Once you have decided to begin your child’s homeschooling journey, another important part of their education at home are the resources that parents will use for their learning. There are many resources that parents can use for their child’s homeschooling, such as books, websites, apps, materials, communities, and suppliers.
According to author, wife, and homeschooling mom Joy Mendoza, resources are important because they enrich the learning of our children, help accomplish our goals as parents, and also make learning fun. Here are some of the important resources that you need and some examples that you can use for your child’s education:
Books – Books are an important homeschooling resource and one way to develop comprehension among children. According to Mendoza, parents should give books based on their child’s interest. Parents should also remember that reading is a process, and books help develop the skill of reading. They should also ask their children about the books they want to read and the subject that they are interested in. When it comes to buying books, parents have affordable options such as bookstores like Book Sale or Books for Less, or even e-books or audiobooks that cost less.
Materials – There are also many types of materials that parents can use for their child’s education, such as manipulatives, Montessori-type toys, educational toys, and kits for experiments, which can engage them and make their learning fun.
Websites and Apps – The internet offers a lot of resources for parents to use for their child’s education. Even if you paid for a curriculum for their homeschooling, you can still enrich their learning through online resources, most of which can be used for free. Here are some of them:
1. Starfall – A free website for kids’ games, movies, and books
2. TripSavvy – A website that allows children to travel virtually
3. CNN News – A website that helps children learn about current events
4. Teachers Pay Teachers – Allows parents to download extra worksheets for more practice and quizzes on different subjects with their children
5. Duo Lingo – Helps children easily learn foreign languages
6. Enchanted Learning – Helps parents get ideas on project-based activities.
7. Smithsonian Learning Lab – An online museum and one way for children to explore museums
8. Code.org – A website where kids can learn about coding and programming
9. Academy Earth – A website containing free online video courses and lectures.
Additionally, parents can also check Facebook and Twitter for homeschooling communities. Through these communities, they can connect and ask questions to other parents who are also homeschooling their children and ask them about resources. Some examples of homeschooling communities in the country include Homeschooling Association of the Philippine Islands (HAPI), Homeschoolers of the Philippines, and Homeschool Global.
There are many resources that parents can use for their child’s learning, and they don’t always have to be costly. Parents can also swap or borrow from other homeschooling parents or look for secondhand resources to use as they continue their child’s education at home. Mendoza says that parents should ask themselves whether they have the finances to afford an education for their children. She assures parents that God will provide for parents and that as we seek and honor Him, He is going to be the provider for the resources we need.
For more parenting tips, you can watch episodes of Teach with Joy or visit Plus Network on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
