So, though I absolutely do not consider myself the arbiter of what will work for all children in all families, I decided that putting together shorter lists of possibilities for those interested in my opinion might be helpful. I used The Roadmap as my starting point and focused on a few guiding principles to facilitate a sorting process:
- Though The Roadmap is designed to be "agnostic" in regards to the common core standards (CCS) and its related initiatives - I've gone to great lengths to present a "just the facts, ma'am" approach there so that users can find what they are seeking in terms of CCS, whatever that might be - I am not. In fact, I'm quite opposed to all things CCS. Thus, choosing only that which is wholly independent of the CCS became my first parameter. And if a provider I currently suggest decides at some point to connect with the CCS, I will edit the lists to remove it no matter how much I may have liked it before;
- Via its Deluxe Charts, The Roadmap classifies resources in a number of other ways beyond CCS, including worldview/religious perspective. As a Christ-follower, I've included a large percentage of Christian providers on my lists, but that's not all. I also felt comfortable listing a couple of Jewish resources and quite a few that I call "Non-Sectarian," by which I mean "material that doesn't obviously promote any other perspective - i.e., it is as 'neutral' as possible where worldview is concerned - and, thus, might be comfortably used by people who embrace a variety of...other perspectives." In my life and on The Roadmap, I distinguish "Non-Sectarian" from "Secular," and I have chosen on my lists here to eschew almost anything I've determined to be "Secular" (with fewer than a handful of exceptions), as well as anything espousing other worldview perspectives;
- I hold strongly to young-earth creation science so cannot in good conscience suggest old-earth-oriented material. Of course, in many cases on The Roadmap, provider websites haven't specified a position on origins - or it's not relevant to the content in question - but where it might come into play, I list only resources that are young-earth or consciously neutral;
- I do not recommend any resource that takes "ESA money." "ESA" stands for "educational savings account," which is one of several terms used to label taxpayer-money provided to some homeschoolers in a number of states; other common terms for the same practice include "charter homeschool," "ClassWallet," and "voucher funds." Because any government "perk" always comes with regulatory strings, I believe that entities taking such funding are susceptible to "mission drift" (i.e., they will feel compelled or will actually be forced to compromise content in various ways to suit government rules). The modern homeschool movement was launched to give families independence from government control, so I cannot in good conscience recommend a provider that is willing to take that risk;
- In terms of other classification categories - i.e., homeschool style/approach, recommended age range, delivery method, whether or not something is free - I've tried to include a wide variety of options;
- The lists include a lot more than I could ever personally use...because I wanted to suggest multiple good options in as many categories as possible. So, in compiling the suggestions with which I don't have direct experience, I've relied upon information gleaned from wise homeschoolers I know in real life and in the large online group I moderate, as well as studying company websites as I've built The Roadmap. And everything I list is something I'd at least consider for my own kids.
As you browse the lists, you'll notice that some are still quite long. But I wanted to include everything I felt worth considering and, given that some subjects' complete lists are very long (some have over 1,000 total options!), including somewhat longer lists here seemed appropriate. In contrast, you'll notice a few categories with very few or even no suggestions; that's generally because the original category - which you can view here - has few options, none of which I felt met my parameters.
Will you like everything on these lists? Surely not. Would your parameters for making similar lists be different than mine? Quite possibly. I want to reiterate that these lists are merely suggestions based on my personal experience and study, not prescriptions of what is "best" for "everybody."
Though the lists are copyrighted, I offer them freely for downloading and printing; simply click on a link to open a PDF list. I ask only that you link to this post when sharing the lists with others.
May these ideas be a blessing to many.
*****
NOTE:
Most of the lists
(other than the ones for PRESCHOOL and PARENT RESOURCES)
link to resources for use with "school-aged" kids (i.e., Ages 5-18).
And, though this post was written in 2019, the lists below
are regularly updated to remain current.
Most of the lists
(other than the ones for PRESCHOOL and PARENT RESOURCES)
link to resources for use with "school-aged" kids (i.e., Ages 5-18).
And, though this post was written in 2019, the lists below
are regularly updated to remain current.
Classical Delight-Directed/Guided Unschooling Montessori Principle Approach / TJEd Project-Based Learning Reggio Emilia Traditional/School-Style: Print-Based Traditional/School-Style: Online/Video Waldorf (Steiner)
Unit Studies: Bible-Based Unit Studies: Geography-Based Unit Studies: History-Based Unit Studies: Literature-Based Unit Studies: Math-Based Unit Studies: Music-Based Unit Studies: Science-Based Unit Studies: Thematic |
Art
Appreciation/History Integrated Technique Crafting Drawing/Illustration Filmmaking Graphic Design Painting Photography Printmaking Sculpture/Ceramics |
Health
Integrated First Aid Growth & Development Hygiene/Personal Care Nutrition Physical Education/Fitness Safety/Prevention |
Reading/Phonics Spelling Vocabulary |
Home Management Keyboarding Personal Finance/Consumer Math Public Speaking
Speed Reading |
Math
Elementary Secondary Integrated Algebra 1 Algebra 2 Calculus General Math Geometry Pre-Algebra Pre-Calculus Statistics Trigonometry |
Religious Education
Apologetics/Worldview Bible Study/Theology Christian Living Devotional Scripture Memory Sunday School/VBS Denomination-Specific Tenet-Specific |
Middle School High School Astronomy High School Biology High School Chemistry High School Earth Science High School Forensics High School General Science High School History of Science High School Origins High School Physical Science High School Physics High School STEM |
AutoCAD Coding/Computer Programming Drafting Electronics Engineering Game Design Robotics Web Design |
Africa Americas
Asia Europe Middle East Pacific Islands Miscellaneous |
Special Needs
ADD/ADHD Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Cerebral Palsy Cognitive Disabilities Emotional Disturbance Epilepsy/Seizure Disorders Gifted & Talented Right-Brain Learners Sensory Disorders Speech & Language Disabilities |
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