We’ve been a homeschool family since 2009 and have come across our share of homeschool resources over the years. Some have been exactly what we needed at the time we can across them and some, not so much.
This isn’t about the not-so good choices though. This is a list of our favorite homeschool resources, the curriculum and supplies we happily recommend.
(Some of the following links are affiliate links; see disclosure for details.)
Our Favorite Homeschool Resources
Math Resources
Ah, math. We’ve had some fun (and not terribly fun) times with math in our homeschool. Here are the resources that have helped us keep our sanity through the years:
- Life of Fred – If you think you can only learn math using traditional methods, think again. Life of Fred’s story-based approach to math has been a great fit for both of my kids and I’m often blown away by how much they’ve learned through it.
- Math-U-See – This is my recommendation for anyone looking for a traditional approach to math. My big kid used it for several years and did well with it. What’s more is that we’re open to using it again in the future.
- CTC Math – CTC was our family’s first introduction to learning math online. My youngest used this for kindergarten math and did well with it. It’s a full curriculum and it was an easy way to lay a good math foundation for her.
- Mathseeds – This was a surprise find for us. We discovered it through our Reading Eggs subscription and it’s now a daily part of my youngest kiddo’s homeschool routine. I love that she can practice and learn new math skills, but she loves that she can play online. It’s a win-win.
Language Arts Resources
There are quite a few language arts resources we’ve enjoyed through the years. Here’s a brief look at them:
- Learning Language Arts Through Literature (LLATL) – I’m a believer in this slow and steady literature-based language arts program. Lessons include grammar, copywork, spelling, literature, research, and more. It’s a solid curriculum and it’s available for kindergarten through 12th grades.
- Sheldon’s New Primary Language Lessons – There was a time earlier in our homeschool journey when my big kid dreaded language arts. We decided to give Sheldon’s New Primary Language Lessons a try after being curious about the gentle approach it promises. It turns out this curriculum was exactly what we needed when we needed it. Too bad there’s only one volume!
- Apologia’s Writers in Residence and Readers in Residence – These are newer to our homeschooling, but my big kid loves working through them. You can learn more about our experience in my Writers in Residence and Readers in Residence reviews.
- Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons – Tried and true, this has been my primary resource for teaching both of my kids to read.
- Reading Eggs – Reading Eggs is helping my youngest reader in ways I never dreamed! She’s practicing and building on reading skills with each lesson all with the help of these online learning games! If you’re interested in learning more, don’t miss the free trial instructions over on Homeschool Buyer’s Co-Op.
- A Reason for Handwriting – I used this to teach handwriting to my oldest kiddo and I’m using it again for my youngest. Our favorite thing about this curriculum is the scripture sharing page at the end of each week. It offers students a chance to share their handwriting progress and scripture at the same time.
- Handwriting Without Tears – After a rocky start in learning cursive, my oldest transitioned to Handwriting Without Tears and it was a great move for him. Learning this simplified, less ornate letter style was a much better fit for him.
When it comes to foreign language, our best experience thus far has been with Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids. See my full review for more about how we’ve used it in our homeschool.
Science Resources
For science, we have a couple of favorite homeschool resources to recommend. They’re the Christian Kids Explore series from Bright Ideas Press and Sassafras Science Adventures from Elemental Science.
Sassafras is our favorite approach to science in the elementary years because of its living books approach, but I also appreciate Christian Kids Explore options because they’re great for teaching multiple ages.
History and Geography Resources
In our time homeschooling, we’ve come across two favorite homeschool curriculum options for history. If you’re looking for a classical, yet secular approach to history, I recommend The Story of the World series. We had a fantastic experience with this curriculum. My big kiddo even borrows these from the library for no other reason than he loves reading them.
However, if you’re looking for a curriculum that approaches history from a Christian worldview, don’t miss The Mystery of History. This curriculum has been a game-changer for our homeschool.
As for geography, I can’t say enough good things about the WonderMaps software. It gives you the capability to customize and print a variety of maps including historical maps, biblical maps, and other thematic maps. This has been a fantastic tool in our homeschool and it’s one that can be used year after year!
We’ve also had a good experience with the Geography Drawing Series from Brookdale House. My big kid worked through the Europe and United States editions and they both focus on drawing the maps from memory while also providing an opportunity to learn interesting facts and statistics about each area.
Art & Music Resources
We have two favorite homeschool resources for music. The first of those is Zeezok Music Appreciation. It takes a composer by composer approach to music appreciation and is great for in depth studies.
The second of our favorite music resources is SQUILT. This is the perfect approach to music in your homeschool if you’re looking to teach multiple ages at one time, make things easy on yourself, or both. It’s as open and go as they come!
We enjoy lots of different art resources in our homeschool, but our favorites by far are seasonal mixed media workshops and artist study e-Courses from Masterpiece Society. Both of my kids enjoy the hands-on offerings of these online courses and they both love learning from Alisha Gratehouse.
When we want to zero in on one art medium, we take our help from ChalkPastel.com. Chalk pastels are a fun, but forgiving medium and they’re a great way to quickly add art to your homeschool day.
Other Favorite Resources
Here are a few other favorite homeschool resources that don’t fall into the other categories:
- Homeschool Buyers Co-op – Many of the products listed above are available here for discounted prices due to group buys offered through the co-op. In addition to those, there are free resources and a SmartPoints program that allows each member to earn site credits with each purchase.
- Techie Homeschool Mom – We love these online unit studies from Techie Homeschool Mom. They’re great for digging into a topic while encouraging independent learning at the same time.
- Notebooking Pages – Notebooking is a great way to document learning with any homeschool curriculum and any homeschool method. What’s better is that Notebooking Pages has a fantastic freebie bundle available with their free membership and regularly offers discounts on lifetime memberships.
Good news: you can now find lots of my favorite homeschool resources on my Amazon Influencer Page! That’s especially nice if you’d like to take a look at these resources, my recommended reading for homeschooling parents, and some of my favorite learning toys all in one place.