MNHK: Smart Teachers Have Help
If your budget is tight, it's wise to find as much homeschooling help as you can. Here's a list of resources to look for within feasible travel distance.
A homeschooling co-op can be a great resource if the goals of the other members run parallel to yours. A good one will have teachers available, arrange field trips, etc.
If it's possible to register your children as homeschool students through your local school district, find out what you can get out of it and what you are expected to do in return. Even if you're homeschooling because you think your local school system is bad, you may find this useful.
Your public library may be your best resource of all. Besides books and quiet space for study, library offerings may include thousands more books via interlibrary loan, movies, documentaries, music, free computer time, magazines and newspapers to read on the premises, board games, art workshops, storytime for tots, used books for sale, free used magazines, student reading clubs, and access to hundreds of scientific, mathematical, and medical journals for free. And that's probably not a complete list! Even if all you have is a Bookmobile, use it. Knowledge is power, and libraries are hotbeds of knowledge.
Speaking of used books for sale, besides (of course) used bookstores and library sales, check out coffee shops. Older students may enjoy the atmosphere for studying, and they often have bring a book-take a book shelves and newspapers.
Garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores can produce some amazing finds. I have discovered textbooks, educational toys, music CDs, documentaries, notebooks, classic fiction, craft supplies, and children's furniture. It's best to have a firm idea of what you're looking for before you go--written down, even--so that you don't get overwhelmed.
Museums can be expensive, but they sometimes have free admission days. Your local museum may have a calendar online. Also check it for storytimes, art and craft workshops, scientific lectures, and movies. The same goes for aquariums, botanical gardens, and zoos.
If you live near a state or national park, also check into reduced price or free admission days for it. The visitor center may have free activities, lectures, even study kits.
If you live near a reservation (or anywhere in Alaska or Hawaii), see if the local tribe advertises any classes in native languages or traditional skills or allows outsiders to observe traditional ceremonies.
No matter what you may think of their politics, tune in to your public radio and TV station. My kids enjoy them for science, a survey of musical styles worldwide, and history. If you can't get the broadcast signal, but you can afford basic cable, look for your public TV station in the basic bundle.
Even in this electronic age, it's worth checking out an old-fashioned bulletin board at a library, coffee shop, grocery store, etc.--and don't forget the community pages in your local paper. Look for notices by local non-profits that might have resources to share with you. For example, my local chapter of the Audubon Society leads family hikes every weekend from April through September. For $2 per person per hike, my students can explore nature under the guidance of an expert. One of my children is learning how to fight with a real steel sword through the Society for Creative Anachronism--again, for just $2 per session (to defray the cost of loaner gear).
Don't hesitate to ask local businesses for help--within reason. A machine shop may be willing to bag some metal shavings for you when your students are studying magnetism. A pet store may have shed feathers your students can examine for science or use in art. Ask for something small that would have been trashed anyway, and the business owner may surprise you with their generosity. But if they turn you down, accept it politely and don't ask again.
If reading this list made you wrinkle your nose because you want your children to remain pure and unstained by the world, get over it now. Lordly isolation is for people who can order everything online. That's not you.
A homeschooling co-op can be a great resource if the goals of the other members run parallel to yours. A good one will have teachers available, arrange field trips, etc.
If it's possible to register your children as homeschool students through your local school district, find out what you can get out of it and what you are expected to do in return. Even if you're homeschooling because you think your local school system is bad, you may find this useful.
Your public library may be your best resource of all. Besides books and quiet space for study, library offerings may include thousands more books via interlibrary loan, movies, documentaries, music, free computer time, magazines and newspapers to read on the premises, board games, art workshops, storytime for tots, used books for sale, free used magazines, student reading clubs, and access to hundreds of scientific, mathematical, and medical journals for free. And that's probably not a complete list! Even if all you have is a Bookmobile, use it. Knowledge is power, and libraries are hotbeds of knowledge.
Speaking of used books for sale, besides (of course) used bookstores and library sales, check out coffee shops. Older students may enjoy the atmosphere for studying, and they often have bring a book-take a book shelves and newspapers.
Garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores can produce some amazing finds. I have discovered textbooks, educational toys, music CDs, documentaries, notebooks, classic fiction, craft supplies, and children's furniture. It's best to have a firm idea of what you're looking for before you go--written down, even--so that you don't get overwhelmed.
Museums can be expensive, but they sometimes have free admission days. Your local museum may have a calendar online. Also check it for storytimes, art and craft workshops, scientific lectures, and movies. The same goes for aquariums, botanical gardens, and zoos.
If you live near a state or national park, also check into reduced price or free admission days for it. The visitor center may have free activities, lectures, even study kits.
If you live near a reservation (or anywhere in Alaska or Hawaii), see if the local tribe advertises any classes in native languages or traditional skills or allows outsiders to observe traditional ceremonies.
No matter what you may think of their politics, tune in to your public radio and TV station. My kids enjoy them for science, a survey of musical styles worldwide, and history. If you can't get the broadcast signal, but you can afford basic cable, look for your public TV station in the basic bundle.
Even in this electronic age, it's worth checking out an old-fashioned bulletin board at a library, coffee shop, grocery store, etc.--and don't forget the community pages in your local paper. Look for notices by local non-profits that might have resources to share with you. For example, my local chapter of the Audubon Society leads family hikes every weekend from April through September. For $2 per person per hike, my students can explore nature under the guidance of an expert. One of my children is learning how to fight with a real steel sword through the Society for Creative Anachronism--again, for just $2 per session (to defray the cost of loaner gear).
Don't hesitate to ask local businesses for help--within reason. A machine shop may be willing to bag some metal shavings for you when your students are studying magnetism. A pet store may have shed feathers your students can examine for science or use in art. Ask for something small that would have been trashed anyway, and the business owner may surprise you with their generosity. But if they turn you down, accept it politely and don't ask again.
If reading this list made you wrinkle your nose because you want your children to remain pure and unstained by the world, get over it now. Lordly isolation is for people who can order everything online. That's not you.