A few well-placed online homeschool resources can be of such value.

Each year when my children were young I always tried to incorporate some form of online learning. Children need to be familiar with this type of learning. It is the future.

While it has never been our PRIMARY mode of learning, as my children got older it played a more important role.

Because we are in the season of choosing and purchasing curriculum, I want to share a few of our best picks with you. Some are current. Some are past. Some are for multiple ages. Some are for youngers. Some are for olders. Some are live online courses; others are recorded. Some contain resources we access with frequency online.

All, however, win the Homegrown Learners seal of approval!

There is something for EVERYONE in this list.

Full Online Courses

The following sites offer entire online courses. Some of them are accredited, others are not.

Some offer FULL grading and are 100% hands-off for the parents, others only offer the teaching while the grading is kept track of by the parent.

Still others are more of simply presenting information for information’s sake without a grade.

I enjoyed giving my children a little bit of everything - that is the beauty of homeschooling!

Veritas Press History

The self-paced history courses from Veritas were always a HUGE hit.

From the elementary into the middle school years, my children enjoyed the engaging lessons. I enjoyed the fact that I could set them down in front of the computer for at least 45 minutes and they were getting an excellent history education.

Couple this with the suggest literature list that comes with a Veritas self paced history course and you’re set for the year.

Note: Until August 19 at midnight receive $100 off any self paced course!

Experience Astronomy & Experience Biology

Experience Astronomy is a full year course. There are elementary, middle, and high school levels.

My son took this course as a 6th grader and learned inordinate amounts from Luke Gilkerson, the teacher and author of the course. I loved that it was taught from a Biblical point of view and my son could also be fairly independent while taking the course.

Experience Astronomy #Homeschool Courses

With recorded lectures from Mr. Gilkerson, as well as supplemental activities and quizzes, this will satisfy a science requirement - and more importantly satisfy a curiosity in Astronomy.

Note: Registration closes on August 31, so if you’re interested do not delay!

Homeschool Spanish Academy

What a wonderful surprise Homeschool Spanish Academy has been this year!

Basically, my son is taking a 1 credit Spanish class this year online. He receives 60 sessions over the course of a year. These lesson are PRIVATE, and you wouldn’t believe how much learning can be accomplished in this way!

Using Google Hangouts, Grant logs on with his Spanish teacher twice a week (we can schedule the classes at our convenience, which is very nice) and is working through the Spanish I curriculum.

If you are looking for a wonderful Spanish provider, I suggest you look into Homeschool Spanish Academy!

Compass Classroom

Compass Classroom has long been a trusted resource for our family.

We have used Word Up! vocabulary program and Visual Latin.

This year we are using Dave Raymond’s American History video curriculum.

Raymond’s lessons are based on STORY are the entire curriculum is authored with a Biblical worldview.

Compass Classroom offers a monthly membership - which is an excellent value - it even includes a FREE MONTH TRIAL!

Mr. D Math

Mr. D Math was my daughter’s math curriculum for high school.

She had a lot of success with Mr. D - not only is his curriculum sound and engaging, Mr. D is a wonderful person who is the biggest champion of homeschoolers you will ever meet.

Many people ask me about Saxon, Mr. D Math and Shormann.

Every child is different. In my house Saxon worked well until high school. Then, for my non-math child Mr. D Math worked well. For my highly math child, we are going with Shormann. I encourage you to investigate each one thoroughly for yourself.

Shormann Math

My son is on his second year of Shormann Math. (Eight out of the eleven students in his Challenge 1 group are using Shormann, so we’re all sold!)

We chose this for Grant because of the strong SAT/ACT test prep built in as well as the Biblical worldview. It has considerably LESS spiraling than Saxon Math, which is what seems to bog down most children.

This curriculum is recorded video - self paced. Everything is graded for you, so it could (in theory) be 100% hands off for the homeschool parent.

Students learn how to take notes, see math through a Biblical lens, and work independently. While not technically a “classroom” environment, I like that it is math from an expert and I am hands off.

Memoria Press Academy

Memoria Press has been a great choice for three full online courses for my daughter. She took AP European History and Henle Latin I and II.

A fully accredited school, Memoria’s Press’ academy is rigorous, organized, and of the highest quality.

If you are looking to 100% outsource a subject (s) - I highly recommend Memoria Press Online Academy!

HSLDA Online Academy

Many people don’t realize HSLDA has an academy.

They do (for grades 7-12), and it’s wonderful! My daughter had an exceptional experience taking AP Exposition and Composition - she will tell you it was the BEST class she took in high school. It prepared her for essay writing for college and just honed her writing skills in general.

Her teacher was encouraging, easy to contact, and provided a college letter of recommendation. I got the impression that her teacher truly CARED about each individual student and helping them succeed.

HSLDA is accredited and offers a full range of courses.

Again - this is an excellent place to outsource your high school classes!

Homeschool Printables/Resources/Recorded Lessons

Productive Homeschool (formerly Notebooking Pages)

Notebooking Pages were an INTEGRAL part of our homeschool in the elementary and middle grade years. The site is still basically the same - simply with a new name. Check out Productive Homeschooling.

Free Homeschool Resources (Notebooking Pages & More!)

SQUILT LIVE! Music Appreciation

SQUILT Music Appreciation (my baby) brings live music appreciation lessons to children ages preschool - middle school.

A membership to SQUILT LIVE! includes two live lessons each month, a curated monthly listening calendar, and access to the ENTIRE ARCHIVES of recorded lessons and lesson packets - this is FIFTY additional lessons at your disposal.

Children need beautiful music - and the byproduct of a solid music appreciation education is a child who has developed the habit of attention and the ability to listen for intricacies in any piece of music.

You Are An Artist! Clubhouse and Video Lessons

I’m sure you know about Chalk Pastels, right?

One of my children’s most fond memories was when we had an Angry Birds day in our homeschool. The highlight of that day was our Angry Birds chalk pastel tutorial.

Chalk Pastels are just such a wonderful art medium for children. And, at You ARE An Artist there is so much to choose from. My personal favorite is the American Landmarks lessons.

American Landmarks from Sea to Shining Sea

Your Morning Basket/Homeschool Solutions

Another “good thing” in our homeschool has been (and continues to be) Morning Time.

At Homeschool Solutions, Pam Barnhill has ready made morning time plans, along with a lot of other tools to help you plan your school year effectively.

I love the subscription Pam has that includes 37 different sets of Morning Time plans!

That rounds out my online homeschool resource recommendation list! Do you have a favorite online resource for homeschooling?

Tell me about it in the comments below.

Moms, it’s HARD to step back from homeschooling your child.

We made the homeschool journey to college and now I’m passing off the baton.

Being replaced (well - replaced in the educational facilitator role at least) is an odd feeling.

For the past 18 years I’ve had a front row seat to everything in her life. Now it’s time to start moving to the balcony.

So many times in the past few months I’ve had BIG revelations (which I’m also considering affirmations) about how homeschooling high school has prepared my child for this next step in her life.

When your homeschooler goes to college it is difficult on a mama’s heart - but also wonderful at the same time.

While I grieve the daily presence of my daughter, my heart rejoices at the young woman she is becoming, and I absolutely love watching her tackle this next phase of her life. As I watch her fly I KNOW we made the best educational choices for her.

When your homeschooler goes to college you will watch any homeschool doubts you had vanish into the past.

Hard Times in the Rearview Mirror

I was always very honest with you about some of the hard times we had throughout homeschooling.

In my daughter’s homeschooling years we watched my mother battle cancer and pass away. We moved my father into an Assisted Living center. We watched my father-in-law decline and pass away.

These things are HARD when you are a teenager. (They are hard when you are in your forties and raising a teenager.) We kept going with homeschool and stuck together as a family. We found comfort in being TOGETHER each day and not apart.

Many days I just wished I could enroll my children in school. We actually toured private schools when my daughter was at the end of seventh grade. It took me a while to understand that I had to follow my child through high school - let her take the lead.

Guess what? Those times are behind us now.

I look in the rearview mirror and see experiences that grew and changed us. As my daughter and I have been talking about these things she agrees. Do you know how much good that does a mama’s heart?

When Your #Homeschool Child Goes to College

Confidence for the Future

Homeschooling gave my daughter some very specific skills that I am hopeful will serve her well in college:

organization (the child uses a bullet journal to keep herself incredibly organized - much more organized than me!)
communication skills (She knows how to speak to and email with adults - this is coming in very handy with her professors and advisor even before classes begin)
social skills (ironic, huh? Because of her involvement with multiple age groups in high school, she is great at walking into new situations and meeting new people)
money management (We made learning about money skills a priority - she has had her own checking account since the 9th grade and pays for everything on her own at this point. She understands how to transfer money, save money, and budget money. This is HUGE.)
time management (She’s been managing her own schedule for two full years. I think this will help her transition to the “freedom” college will offer.)

Mom Begins A New Journey

As a child leaves the nest you will still be mothering. You will obviously, however, have more time.

This article spoke to my heart. Motherhood (being a homeschooling mom) is not my defining role.

I still have another child at home to educate, but he will be leaving home soon, too. My identity is in Christ - not in how or who I homeschool.d

(Plus, now I will be spending much more time on my SQUILT Music Appreciation Curriculum, which brings me great joy!)

And let me recommend the book Release My Grip - it has been a wonderful source of encouragement for me.

A New Relationship Begins

I am enjoying a new relationship with my daughter - one where I am NOT her teacher.

(Can you hear me rejoicing in that?)

I have loved homeschooling her, but now it’s just great to be her MOM. And even more wonderful is the development of a friendship.

My own mother and I shared a beautiful relationship, and I can see this taking place now with my daughter. I am so thankful.

Pay it Forward

I feel strongly about this.

I now have a responsibility to encourage and assist other homeschool moms in the trenches.

We need each other. We need the emotional support. We need the nitty gritty sharing of details on how to get to graduation with our homeschoolers.

If you have graduated a homeschooler, help someone else behind you. If you haven’t graduated someone yet, ask someone older than you for help.

(Have you joined my private Facebook group, Equipping Homegrown Learners? This is where I love to encourage people.)

The next time I write to you I will have delivered Anna to college. I can’t promise I won’t cry, but I will try and hold it together until we are in the car and making the drive home to Atlanta.

I remember my dad telling me that my mom cried the whole way home after they took me to college. I thought that was so silly.

I wish she was alive now so I could tell her I understand.

Favorite Online Homeschool Resources