Homeschool Resources

       To hear my homeschool interview on blogtalk radio visit blogtalkradio.com/utomdotorg. 

 
There is an abundance of homeschooling resources at our disposal.   It is very easy to get overwhelmed so having someone make suggestions as to what is worthwhile is a big help.  Also, join a homeschool group for support for you and your kids.  These moms will be glad to share their experiences, good and bad, with you.  We belonged to a couple of different groups and co-ops over the years, and it provided a good experience for us.  There is a Jewish homeschooling Yahoo group called Chevra which is wonderful, we belong to this and its members are all over the United States.  

Here is a list of companies (websites, catalogs, books) that I have used and recommend:

www.currclick.com  (online curriculum you can download (some are free) and online live courses)

http://chinuchonline.com/  (Torah education for all ages in both Hebrew and English)

www.rainbowresource.com  (ask for a free catalog-its huge and will give a good idea of whats out there)

http://www.charlottemasoneducation.com  (an old fashioned way of teaching, not geared toward text books but toward a wide variety of short lessons throughout the day) I refer to her books often.

http://www.queenhomeschool.com/  (I visited their both at a homeschool convention and they had a vast array of homeschool supplies)

Ruth Beechick, You Can Teach Your Child Successfully (book can be found on Amazon or look in your library). Basically how to get away from textbooks, and individualize learning for your child.  A great book!

How To Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons.  Also found on Amazon.

Artscroll has some great children's books that I have learned a lot from such as Children's Book of Yonah, Children's Book of Ruth, Children's Siddur.  Lots of pics, like a comic book.

If you are looking for workbooks for Hebrew, Behrman House has a nice selection.   Our Hebrew school uses them and we have used them at home as well.    http://www.behrmanhouse.com

http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/
(they have math and reading)  I use the Explode the Code series for phonics and Wordly Wise for vocabulary.

Google Books - Handbook of Nature Study (887 pages).  I print the pages I want to teach from (not all pages are available on google books) and my kids have a nature notebook they draw in and take notes.  We've learned how valuable dandelions are by sitting in the front yard and watching them in their different stages.  I would love a hard copy of this book.

Jewish History - Ken Spiro is a fabulous historian and can be heard on Aish.com and simpletoremember.com.  He has also written a book called Crash Course in Jewish History.
My oldest son is a history buff and we listened to the whole series and then he read the book.

www.thehomescholar.com  This site is by a mom who homeschooled her children and sent them off to college with scholarships.  

The library is a fabulous resource that should not be overlooked.  Even if a book is needed for the moment, that does not make it a keeper.  The library will let you borrow books for 2-3 weeks and probably renew if you need to.  No reason to spend money for a book, dvd or cd that you only need for a short time.  On occasion we go to the library to do schoolwork just for a different environment.


Some Things I've learned along the way:

Don't be afraid to scrap your plan for the day if something better presents itself.

You don't have to use an entire book, you may only like one section of the book, use that and forget the rest.

Homeschooling does not produce perfect kids.

Leave books scattered around that you would like your kids to pick up and look at.

Its tempting but not necessary to buy fancy curriculum.

Kids copy what we do more than what we say.

Just because children come from the same parents does not mean they will learn in the same way, they will  have different personalities and learning styles.

Kids go at their own pace.  With homeschooling, a  child who would be in 5th grade can do 7th grade science, 3rd grade math and 5th grade reading-no need to rush through and skip so they can go to the next grade with the rest of the class or keep them from excelling.

If you want your kids to embrace their Jewish heritage, don't rely on your synagogue/Hebrew school-they should only be a supplement to what you do at home.  Kids will see real fast what is important to you.  

I hope this was helpful!

Shalom,
Tamar