Resources for Educating Our Children
Whether you choose to homeschool, after-school, or school during the everyday, these resources for educating our children are for you. We include things from free worksheets, to craft ideas, to unit studies, to tips for busy parents!
Check out my amazon shelf of homeschooling essentials. My must-haves for teaching my children – note: this is NOT curriculum, but it is all the other things. 🙂
A huge portion of our resources are seasonal or holiday based, so you can find them in our Holidays and Seasons section.
Free Homeschooling Resources:
Yes, I call them homeschooling resources, but honestly they can be used in ANY type of classroom or educational setting!
My list of homeschooling freebies has gotten so long that I have had to do a bit of sorting.
If, however, you prefer to just do some scrolling through our content, starting with the most recent, please head over to our homeschool category.
While there are many great educational resources available for purchase, there are also many high-quality resources that can be accessed for free. Homeschooling families often use free resources to save money, which can also benefit traditional classrooms.
For example, there are a number of websites that offer free lesson plans and activities for all subject areas.
In addition, many museums and libraries offer programs and events that are specifically geared towards students.
By using these free resources, teachers can enrich their curriculum and give students a well-rounded education.
Themed Resources
If your child is obsessed with something, this is probably the section you want to start with. 🙂
Cowboy Themed Learning Printables
***Compete List of Unit Studies – this is where you will find our units.
Fly Guy: A Pet for Fly Guy Coloring Sheets
Mickey Mouse Worksheets and Activities
Concept Resources:
When teaching new concepts or helping our child with struggles, we often search for information on that concept. This is your go-to section!
Alphabet:
The alphabet is an important tool for learning in preschool and kindergarten classrooms. In addition to providing a foundation for reading and writing, the alphabet also helps children to develop other essential skills.
For example, learning the letters of the alphabet helps children to identify different objects and to learn new vocabulary words.
It also helps them to understand concepts such as sequence and order.
Furthermore, the alphabet can be used as a way to introduce other concepts such as phonemic awareness and letter sounds.
Dot to Dot Printables for Kids
Big and Small Resources for Educating our Children:
For preschoolers, learning the difference between big and small is an important cognitive milestone. By understanding the concept of size, they can start to develop a basic understanding of spatial relationships.
This knowledge can then be applied in a variety of contexts, such as when they are trying to figure out how to fit a puzzle piece into a puzzle or where to find a specific toy in a toy box.
Additionally, understanding size relationships can also help preschoolers to compare and contrast objects, an important skill for future math and science learning.
For these reasons, it is beneficial for preschoolers to spend time exploring objects of varying sizes and discovering the many ways in which big and small can be defined.
Big and Small Sorting Activities
Cursive:
While the debate over whether students should learn cursive continues, there is evidence that there are significant learning benefits to this skill.
In particular, cursive has been shown to improve fine motor skills, memory, and concentration.
In terms of motor skills, cursive requires the use of small muscles in the hand and fingers in a coordinated way. This helps to develop the muscles needed for tasks such as writing, drawing, and using tools.
The act of physically writing out words in cursive also helps students to remember information better than if they had simply typed it out. This is because the act of writing engages more areas of the brain than typing, resulting in a deeper level of understanding and retention.
Finally, the flow of cursive writing promotes concentration and allows students to connect their thoughts more seamlessly.
Cursive & Print Letter Matching Worksheets
Dolch Sight Words – all 220 words with worksheets.
Scissor Skills:
One of the most important pre-writing skills for young children is developing the ability to use scissors. Although it may seem like a simple task, cutting with scissors requires the coordination of several different skills, including fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, and bilateral coordination. For many children, learning how to use scissors is an essential step in developing their writing skills.
There are numerous benefits of scissor skills for preschoolers. First, it helps to develop fine motor control. In order to cut accurately, children need to be able to control the movement of their hands and fingers.
Second, scissor skills help to develop hand-eye coordination. Children need to be able to see what they are cutting while simultaneously controlling the movement of their hands.
Finally, scissor skills help to develop bilateral coordination. This skill is important for both writing and daily living tasks such as brushing teeth and combing hair.
Although some children may naturally pick up scissor skills quickly, for others it may take some practice. However, with a little patience and practice, most children will be able to master this important pre-writing skill. Check out our resources for educating our children on cutting skills:
Cutting Practice Printables (yep, more)
Math
Mathematics is a fundamental tool for understanding and describing the world around us. It helps us to make sense of the patterns we see in nature, and it also enables us to communicate our ideas precisely.
In addition to providing a basic foundation for scientific reasoning, math also teaches children important problem-solving skills. By learning to identify patterns and relationships and developing strategies for solving complex problems, children can gain a tremendous amount of confidence in their ability to succeed in school and life.
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Money Tips that most kids don’t learn
Other Concepts:
Spot the Differences Worksheets
Free Printable Bible Verses: John 3:16
FREE Printable Bible Verses: John 13:34
Shop My Printables
Use these great resources for more learning fun. Simply click the image to see the learning activity!
Grade Specific Resources:
The following are exactly what they say: they are for specific age-groups or grades.
Second Grade Math (greater than, less than, equal to)
Toddler Educational Activities for Homeschoolers
Third Grade Spelling Curriculum
Preschool Resources for Educating Children
29 Cool Math Games for Preschoolers
Boredom Buster Preschool Activities
If you give a Cat a Cupcake (for Preschool)
Laundry Lesson for Preschoolers
Patience Worksheets for Preschoolers
Three Little Kittens Activities for Preschool
Shop My Homeschool Room:
The following homeschool picks of mine can be found on Etsy. Simply click the image that interests you – yes, they do contain affiliate links.
Tips for Homeschooling Parents
As homeschooling parents, finding the right resources for educating our children can often feel overwhelming.
However, with the right guidance and tools, you can create a successful and engaging learning environment at home.
Below are some valuable tips and strategies designed to help you navigate the world of homeschooling effectively.
How to choose the right educational toddler toys
How to Keep Homeschooling even when you are sick!
The Learning Curve for Boys: Is it Different?
Why is Learning Style so Important?
How to navigate “Close Reading”.
Fun Resources for Homeschool
Field Trip Ideas for Homeschooling Parents
Virtual Dissection and Labs for Homeschoolers
You might be a homeschooling family if… (good for a few laughs)
What is the right age for schooling children?
When considering the right age to begin formal schooling for a child, it is important to consider their individual development and readiness.
Different children may reach certain developmental milestones at different ages, with some ready to start school as soon as they turn four. At the same time, other children should wait until they are closer to seven or eight years old.
Most countries have set requirements for when children must enter school; however, these can provide an inadequate structure for the needs of individual students.
Parents must keep their children’s development under careful observation to decide when it would be best for them to start formal schooling to provide them with the best foundation possible to build their future successes.
Should I home-school or use public education?
The decision of whether to utilize the public education system or opt for home-schooling requires careful consideration.
Home-schooling has various benefits; generally, parents have more control over their child’s education, can tailor their lesson plan specifically for their offspring, and can be an invaluable resource for those with special learning needs.
On the flip side, it’s important to consider that home-schooled children may not benefit from peer interaction as much as those in public school.
For home schooling to be successful, both the student and guardian must make an increased commitment.
The freedom offered by public schools is attractive, though; students have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities, grow socially with their peers and benefit from the expertise of credentialed teachers.
Ultimately, weighing advantages, resources for educating our children, and drawbacks will help parents make an educated decision based on what works best for each student.
Is it beneficial to use technology in my teaching methods for kids?
Using technology as a teaching method can be incredibly beneficial for children as it can help them to engage with new material in exciting, innovative ways.
Technology makes learning more interactive and engaging and provides visual, auditory, and kinesthetic tools to suit any learning style.
It can be used in an educational capacity to build understanding faster and stronger, supplementing traditional instruction with visual and multimedia resources that help children synthesize newly encountered concepts and skills.
Additionally, using technology introduces students to modern tools that will prepare them for the future and allows for real-world applications of the concepts they are learning.
Technology in the classroom is invaluable, helping students learn collaboratively while giving teachers access to research-backed materials to support deeper student understanding.
How do I evaluate my child’s progress in learning?
Every parent wants to ensure their child is progressing at an appropriate rate with their learning, but understanding how to evaluate such progress can be difficult.
One approach is to focus on the fundamental elements that construct academic success, including creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and resilience.
Parental evaluation should include assessing the components that make up a student’s performance, such as the level of participation during class activities or the quality of their independent research.
Additionally, it can be beneficial to note any trends in teacher feedback regarding a child’s ability to complete tasks and stay organized during activities.
With this data and regular conversations with a child about their feelings regarding school and learning in general, parents should have a more comprehensive view of their child’s academic progress and have an idea of what supports or further instruction may be necessary for further growth.