Step 3 in my 6 Steps to Ensure Your Homeschool Can Survive A Financial Crisis is to look at Free, Nearly Free, or low-cost curriculum choices to see if you can use an alterative if your homeschool budget is significantly reduced or evaporates althogether.

Here are three free homeschool curriculums worth looking at. If you like lesson plans or schedules to help guide your path, all three of these offer free lesson plans – either daily, weekly. And each have active communities of homeschoolers who are using the curriculums.

 

1. Ambleside Online

Using a combination of free public domain materials and resources you’ll need to purchase or borrow, Ambleside Online provides a full curriculum for k-12 in Charlotte Mason style.  Striving to create a free curriculum that Charlotte Mason herself would use, the volunteers at Ambleside Online have put together a full, robust homeschool curriculum.
 
The homeschoolers who use Ambleside Online are very generous with their knowledge and in helping bring more and more free resources online to implement a Charlotte Mason style homeschool. You’ll find a wealth of knowledge here, if you are interested in literature-based or Charlotte Mason-style curriculum.

If you are not familiar with Charlotte Mason and her teachings, I recommend reading Ambleside Online’s Introduction to Charlotte Mason and either Charlotte Mason’s original writings (available free on Ambleside Online) or a copy of A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning by Karen Andreola.

Note: Ambleside Online is primarily a Christain homeschool curriculum, but because it is literature- and nature study- based, it is also easy for the secular homeschooler to adapt.

 

2. An Old Fashioned Education

An Old Fashioned Education is a free homeschool curriculum based on classic public domain literature and text books. The entire curriculum was developed by Miss Maggie, the founder of Hillbilly Housewife (one of my favorite frugal cooking sites), for her boys, after she discovered Ambleside Online wasn’t structured enough for her family.

Even if you don’t use the full curriculum, Miss Maggie has pre-screened, categorized, and links an amazing amount of free literature and public domain textbooks, making the site a wonderful reference on where to find free books for your homeschool.

The 3RHomeschooling yahoo group provides excellent support for those using An Old Fashioned Education, as well as other literature-based curriculum. Again, the members are as generous in their knowledge as Miss Maggie was in putting together this curriculum and ensuring it remains free.

Note: An Old Fashioned Education is a Christain homeschool curriculum, that uses books with a strong moral focus. However the secular homeschooler will also find the site useful in finding free homeschool curriculum and classic literature in public domain.

 

3. Simply Charlotte Mason

SimplyCharlotteMason.com is another free homeschool curriculum for those looking for a Charlotte Mason-inspired homeschool. Like Ambleside Online, this curriculum uses both free public domain litature and more contemporary resources that you will need to purchase or borrow. There is a free Curriculum Guide for Grades 1-12, and suggested resources for each subject by grade.

There’s a Community Forum for this site, where you can get support and questions answered. Also the two families who designed this curriculum give workshops.

This site is more commerical than Ambleside Online and An Old Fashioned Education. The site owners sell items on the site and their Charlotte Mason (“living book”) book finder does link to Amazon. But the curriculum and many of the resources are free or are available free from public domain sites. One special freebie unique to this site is the Book of Centuries - a free, downloadable pdf file that allows you to put together a history timeline notebook.

Note: Simply Charlotte Mason is also a free Christain homeschool curriculum, but like the other two, it can be adapted by the secular homeschooler by eliminating certain resources.

 

Next week, I’ll share more free homeschool resources, as this series on ensuring your homeschool can endure a financial crisis continues.  In the meantime, if you have experience using one of these curriculums or know of another free, full homeschool curriculum besides these three, please share in the comments below.

Thanks!

…Shannon

P.S. In case you are curious, I’ve tested out An Old Fashioned Education, and use it as an additional resource when looking for free living books for our homeschool.

Over on her Adventures in Homeschooling blog, Frazzled Mom called January “National Homeschool Burnout Month”. And I agree with her.

Most homeschoolers do experience that “burnout” feeling at some point in the year, yet we don’t always share those down sides with others. In part one, I shared how I deal with homeschool burnout.

Here, Karri Fieglein, another work-at-home, homeschooling mom (of 5), has generously agreed to let me share with you her 26 tips for dealing with burnout. (Thank you Karri!) I hope you find something in Karri’s wisdom that helps you through any challenging times you may be having in your homeschool journey.

 

26 Tips for Overcoming Homeschool Burnout

By  Karri Fieglein

It’s hard to get back in the swing of things after taking a long break. Here are some things I have done in the past and do today to help me with feeling frustrated with the miscellaneous situations of homeschooling and the challenge of the task.

1.    Remind myself that anything worth doing in life usually take energy and determination.

2.    Remember that by me being disciplined my kids see that certain things are important and then they usually follow my lead.

3.    Tell the kids that they will need to be in charge of things in life, and that they need to have initiative in learning, so that they can do what God intends them to do to the best of their abilities.

4.    Do something fun that we rarely do , like a big art or science project.

5.    Turn up the radio and dance around with the kids.

6.    Go for a walk.

7.    We have S, S& T Time – Silence, Solitude and Tea (hot) where the kids have to sit for 30 min- 1 hour by themselves and pray, read, or sleep, but no moving.

8.    Visit family or friends.

9.    Set up challenges and reward the accomplishments.

10.   Cut myself some slack. Remind myself that this is a marathon and not a quick sprint.

11.   Read 101 Devotions for Homeschool Moms by Jackie Wellwood.

12.   Plan a nice meal or go out to eat as encouragement for a hard day’s work.

13.   Pray and read James 1:1-7, Proverbs 1:7, Matthew 7: 24-27.

14.   Make updated focus (goal) charts celebrating all that you have done and learned so far.

15.   Remember tomorrow is yet another day and God gives grace.

16.   Plan a field trip or visit Dad at work for lunch.

17.   Focus on the mission and the overall reason we are homeschooling. For us it’s not to raise geniuses, but to raise God-fearing kids that love the Lord and aspire to learn more about who He is and everything he’s created.

18.   Visit an inspiring blog or website for encouragement.

19.   Play educational board and card games together and call it a day of learning.

20.   Have a motivational family meeting to remind everyone to put forth their best efforts and have a say in what happens.

21.   Remind myself to stop comparing and be thankful with who and where I am in Him right now, knowing He’s not finished with me yet.

22.   Thank God for my many blessings and the opportunity to homeschool and be with my kids even if they sometimes drive me nuts!

23.   Look at old pictures and see how they’ve grown and we have changed even over the past few years – reminisce.

24.   Call and talk to a role model that can encourage you.

25.   Make the first day back doing the regular schedule a special day – Pancakes for breakfast, P.J day, a few hours of coloring and reading aloud time, balloons, whatever to make it special.

26.   Know when to say No and try to stay focused on one thing before moving to the next.

I hope this helps even just one person.

- Karri F.

Karri Fieglein is a homeschooling mom of five  and the Foundations Director of Katy, TX for Classical Conversations, a Classical Christian Community. For more information on Classical Conversations, visit www.ClassicalConversations.com

On her Adventures in Homeschooling blog, Frazzled Mom brought up a subject that hits most homeschoolers I know, but we rarely seem to talk about – homeschool burnout. For some, like Frazzled Mom, it comes in January. For me, it’s every February. Now, I just know that every February I hit that wall. I don’t even know where it comes from, but it’s there, like clockwork.

Now I plan for it, I know it’s coming. And so, I tuck things aside, fun things, different things, something I’d like to try out, whatever, so that when I hit that homeschool burnout wall, I just embrace it as a time to try out something new.

In 2006, I finally did our first lapbooks – on the Winter Olympics… That ended up being so much fun, we lapbooked for the next year. Sometimes it works out like that, sometimes not.

This is also the time where I do more homeschool reading. More time reading what others are doing, other techniques. The other day, a friend was over and commented, “You just use so many different methods to teach…”  And it’s true. But in reality most of that learning about different methods comes from this time of listening, absorbing, and looking for something different to spice things up. 

But sometimes, also it’s just time for a break. One of the things I love about homeschooling is that I’m not bound by any artibutary schedule. If I need to take a day off school, then that’s what we do. But we still get our school work in, in other ways. 

I also remember that there is no other choice I’d make for my children’s education. I know why I’m homeschooling and every year that why list becomes longer. I know I don’t have to force myself to homeschool the same way every year or even for the whole year, nor do I have to homeschool exactly like anyone else. I now know that no matter what my kids are still learning and growing, and changing this up does not hurt them, and sometimes, they flourish more.

If you are hitting your burnout time, remember your “why”, know it’s okay to get burned out, that it happens to most of us,  and if you are comfortable doing so, take a break or just mix things up a little. Try out something new… give yourself a break.

For more tips on overcoming homeschool burnout, come on by tomorrow for part 2.  Another work-at-home, homeschooling mom (of 5) has agreed to let me share her list of 26 tips for overcoming homeschool burnout with you. Good stuff… see you tomorrow.

…Shannon

Do you feel that home schooling is better than public schools in an educational sense? Why or why not?

This question came up in an interview last year and while this is a much more complex question, here is my initial response as a homeschooling mom of 4, having homeschooled preschool through 6th grade (so far):

It depends on the family and the child. Homeschooling is not for everyone.

However, if the parents are willing to engage in the educational process and facilitate their child’s interests and educational journey, then yes, home schooling can be a better choice than public schools.

But is also important to look at “better” in areas outside of pure academics. While the nature of homeschooling, customized, personal, one-on-one education, allows for homeschool students to receive a more solid educational basis, it also allows students to excel in areas that are not facilitated within traditional public school systems – for example, music, art, sports, etc.

Homeschooling allows students to spend the time developing their natural talents and develop mastery in basic education topics, where public schooling is unable by its very nature to spend the time and energy developing each individual child at that child’s natural pace.

For families who move or travel, homeschooling also allows them continuity with their child’s education. Schools do not teach the same subjects on the same schedules and requirements from one school district and/or state to another are not the same. In a homeschool environment, students are able to continue along with no disruption to their academics and little potential for creating “holes” due to jumping from one school to another.

Also, when life event (like illness or death) happen causing stress for children and families, homeschool families can take breaks or do “light” school and then resume school on the schedule that best meets their needs. They do not have worry about getting behind or grades suffering because life is too overwhelming to facilitate the academic learning process.

Contemplating homeschooling or just curious? Here’s a short list of advantages and disadvantages to consider.

Advantages of Homeschooling

• Customizable, adaptable one-on-one education
• Mastery-based education based on child’s own development
• Shorten academic learning time and more time to pursue own interests
• More play time to facilitate imagination and natural development
• Ability to learn academic skills in a practical hands-on manner (e.g., fractions for cooking, measuring and building projects, etc.)
• Ability for children to receive social skill coaching from adults instead of peers
• Flexibility to travel and adapt to life circumstances without interrupting the flow of school.

Disadvantages of Homeschooling

• Requires a commitment from the parents to be a facilitator of their children’s education
• Requires a time and energy commitment that some parents are not able to provide
• Requires more effort by the parents to provide social contact (lots of social contact is available – sometimes too much – but it’s not built in to the school system like with a public or private school. Parents have to get to know others in order for their kids to connect.)

Also, I consider this one a huge advantage, but have learned that some parents feel differently. If you consider this a disadvantage, then homeschooling probably isn’t a good option for you.

• Requires parent(s) to spend time with their child(ren), getting to know them as unique individuals.

The advantages are only a beginning point. There are so many more. Feel free to add to these lists with your comments.