Homeschooling can be accomplished in many ways. Some families unschool, others use boxed curriculum, many use an eclectic mix of materials. The possible combinations are endless. That’s the beauty of it, in my humble opinion. One curriculum doesn’t have to fit all.

I was brainstorming recently, and I came up with some things that might fit my child’s learning style. In the past we used Saxon Math. She loved it, and so did I. Math is my weak area, so a tutor might be a wonderful resource as well. For other subjects, she could take some dual credit classes either online or on campus at the local community college. There are science videos, tutorials on YouTube and some cool science websites that have great ideas for projects and experiments. Reading lists are available for classics to study for English; some can double as outside readings in history. Virtual tours and Google Earth can provide hours of learning time. Local museums are often overlooked as learning resources, too. In some communities, professional artists (potters, musicians, dancers, etc.) are available and willing to give lessons under the right circumstances. It is common for homeschooling families to trade off some teaching duties. My specialty is Spanish, so I could teach someone else’s kids Spanish while another parent expert taught mine astronomy, for example.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that parents don’t have to break the bank to teach kids at home. Once you start looking, you’ll be amazed at what you find!