching methods that kids enjoy. There aren’t any tests given or assignments due.
I made a list of learning experiences my kids have had at church:
History and moral lessons from the Bible
Singing and choir practice
Socialization skills
P.E. - roller skating, dodge ball, action games
Group Jeopardy Game
Educational Board Games
Watch Christian DVDs
Journal writing
Reading: from the Bible, lessons, lyrics projected on to the wall
Art Projects
Slide show presentation of trip to Israel
Ancient Jewish culture and customs presentation
Volunteer opportunites with younger children and in the community
Many homeschoolers have busy social lives, going to: homeschool group events, field trips, church, and music lessons.
Here’s a tip for eating out when you are on the go:
- Go through the Fast Food Drive Thru - Order 1 protein item off the $1 menu, per person.
- Bring along fruit like - grapes, apples, or oranges.
- Bring along string cheese.
- Bring along your own drinks.
- Bring along snacks like - crackers, cookies, granola bars.
I spent most of our Homeschooling years concentrating only on the academics. Lately though, I’ve been realizing how important my kids’ Christian education and growth is. What I really want for my kids is that they grow closer to Jesus. I want them to enjoy serving Him. I hope each one of them does something really big and important for Christ. Because we’re home together, I can look for teachable moments that arise during the day.
Central Christian College of the Bible is an accredited Christian school in Moberly, Missouri. They advertise that they give free tuition to all accepted students.
Every full-time student accepted to CCCB receives a scholarship from the college in an amount that equals 100% of tuition. Other student fees such as room and board, books, sports passes, parking and the like are not covered by this scholarship - but may be covered by federal financial aid, outside scholarships, grants, work-study, and student loans.
These are the Academic Degree Programs Available at CCCB:
- Christian Counseling
- Music Ministry
- Christian Education
- Preaching
- Biblical Research
- General Ministry
- Youth & Family Ministry
- Cross-Cultural Ministry
Here are some ways to swap homeschooling materials with other families:
- Get together many families that want to chip in on expensive items like - a series of science DVDs.
- Have a swap meet at a homeschooling event, so that you can swap books and materials with each other.
- Set up a homeschool curriculum lending library for your group.
- Have a swap table at some of your homeschooling events. Donate a book, then take a book. You can donate it back to the table when you are done using it.
Here are some ideas to help you make your curriculum last:
- Buy non-consumable books.
- Don’t write in workbooks. Write the answers in a spiral notebook so that the younger children will be able to use the workbooks also.
- Buy books that cover more than 1 level. For example: A Spelling book that covers all 6 levels of grade school.
- Keep the books in good condition so that you can resell them.
You can go on field trips with a group of fellow homeschoolers. Or arrange your own field trip for just your family. When we are traveling, going to a nearby city, or just out for the day I ask myself - Where can we go to learn something new?
Free Field Trip Ideas:
- radio stations,TV stations, cable stations
- fire station, police station, 911 dispatch center
- landfill, recycling center, waste management center
- hospital, ambulance center, hospital heliport
- nursery, orchard, dairy farm, Christmas tree farm, worm farm
- factory tours: bread, glass, potato chip, cheese, pop, RV, manufactured home
- bus station, train station,
- the workplace of a homeschooling parent
- fish farm, dam, fish and wildlife area
- bank, grocery store, airport, bakery, restaurant tour, food bank, non-profit organization, animal shelter, pet store, nursing home, tour of a mall, taxidermy
- National Guard Armory, Coast Guard Station
- university and college tours, tour of a church
- electical power plant, weather center, water district, town office
- duck pond, nature center, public rose garden
- local evangelism outreach or volunteer opportunity
- art exhibits: galleries, art and craft fair at mall, Christmas craft bazaars, art work lining the walls of hospitals
- musical events: outdoor festivals, Christmas performances at the mall, musical performances at churches, band and orchestra concerts at schools
- mall events: classic car display, plant and cactus show, art and craft show, walk the mall for P.E., tour the mall, musical concerts, fashion shows
If you are going to the county fair this summer, do some educational activities besides going to the midway and food stands. Check out: the historical building, the arts and crafts building, floral arrangements, the animal buildings, the petting zoo, the various musical groups, watch harness racing, watch the rodeo, climb on the farm equipment, participate in an obstacle course, climb the rock wall, and watch the motorbike stunt show.
The Story of the World - by Susan Wise Bauer contains 4 books that cover World History from Ancient Times to The Modern Age. They can be read aloud as a family, or read independently by older children.
Volume 1 - Ancient History
Volume 2 - The Middle Ages
Volume 3 - Early Modern Times
Volume 4 - The Modern Age
You can read through American History using historical fiction books.
You can also read through World History with historical fiction.
Oriental Trading has over 600 craft projects of under $1. The art kits are sold in packs of 12. So, if you can’t use that many, then you can get ideas from their site and buy the craft supplies individually. Some families buy the kits of 12 and share them with other families. Another idea is to make all the crafts and give them away as gifts.
Oriental Trading also sells craft supplies in bulk at a discounted price:
Simply Grammar is a non-consumable book that you can use with all of your children during the 3rd - 8th grades. It has:
- Short lessons (10-15 minutes)
- One grammar rule per lesson
- Uses the method of narration
- Work can be done orally.
- Any of the work can be done for written assignments.
- Set your own pace.
- No diagramming
Spelling Power is a non-consumable book that you can use with all of your children during the 1st - 12th grades. Some points about Spelling Power are:
- It is customizable.
- Takes about 15 minutes a day
- Master the 5,000 most frequently used words
- Includes phonetic principles and spelling rules
- The CD-ROM contains printable skill-building activities
Roots and Fruits: A Comprehensive Vocabulary Curriculum You can use this one book with all of your children in grades 1 - 12th. This curriculum:
- teaches the English forms of Greek and Latin roots.
- includes complete lesson plans
- has a weekly schedule for you to follow
- lessons take about 15 minutes a day
- teaches the meanings of 673 roots and prefixes
- teaches 1,716 vocabulary words
- increases spelling, writing, dictionary, and reading decoding skills
- prepares for standardized tests like the SAT
- has games and activities
Comprehensive Composition by Kathyrn Stout will help you teach children in grades K-12 the writing process. This book teaches the following writing skills:
- Researching a topic
- Proofreading
- Editing
- Finalizing an Essay
- Descriptive Writing
- Persuasive Writing
- Narrative Writing
- ExpositoryWriting
The Noah Plan English Language Curriculum Guide by Carole Goodman Adams is also a comprehensive curriculum that also teaches composition and grammar to children in K-12.
Many homeschooling parents overspend, buying curriculum for the wrong reasons.
Here are some of the Money Traps concerning homeschool curriculum.
- Buying teacher guides for the younger grades
- Buying all of the “required” quizzes, tests, and activity pages.
- Buying from the company that claims they give the best education.
- Buying impressive curriuculm even though you know that it won’t compliment your child’s learning style
- Buying what your homeschool friends think is the best curriculum
- Buying all your curriculum from one company, even though you would rather have Math or Science from another company
- Duplicating what the public school is doing so that you feel like you are homeschooling correctly
- Sticking with the same boring curriculum, even though you want to dump it and switch to another company
- Buying without really thinking about it, because it’s September and you’re panicked that you don’t have the kids school curriculum yet.
The Four Wheelers Directory of Unit Studies has a very big list for those who like unit studies.
So many kind people have shared their unit studies on the Internet. You probably don’t need to buy books on unit studies.
Here are some basic steps for making your own:
- Choose a topic. Find out what your kids are currently interested in.
- Look for ways to incorporate other subjects like - Math, Science, History, Geography, Language Arts, Art, Music, P.E. (You don’t have to cover each subject.)
- Get library books to read aloud, find websites, borrow DVDs, find recipes and art projects on the Internet.
- Include all of the children in the Unit Study. Assign harder work for the older kids.
If you want more detailed information on creating your own unit studies, you might be interested in Unit Studies 101 CD-ROM by Amanda Bennett.
Here is an idea for resuing printables:
Stick the printable inside of a plastic sheet protector and write on it with a dry erase pen.
(I get my sheet protectors at Walmart and the dry erase pens at the $1 store.)
Here are some sites that have many educational printables for homeschoolers:
We know a teacher at the local public school. When she cleans out her room she gives us her left over workbooks, samples, discarded school library books, and old books.
If you don’t have connections with a teacher, you could try calling your local school and asking if they have any unwanted curriculum that you could look through and have.
There are many reasons why homeschoolers turn to the unschooling method. One reason, is that it can be done for hardly any money. If you want to, you can unschool during grade school and switch over to a more scructured college prep curriculum for Jr. High and High School. However, their are many families that unschool throughoutHigh School, too.
A popular book that encourages teens to unschool is called The Teenage Liberation Handbook
Here are some ideas to get started unschooling:
- Get at the Library: Books (for individual reading and read-alouds), DVDs, & Magazines
- Watch PBS and educational cable channels.
- Learn from Internet sites, learn to use more computer programs, and use educational computer software.
- Look for opportunities to learn while you are out doing errands.
- Find a place to volunteer or get a part-time job.
- Play Educational Games
- Get involved in classes and activities at church.
- Write in a journal, write letters, write e-mails, and write stories.
- Listen to Christian radio talk shows and radio dramas.
- Go to free art displays and musical events.
- Go on field trips.
- Get involved in activities at a homeschool group.
- Parents can involve the kids in their work and projects and teach them along the way.
- Parents can give their kids opportunities to communicate with adults.
A Beka Curriculum can be very expensive. Since it is a popular textbook curriculum, there are a lot of used A beka books out there. You can get them on Ebay and at classified sites. I think that Homeschool Classifieds is a good place to find A Beka books at a good price. There always seems to be a lot available.
I think that one of the most important things for a child to learn about is personal finance. Crown Financial is a Christian ministry that teaches God’s financial principles so that Christians may know Christ more intimately, be financially free to serve Him, and help fund the Great Commission. Their website material and radio advice is free.
Here are some ideas for helping your children learn about good personal finance skills:
Craig’s List is a huge classified site. You can search listings by your city. The best news is that they have a Free section.
I have found advertisements for the following items:
- Free 8 Bags of Books
- Free Book About Missions
- Free Utility Table
- Free Study Desk
- Free Black Cap and Gown
- Free 4 Drawer Filing Cabinet
- Free Office Cubicle Wall Partition
- Free Children’s Climbing Structure
- Free Swing Set
- Free Tuba
- Free Piano
- Free Sheet Music
- Free Folding Music Stand
- Free Gerbils with Tank
- Free CD’s of Various Musical Genres
- Free Scrap Fabric and Yarn
- Free Box Tops for Education
- Free Child’s Cross Country Skiis
- Free Tall Skinny Bookcase
- Free Electronic Magazines
Here are some classifed ad sites where you can buy used curriculum:
My favorite classified site is HomeschoolClassifieds.com
If you want a very economical approach to homeschooling, look at the Design-a-Study Series by Kathyrn Stout. These books are valuable in helping you make your own lessons and unit studies. This type of curriculum, though frugal, requires that you spend a lot of time planning lessons and activities.
Comprehensive Composition $13 -provides all of the information needed to teach lessons on the writing process and writing skills. K-12th grade.
Natural Speller $21 - teaches children to recognize sight and sound patterns in vocabulary. It covers commonly misspelled words, Latin and Greek word parts, abbreviations, contractions, homophones, numbers, and more. K-8th grade.
Maximum Math $22 - teaches mathematical reasoning: inductive, deductive, spatial, and proportional. This book outlines age-appropriate objectives, offers specific direction for lessons, and helps you select manipulatives and related materials. It also features problem-solving and practice activities. K-8th grade.
Science Scope $14 - teaches basic scientific skills and how to explore God’s world together. The units cover life science (animals, cycles, plants, and human anatomy), earth science, physical science, chemistry, and technology. K-12th grade.
Guides to History Plus $13 - this book teaches world history and geography objectives. It includes a simple question format, materials recommendations, activity ideas for integrating other subjects, customs, religion, government, geographic terms and definitions, blank maps, and more. K-12th grade.
Here are ways to make Art affordable:
- Use What You Have - Get a collection of throw away items that the kids can recycle and turn into art projects.
- Library Books - Borrow arts and crafts books from the library
- Crafts at Church - The younger children will probably do craft projects at church.
- Craft Kits and Supplies - Your children can ask for crafty items for Christmas and Birthday gifts.
- Computer Art - Your children can use programs like Paint to create their own art and graphics on the computer.
- Basic Art Supplies - Get your .10 glue, .20 crayons, markers, and colored pencils once a year at the Walmart back to school sale. My kids know that they can’t waste their art supplies, because they won’t get any more until the next yearly sale.
I was amazed to find out how many discounts there are for educators. Homeschoolers are usually offered the same educator discount when they show proof of homeschooling.
The Homeschool Educator Discount Page at Homeschooling on a Shoestring explains how you can get educational discounts at over 30 places like: Jo Ann Fabrics, Barnes and Noble, Fed Ex Kinkos, Office Max, and Staples.
If you go to a museum or store and don’t know if they offer a discount, then ask if they do. - “Do you offer a discount to homeschoolers or homeschooling groups?
- Answer the questions (written or oral) : What was your favorite part of the show? What are three new things you learned? What else would you like to know about the subject?
- Research more on the subject using the Internet. Take notes and present the information orally, or write an essay on the subject.
- Make a list of vocabulary words used in the program. Ask your child to look up the definitions in a dictionary.
- Make an art project to represent a certain segment of the show.
- Check the Internet to see if the show has free lesson plans available. PBS has a teacher section filled with lesson plans and activity ideas to go along with many of their shows.
- Find a book at the library on the same subject.
- Ask your child to tell a parent or sibling about the show.
Use materials you already have around the house:
- Use beans or marshmallows for math counters.
- Use real money and change, or Monopoly money instead of buying the fake money
- Alter the craft project, so that you can use a craft supply that you already have.
- Teach telling time with a real clock.
- Use real measuring cups, scales, and rulers rather than buying curriculum about measuring and weighing.
- Kids can read the unread books around your house instead of having to buy new readers.
- Use your board games and decks of cards to make new educational games.
- Make recipes to learn about fractions.
We’ve added something new to our homeschooling. It’s not a new idea, but new to our family. When we have a question about something, we look it up on the Internet.
Example: Last night, we noticed a really bright star next to the moon. So, we went to the Jack Stargazer website and found out that it was Venus. We also learned that 5 days later we would be able to see Saturn near the moon.
Example: While driving down the highway, we saw a horse lying on his side. Then, we began to question whether horses sleep lying down or standing up. When we got home, we Googled “horse sleep” and found out some really interesting facts with in a few minutes.
Don’t feel like you have to read the whole website. Just find the answer that you are looking for and learn a few facts about the subject.
1. Learn the 0’s
Any # times 0 is 0.
2. Learn the 1’s
Any # times 1 says itself.
3. Learn the 10’s
Count by 10’s - say aloud and write
10,20,30,40,50,60,70,80, 90,100, 110, 120
Practice the 10’s with a partner, and point to the answer on the paper.
4. Learn the 5’s
Count by 5’s - say aloud and write
5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60
Practice the 5’s with a partner, and point to the answer on the paper.
5. Learn the 2’s
Count by 2’s - say aloud and write
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24,
Practice the 2’s with a partner, and point to the answer on the paper.
6. Learn the 3’s
Count by 3’s - say aloud and write
3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36
Practice the 3’s with a partner, and point to the answer on the paper.
7. Learn the 11’s
Learn the trick - a # times 11 says itself twice. For example: 5×11=55
(This works up to 9×11)
11×11 is 11 with a 2 in the middle (121)
11×12 is 13 plus a 2 (132)- 11, 12, 13 plus a 2
8. Learn the Double Rhymes and 7×8
4×4 isn’t mean, 4×4 is sweet 16
6×6 pick up sticks, 6×6 is 36
7×7 feeling fine, 7×7 is 49
8×8 fell on the floor, 8×8 is 64
9×9 ate a ton, 9×9 is 81
12 x 12 give 4 more, 12×12 is 144
5, 6, 7, 8 - 56 is 7×8
9. Learn the 9’s
Learn the trick - 9×7 starts with 6 (it is 1 less than 7) 6+3 more = 9
The Answer is 63. (6 and 3, The # less than 7 and the # added to get to 9)
Kids can hold up 7 fingers, take 1 away to have 6. Then, count up 3 fingers to get 9.
10. This Leaves Only 8 Left to Memorize
Learn the remaining 8 by making flashcards.
4×6, 4×7, 4×8, 6×7, 6×12, 7×12, 8×12, 9×12
You may want to concentrate on 4×8, 6×7, 6×12 at the same time. All the answers end in 2. (32, 42, 72)
After becoming overwhelmed by the cost of High School Electives, I developed inexpensive courses for my own kids to do for elective credit.
Geography
Book: Complete Idiot’s Guide to Geography (This book gives a good overview of Geography and the world. Read a chapter or two a week as a stepping stone. Research more on the Internet and through library books. Take notes and give a weekly, orally presentation of what you learned.)
Watch travel and geography shows on TV; find locations on a map.
Memorize the capitals of all the states and countries.
Independent Living
Money Management - Book: Your Money Map (This book will teach you how to avoid being trapped by debt and how to become truly financially free to serve God. Make plans to follow the Money Map in the back of the book. Read articles, use the financial calculators, and print out planning worksheets at Crown.org .)
Cooking - Spend semester helping with the meal preparation and baking until you can do it alone.
Home Care - Spend semester learning from your parents how to clean and repair a home.
Logic
Book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Clear Thinking (Read a chapter or two a week and discuss it with a parent. Make a list of major problem scenarios. For each problem - discuss with a parent the options available, how to fix the problem, and how to avoid having the problem in the first place.)
Book: Battlefield of the Mind for Teens by Joyce Meyer
Look up Bible verses and online Biblical advice about wisdom and decision making.
Play online games and puzzles to improve thinking skills. Here are some links to get you going:
Conceptis Logic Puzzles
Griddlers
Logic Puzzles
Brain Bashers
Brain Boosters
Bible and Christian Living
Listen to Thru the Bible’s Daily Commentaries by Vernon McGee. Read the corresponding chapters in the Bible. (Bible)
Listen to weekly church sermons and take notes. (Bible)
Learn about prayer and do prayer activities at PrayerGrowth.com (Prayer)
Books to Read: (Borrow from a church or public library, or buy them used.)
It’s Not About Me, Teen Edition by Max Lucado (God-Centered Life)
The Deceivers by Josh McDowell (Diety of Christ)
The Case for Christ, Student Edition (Evidence of Christ)
Earth Science
Homework Helper Earth Science (This book gives a good overview of Earth Science. Read a chapter or two a week as a stepping stone. Research more on the Internet and through library books. Take notes and give a weekly, orally presentation of what you learned.)
Health
Book: Used copy of -
Total Health (for High School), A Beka Health, or BJU Health from HomeschoolClassifieds.com or eBay. Read 1 chapter a week, take notes, and answer chapter questions. At the end of the week, discuss your notes with a parent.
Humanities
Book: Used copy of A Beginner’s Guide to the Humanities from Amazon.com or Half.com
Watch on TV: Great Performances and Masterpiece Theater (PBS), Operas, Musical Theater, Dance Performances, Musical Concerts, Classical Movies, and shows about artists.
Borrow Library Books: Paintings, Sculptures, Architecture, Photography, and Theater
Art
Book: Choose art projects from 300 Lessons in Art.
Learn about Art History online.
View the work of Famous Visual Artists.
American Literature
Read a used American Literature student text from HomeschoolClassifieds.com , eBay , or Half.com
Go to the College Bound Reading List . Pick out some books to read, written by American authors. Borrow the books from a library. Then, write a Book Report or Book Review for each.
British Literature
Read a used British Literature student text from HomeschoolClassifieds.com , eBay , or Half.com
Go to the College Bound Reading List . Pick out some books to read, written by British authors. Borrow the books from a library. Then, write a Book Report or Book Review for each.
Psychology/Counseling
Book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Psychology. Read, take notes, and do further research on the Internet.
Listen to the daily counseling show, Hope for the Heart, and take notes.
Lights For Minneapolis, American Adventure Series #27
Prelude To War, American Adventure Series #35
Eric Liddell: Gold Medal Missionary, Young Reader’s Christian Library Series
Sojourner Truth: Voice of Freedom, Young Reader’s Christian Library Series
Lydia: Christian Businesswoman, Young Reader’s Christian Library Series
Samuel Morris: The African Prince, Young Reader’s Christian Library Series
Florence Nightingale: Lady with the Lamp, Young Reader’s Christian Library Series
Abraham Lincoln: Great American Leader, Young Reader’s Christian Library Series
The Call of the Wild
A Christmas Carol
Selected Poems
The Raven and Other Favorite Poems
Hamlet
Romeo and Juliet
Small Clock Dial, 4 x 4
GeoSafari Small Bug Viewer
Rectangle Blank Book
Fit Kids!: The Complete Shape-Up Program from Birth through High School
The Flood and the Fossils
Water, Water Everywhere: A Book About The Water Cycle
Discovery Readers: Where Are the Stars During the Day?
Discovery Readers: Round and Round the Money Goes
Where Does the Mail Go? A Book About the Postal System
Monet Photo Stickers
Van Gogh Photo Sticker
Sight Word Readers
Rejoice, Compact Disc (CD)
Gospel Songs CD
Praise CD
God: Faithful and True CD
Worship: Loving the Lord CD
Salvation: Gotta Have It CD
Jesus: Who Is He? CD
Love: No Conditions CD
The Masterpiece Collection: Bach II, Compact Disc [CD]
Selections from Symphonies Nos. 3 & 6
The Best of Mozart, Compact Disc [CD]
More Prime Time Activities with Kids
Surprise Endings, Christy Miller Series #4
Stuck in the Sky, Brio Girls Series #1
Jeanmarie And The Missing Ring, Apple Valley Mysteries #4
Swallowing the Golden Stone: Stories and Essays
Eddie’s Finger Quiz: Connections
Eddie’s Finger Quiz: Opposites
Eddie’s Finger Quiz: Nature
My First Prayers Board Book: A Child’s Prayers
My First Prayers Board Book: Favorite Prayers
Pop-Up Prayers: The World Around Us
God, I Need to Talk with You about Paying Attention
God, I Need to Talk to You about My Bad Temper
God, I Need to Talk to You about Sharing
God, I Need to Talk to You about Lying
God, I Need to Talk to You about Stealing
God, I Need to Talk to You about Disrespect
Growing in God Booklet
The World’s Greatest Collection of Rib Ticklin’ Riddles