FREE? Do the Math!

This year seems like most of my homeschooling friends are on as tight a budget as the public schools. Fortunately there really is such a thing as a free education still, you just might have to do some leg work to find it. I came across a few complete math curriculum and a few supplements for FREE. Well, maybe it'll cost you some time on the computer and some printer ink.


CSMP- Complete Math Curriculum for Grades K-6
I love how the lessons are laid out in a no-brainer kind of way, which makes it super easy to teach. It's pretty scripted for you. Includes student workbook pages, blackline masters, and even some Math storybook

North Carolina Public Schools- Math Resources
Add in a few supplements, like math games, worksheets, etc and this could be a complete math curriculum. The Week by Week Essentials are in a friendly flexible format. The Strategies resources are a great way to cover specific concepts.

Homeschool Math- Website has quite a few ads but lots of information and free resources too. Website is owned by the author of the Mammoth Math Curriculum.

NCTM Math Lessons and Resources- Designed for use by math teachers this site has a wealth of lessons and ideas to make math engaging.

Living Math- This incredible site shows you how to teach math minus a textbook and workbooks. Lots of great books listed here.

Khan Academy- Never heard of this site? What planet are you from?! This amazingly free resources serves up teaching videos on math concepts.

Math is Fun- The name of this site says it all. Providing basic math instruction for K- 12 in brief text lessons with visual aids and interactive practice problems. Even include printable worksheets!

SparkleBox- It's like math BLING! Free printable to supplement your math lessons.


XP Math- Quality math games listed by concept


K12 Station Mathematics Links- Math links listed by grade level and then concept.

Bruce's Math Stuff- Some great printable math games and posters here

Learning Science

Learning Science is a free interactive science website full of  science resources for grade K-12. The website is divided into seven categories; Science Inquiry, Physical Science, Earth and Space Science, Life Science, Science and Technology, Science and Society, and The History and Nature of Science. Each section lists grade level appropriate topics, with web resources for learning about that topic. All resources are web based, of high quality, and interactive.

The site also includes a Tools to Do Science section, with a list of helpful science tools to use online for gathering and collecting scientific data. This section also includes rulers and graph paper to print.

Just For Fun: Spelling Fleas Game

Check out this fun Spelling Fleas Game with your kids. It's a Language Arts Flea Circus. 

Play fast and fun games and work on spelling, verbs, discrimination, and comprehension skills.

Good for age 8 and up.

The Amazing Spelling Fleas Game 

Wilbur Wrights Birthday

On this day in 1867 Wilbur Wright of the Wright Brothers was born. 

• Learn more about Wilbur Wright at the NASA website.
• Find our all about the Wright Brothers and get lesson ideas at the Smithsonian website.
• Take a look around these online exhibits from Discovery featuring a first flight simulation, tour of where the brothers lived in Kitty Hawk, and 3D views of 1903 Flyer.
• Make your own airplane (paper airplane) with these 10 great plans

Happy Birthday, Leonardo da Vinci

On this date, April 15th, in 1452 Leonardo da Vinci was born. Leonardo da Vinci was a famous artist, scientist,  and inventor. Check out this online exhibit about Leonardo Da Vinci, his life, and works at the Museum of Science website or these great Power Point presentations on Da Vinci with addition student and teacher resources.

Webster Dictionary Published

On this day in 1828 the Webster Dictionary was first published

• Dictionary game
• Dictionary Skill Worksheets @ Everyday Teaching
• PDF file on how to read and use a dictionary (lesson and worksheets)
• Dictionary Skills lesson
  
  
  
  

Thomas Jefferson's Birthday

Today date in 1743, Thomas Jefferson was born. Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd U.S president and also one of the founding fathers of our nation.

Thomas Jefferson learning resources online:

• Thomas Jefferson brief biography and printables @ Enchanted Learning
• Thomas Jefferson Unit Study resources @ easy fun school
• Thomas Jefferson lesson plan and materials for grades 6-8 @ Discovery Education
•  Lots of Thomas Jefferson lesson plans and primary sources @ USHistory site
• Color page 
• Clipart

• 
  

Author Beverly Cleary's Birthday

Today is author Beverly Cleary's Birthday, she was born on this day in 1916.

You can check out her website here: The World of Beverly Clearey

Clearey's books were written for children about other children just like them or characters they themselves could relate to. The stories are told in an engaging, entertaining, and easy to read way. Most of her books are written at a 2nd or 3rd grade reading level and make ideal first chapter books or just plain fun reading.

See all her books published here.

Learning resources for Beverly Cleary's books:

• Lesson ideas and plans for various books @ Web English Teacher links 
• Unit Study for Ralph the Mouse @ Homeschool Share

Idaho Prospector Club

When I started hunting for resources to teach my own children about the state we now call home, I stumbled across a familiar name: Idaho Prospector Club.

My memory traveled to 4th grade. I could almost hear the whispers spreading our class conspiracy. If we asked questions, sometimes we could get Mr. Vaughn distracted telling stories instead of assigning homework.

I thought we tricked our teacher, but the joke is on me. My perception of school was homework and books. Now I realize it is much more. I was inspired in that class. Fuel was added to my already growing interest in history.

I remember how excited I was when our Idaho Prospector Club newsletters came. Sometimes they were printed on light green paper, sometimes yellow, and, if I remember correctly, even pink on occasion. A simple legal-sized paper folded in half pulled me into a story. It gave me a sense of belonging. I was in a club! I was learning about the land and people closest to me.

The roads I traveled with my family morphed into wagon trails in my mind. I imagined Lewis and Clark traversing the wilderness I sped across in my mother's Buick.

I don't see the big, round sticker that labeled me a 4th grade Idaho Prospector, but newsletters all the way back to 2003 can be downloaded and printed out. It isn't quite the same as getting something in the mail, but I suspect my children might enjoy being in this club as much as I did.

Written by Renae @ Life Nurturing Education

Free Grammar Lessons

 The Daily Grammar Blog offers free grammar lessons, You can view all the lessons in their archive for easy planning and use.
http://www.dailygrammar.com/archive.shtml

A Few Math Resources Online

Just sharing some of my Math bookmarks: 

MEP Math- Free complete math curriculum- for more information see this blog article


Khan Academy- Math instruction videos (also many other topics) these can be fun introductions for your children.

Living Math- Using living books to teach math concepts, great book list by concept

AAAMath- Like an online math text and workbook

Homeschool Math- Many. many math resources, links, worksheets, math blog roll

That Quiz-math quizes- handy site with quick math quizes to assess student knowledge


MATH GAMES

Timez Attack- Multiplication game- free version (thanks Tarasine)

Printable Math Games @ I play Math Games.com  - Great resource for a huge variety of printable math games by grade level or topic

Math Worksheet Generators:

SuperKids Math Worksheet Creator
Lizard Point Math Worksheet Generator
The Math Worksheet Site

Homeschool Freebie: Grammar Land

Homeschool Freebie is offering a free download of the classic story book 'Grammar Land' , published in 1878. Download and print here

Alice in Wonderland Unit Ideas

Disney has a new Alice movie coming out in March. Although it looks a bit scary for the under 10 crowd, it is still a fun theme.  The imaginative characters, chaotic storyline, and random impossibilities make the Alice story universally loved by children and there vivid imaginations.There are many versions of the Alice story out there in publication and film-any of them would serve as a great jumping off point for a fun Wonderland Unit.

Unit Resources to be updated as new items are found.

E Text of book -Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

View The ORIGINAL Alice written and illustrated by Lewis Carroll-it is one of the links on the bottom

About the author Lewis Carroll

 Project and Unit Ideas:

• Amazing Wonderland Expedition Kit- I'm thinking PROJECT!
• The Many Faces of Alice 4th grade unit example- I love the script idea!! 
• A Study Guide for Alice  
• Alice in Wonderland Unit for 3rd Grade PDF

Lapbook resources:

• Alice @ Homeschool Share
• Sample lapbook

Math

• Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum Math 
• Time (White Rabbits Watch)
• Lots of fun clock resources here  
• Worksheets and activities from Handwriting for Kids 
• Time worksheet generator
• Online analogue interactive clock
• Another online clock both digital and analogue
• Math Games with deck of cards 

Social Studies

• Geography-Mapping Skills: Create a Map of Wonderland-include the tree, the hole, and all the places named in the book, a map key and compass rose

Life Skills and Character Topics

• Time management
• dawdling

Poetry

• Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll - read aloud on YouTube
• Jabberwocky text

Math: Money

Printable Money for teaching math

Coins

• color coins from abcteach
• black and white coins from Scott Foresman PDF file

Bills

• color bills- SINGLE PRINTABLE PLAY MONEY PAGES
• color bills

Teaching Reading

Below are some FREE websites that I have found particularly helpful in teaching my children reading skills and phonics.

Phonics Games 

• these are games you will need to save to your computer and then print out
• for parent/teacher

Free Reading

•  this site is a wealth of resources for teaching reading, writing, and vocabulary with activity ideas,  printables and lesson plans
•  for parent/teacher

Starfall

• interactive videos, games, books, printable worksheets 
• for child- can use site independently

Literactive

•  just register for a ton of free leveled reading materials and printable worksheets,

Storyline Online

• celebrities read-aloud picture books online
• activity suggestions to go along with books
• for child/parent- child could use independently

Sillybooks.net 

• animated books that read aloud to child
• lesson plans for some books

Reading Rockets 

• many, many articles on literacy
• lesson plans, book suggestions,  and resources 
• for parent./teacher

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Resources

Today is Martin Luther King Jr Day.

Below are some resources you may find helpful in your homeschooling today:

• I Have a Dream Speech - Video, Audio, and Text Transcript
• The King Center Website
• Timeline
  

Activity Ideas

• MLK Day of Service
• Songs  
• Craft ideas
• Writing ideas
• Writing Prompts

Notebooking Pages

• Notebook Page - lined with photo 
• Set of multiple notebook pages from BellaOnline
• March on Washington notebook page

Lapbook Resources

• Mini Biography Printable
  
• Homeschool Helper Lapbook Resources
• Mini Book PDF 
• Another Mini Book PDF
• Color Pages

 A huge thanks to all the websites that have provided these free resources for the use in educating our children.

The Link Magazine

The Link: the Nations Homeschool Magazine offers a free full download of their magazine by email. Check out their website to sign up: http://www.homeschoolnewslink.com/

My favorite things about homeschool magazines, along with the new ideas from the articles are the ads. Yes, I love homeschool ads. I really enjoy seeing the exciting new products and materials coming available for homeschooling.

Got Worksheets?

 WOW what a find!
Check out this post over at Freely Educate.

Need Free Worksheets? Check out Super Teacher Worksheets

One of her readers sent in this incredible find!!
Lori's blog-Freely Educate is amazing, I love seeing what she finds next.

Free Museum Admission

The Smithsonian is hosting a FREE Museum day on Sat. Sept. 26th

Please visit their site to sign up and receive your free printable pass card: http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/about.html

Limit one pass card per family, one pass card is good for two admissions into the museum.

Free Homeschool Magazine

Home School Enrichment magazine just released "Home School Enrichment Digital," which is an online version of the magazine. Today they're giving away a free one-year subscription to the digital edition to all. Registration is required, but the one-year subscription to the digital version is free.

Download your free one-year subscription to the digital version of Home School Enrichment magazine here: FREE ONLINE MAGAZINE

http://homeschoolenrichment.com/magazine/digital/