Take a new look at the library
When is the last time you visited your local library? You might find there is a lot going on that you didn’t know about.
Many libraries now loan out DVDs, which you probably already knew about. Did you also know that you can borrow eBooks for your Kindle or other e-reader from your library?
The library also offers many free or low-cost classes, such as beginner’s yoga. Our library does this every Tuesday evening. The only requirement is that you wear comfortable clothing that you can move easily in, bring a yoga mat for floor exercises, and yoga socks for foot comfort.
Our library also offers community events, such as the annual seed swap. This is a time when folks can bring in heirloom or open-pollinated seeds, root stock, and cuttings to share with others who love to garden. In fact, the even is occurring this weekend in our area but I’ll be out of town, so I’ll miss it this year.
Your library may also offer summer children’s programs that include reading time, games, and fun activities.
Most libraries also offer free internet services and computers to use to access the internet and do research, or even just have fun on social networking pages or blogging sites. They will generally limit access to pay sites or adult themed sites.
Our library also offers a room full of books for sale at very reduced prices. They may be novels or they may be resource books, but I’ve even seen children’s books on the “for sale” tables and shelves. Once a year they have a really big sale where not only older books from the library are offered, but also books that are donated specifically to this fund raiser.
Go visit your library and see what they have to offer in your area!
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libraryLabels: Homeschool families, Reading, Resources
Living Books for the Ears
I almost forgot about this interesting resource. It's called Homeschool Radio Shows. You can get "living books for the ears" from this site, some for free. I always like the word "free" when it comes to homeschool resources, don't you?
These Living Books are announced weekly via a newsletter, and are only available for one week. So, you need to download them as soon as possible, even if you plan to use them later. Right now, if you join the free newsletter you can get Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates just for joining. The current issue has The Sword of Kentucky and Baby Snooks Learns About Keeping Clean. Remember, these change next week!
Complete instructions for downloading are given with each newsletter, including macbook memory and PC instructions.
You can also purchase online books and unit studies for the books at low, affordable prices.
Labels: Free stuff, Reading
Free worksheets - reading comprehension
Some of the best worksheets ever come from TeachNology. You can find worksheets for reading comprehension that also include social studies and other subjects here. The grades covered range from kindergarten right up through high school.
This is a good place to find supplemental materials for your children that will help solidify what they've already learned and will help them stretch themselves in new areas.
Labels: Free stuff, Reading
Free worksheets - reading comprehension
One of the first places I found free worksheets for reading comprehension on the web was RHLSchool. This site has been around a long time and they have added lots of great stuff to it besides the reading. The reading worksheets go back to 1997!
Now they also have math, English, and research lessons and worksheets available. I remember using them as time went by, and the children really enjoyed the worksheets I got here. You can rest assured that you, the parent, will also have the answer keys available for all the worksheets as well.
The reading comprehension worksheets include a story to read and questions to answer.
I used this site way back when I didn't actually have internet myself. My grown daughter would print off the worksheets for my kids to use.
Labels: Free stuff, Reading, Worksheets
Homeschool Radio Shows
If you'd like your children to learn to love classic stories, but they are reluctant to read them right now, then sign up for the
Homeschool Radio Shows email newsletter and begin receiving free weekly emails that will direct you to Living Books for the Ears. It's a completely free service. You can download and listen to classic stories and even radio stories that site contestants have submitted.
This is such a good site. We used these when we homeschooled and it's all completely free.
Labels: Free stuff, Reading
Free e-books for Adobe reader
Adobe reader is my favorite e-book viewer, though it's not the only one I use. However, Adobe Reader seems more user friendly to me, and it will voice read the works so you can actually be doing other things while you listen. Many
Adobe Reader e-books are free to download. And the reader itself is a free download as well. This is a good way to add to your computer library of reading material.
Labels: Education, Free stuff, Reading, Resources
Free e-books
One of the best places I know of to get free e-books is called
Project Gutenberg. This site has been on the web for ages and we've used it for a lot of our reading material while we homeschooled. You can download and print the books out or read them on the web. They are all public domain, which means some very good classics are on the site.
I know most people probably already know about Project Gutenberg, but this is just a little reminder. You can use this service as a resource for reading, history, science, and other subjects.
Labels: Education, Free stuff, Reading, Resources
Caddie Woodlawn
If you've ever seen this movie or read the book, you were probably as moved by it as I was. Now you can use the book as the central resource for a unit study for Westward Expansion.
This is a grade 5 unit for
Caddie Woodlawn and is complete as far as I can tell. It's from SCORE and if you've used their resources in the past, you know they pretty well fill in all the gaps for you.
Labels: Education, History, Reading, Social Studies
Attention readers
If you would like for me to look for and post any particular studies, units, lesson plans, or resources, please let me know by leaving a comment. I'm here to help you, the homeschooler, achieve success in your homeschool. If there's an era of history, a science field, a math focus you'd like posted, I'll be more than happy to do that for you. And since I don't delete posts you know you can search the archives and find it again later should you lose the bookmark.
Happy Homeschooling!
Labels: Education, Reading
