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(RC, Henty & more)
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The following sites contain useful homeschool materials. It is all FREE unless it's marked with a $. Although I have geared this mainly toward RC users, (and tried to mainly find printable materials) this material could be useful to any homeschooling family. Click on a subject that interests you, or scroll down to see them all.
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READING
- ABC Books - Phonics - Vocabulary - Free Books (online) - Reference Materials (online) - Literary Analysis / Summaries - Book Lists WRITING - Penmanship (and writing paper) - Copywork - Spelling - Grammar - Composition - Poetry |
ARITHMETIC
- Math OTHER SUBJECTS - History - Geography - Languages - Science - Miscellaneous Subjects OTHER LINKS - Helpful RC Sites - Helpful Homeschool Sites (general) - $ Materials for sale |
- READING -
ABC BOOKS
Printing tip: An easy way to print these double-sided is to use FinePrint, and combine jobs. Go to the FinePrint page to learn how easy it is. (Download FinePrint for free.)
Alphabuddies - lots of fun alphabet and number coloring pages.
Create-A-Book - alphabet and number coloring pages to print.
A Jan Brett Coloring Alphabet - beautiful pictures to color.
PHONICS
The RC phonics flashcards are meant to be a supplement to a phonics book or program. Below are some free phonics books that are highly rated. (Also some more phonics cards if you like).
(Another option is to buy a workbook at Walmart that contains phonics lessons. We used "Everything for Early Learning - Grade 1" - look by the school supplies.)
Word Mastery - Book in PDF format. Written in 1913 and considered by some to be one of the best phonics programs ever.
Reading Made Easy with Blend Phonics - Book in PDF format. This is supposed to be one of the easiest ways to teach phonics, and is also considered highly effective. Here is a link to a separate Table of Contents for this book.
Progressive Phonics - Has numerous free PDF books to download, print, and read along with your child to help them learn phonics. You can click on each book for a preview, to see what you think before downloading.
Alphabet and Phonics Flashcards - from Child Genius Magazine. You can start at the very beginning with the simple alphabet cards, or move on to the phonogram cards with words. There are 7 sets of flashcards to choose from.
Phonogram Flashcards from Jan Brett - These are very similar to the RC flashcards, except there are fewer of them. (And they have pretty pictures on them.)
Phonics Rules Review - Just rules, not in flashcard format.
Owl and Mouse Educational Software - Numerous free computer programs that teach children the alphabet, phonics, and reading. (Other subjects available, too.)
VOCABULARY
Cue Card - Make and print your own custom vocabulary flashcards with this totally free program. (I've tried this one and I think you could use it to make any kind of flash card you wanted.) Or use the program to quiz yourself, if you prefer to learn on the computer, without printing.
Real Vocabulary (SAT Vocabulary) - 5 lists of varying sizes available, created from a 2007 SAT test. Words from the smaller lists appear to be included in the largest one. (Learn more about these lists.) Finally, word lists sorted by difficulty! A great feature if you want to divide up the list through your child's homeschooling years. The old site (Sesame Words) indicated that the higher the number, the harder the word is. Though now they only say "by frequency," I assume the numbers still mean the same thing.
5000 Collegiate Words with Brief Definitions - (in HTML or PDF format) created by an SAT prep teacher to teach words you'll need for the SAT or similar tests. (Has 5000 words, compared to RC's 6,464.) Scroll down to the box beneath the word list to see why they say 5000 words is enough for the SAT.
High Frequency GRE Vocabulary and SAT Vocabulary - If you want to a lighter load of vocabulary, this list is only 750 words. (RC has 6,464.)
Puzzlemaker - Make vocabulary exercises using your vocabulary words. (Word searches, crosswords, and other word puzzles.) Just keep in mind that this is OPTIONAL. Your child can memorize vocabulary by using just flashcards, or a simple list, and probably doesn't need these games to learn. They're just to add some fun. Can also print solutions.
Quiz Generator - at Personal Education Press. Fill in your own vocabulary lists to create fill-in-the-answer or multiple choice vocabulary quizzes or worksheets. You can also print the solutions. (This site also has other generators besides this quiz maker.)
RC Vocabulary Quiz Index - Created for RC users. Includes quiz and solution for all the RC vocabulary words.
Book used in another curriculum, which may or may not interest you: (From the 1800s)
Word Building by Alonzo Reed and Brainerd Kellogg. Teaches about roots, suffixes, etc.
$ Vocabulary Exercises - from Robinson Books. This 10 volume set is a bit on the pricey side up front, but if you think of it as divided by the 13 years of homeschool, it works out to a little over $6 a year. Instead of flashcards it includes the following for each book in the curriculum that has accompanying vocabulary: A vocabulary list (words and definitions), 2 word searches (one has the word as a clue and one has the definition as a clue), a cross word puzzle, and a matching game (can also be used as a quiz, if you like). The book is comb-bound in 10 volumes and is over 1600 pages. (Or you can print all of this from the version 2.2 CDs, which may be a better choice. Then you can only print those you want, and make new ones for each child.)
FREE BOOKS
To Read: A list of sites is available at the bottom of the Free Homeschool Books Page.
To Listen To: A list of sites is available on the RC Audio Books page.
REFERENCE MATERIALS
1913 Webster's Dictionary - Same as on RC, but it's online and searchable. (Also available here.)
Or try the 1828 Webster's Dictionary - Popular among homeschoolers. (What's so great about 1828?) This online version is searchable.
Wordsmyth.Net Dictionary - This site has 2 searchable dictionaries. One is a regular version, and the other is a children's version. We really like this one!
1911 Encyclopedia - Same as on RC, only this is online, and searchable. Why 1911? It is considered by many to be one of the best encyclopedias ever written.
1611 King James Bible - Scanned images, same as RC.
LITERARY ANALYSIS / SUMMARIES
Pink Monkey - Free "G" rated literary analyses, summaries, study guides, reviews, etc. Use this site to teach students how to analyze literature, or read summaries to help you pick books for your children. They have numerous RC books, as well as many other great books you may be using for school.
Novel Guide - Want to teach proper literary analysis? This site has numerous RC books, as well as other great books you may want to add to your reading list.
Squashed Writers - Don't have time to pre-read books for your kids? This site condenses classics (a number of them included in RC) into half-hour (or less) short stories, for your quick perusal, while still using the author's own words. (Some are older versions condensed by Arthur Mee -- the man behind the "Book of Knowledge" encyclopedia, which contains condensed literature, and is recommended by RC.) Also see the Squashed philosophers section for Machiavelli, John Locke, etc.
BOOK LISTS
If you're thinking of creating your own curriculum, take a look at many booklists to get an idea of what other people recommend.
RC booklist - Printable plain list or printable table list (with lines).
1000 Good Books List - Broken up into reading levels.
Ambleside Online - You don't have to be following the Charlotte Mason method to find this book list useful. They have tried to use many books that are available online. (Those available are linked.) Organized by age.
Beacons of Truth Reading Lists - Sorted by age or subject. Nice to get an idea of the reading level of so many books you've heard of.
The Best of the Best - Book lists from "Citizens for Literary Standards in Schools". List of nice books.
Classics List for Children and Youth - from a Thomas Jefferson Education. Many online. Separated into 2 age groups.
A Child's Reading List - from Eagle Forum. Difficulty level is rated, and books are also labeled as being best suited for boys, girls, or both.
Debi's Twaddle-Free Reading List and "Living Books" - Neat list of books we've all heard of. Many of these are also available free online, but her list links to the books at Amazon instead. Arranged by age, and some by subject.
The "Good Books List" - by John Senior. Arranged by age. Most of these are available online for free.
AR Book Finder - This site doesn't have a book list, but you can enter a book title and search for its reading level.
- WRITING -
PENMANSHIP
Handwriting for Kids - Printable penmanship practice for those learning printing (manuscript) or cursive. Click on "Alphabets and Numbers" to get the templates. The tracing guides are a great place to start. They have numbered arrows to show HOW to form each letter correctly.
Handwriting paper - Good blank writing paper (with the dotted middle line) in numerous formats and sizes. Very little wasted space when you print these!
Custom Tracer Pages - Available in 3 font styles. What you type will be printed in dotted lines for the student to trace. You could also use this for copywork by typing a sentence and leaving the rest of the page blank for them to fill in. Unlike some other generators I've seen, this cursive font actually connects the letters properly.
Dexterity Exercises - Printable practice for early writers and pre-writers. Use the buttons on the right to change the shapes. Also try the next level of difficulty.
Handwriting Articles
Why teach cursive first? - Interesting article at LITHBTH Educational Services.
Handwriting is on the wall - Studies show that better handwriting helps kids express themselves better, and write more complex sentences. Interesting article.
COPYWORK
What is Copywork? - A brief explanation of the concept of copywork (why and how). Some parents have the student copy a passage, while some have the student copy one sentence repeatedly until the page is filled up. Maybe doing some of each will suit you. (The latter may be a good way to help with something you want the student to memorize, or to help cement a certain principle in their minds.)
Custom Tracer Pages - Available in 3 font styles. What you type will be printed in dotted lines for the student to trace. You could use this for copywork by typing a sentence and leaving the rest of the page blank for them to fill in. Unlike some other generators I've seen, this cursive font actually connects the letters properly.
Leaves of Life - Free online text. Provides an average of 4 copywork excerpts for each day of the year. Includes morals, quotations, poems, scriptures, etc. (Look in Penmanship section for printable writing paper.)
The Young Gentleman and Lady's Monitor - Free online text. Set up in short, numbered segments, perfect for copywork. Includes morals, quotations, poems, etc. (Look in Penmanship section for printable writing paper.)
Handy Dictionary of Poetical Quotations - Short selections from famous poetry, which may be appropriate for copywork. (Find more free books of quotations here.)
Christian HS Copywork - Free Yahoo Group that will mail you a week's worth of copywork at a time.
Copywork Fonts - Create your own copywork pages with these fonts:
Cursive with dashed lines (use \ instead of space bar to keep the lines between the words, and to make extra lines for writing) I like this one because the letters are actually connected.
Manuscript with dashed lines (use the ` key [just below Esc] instead of space bar to keep the lines between the words, and to make extra lines for writing)
SPELLING
Free Spelling Course - Includes lessons, rules, exercises and answers. Can use online, or copy, paste and print out.
Susan Jones' Spelling Rules - Complete list of spelling rules for nouns and verbs.
McGuffey's Eclectic Spelling Book - Use the PDF version to retain all the original phonetic markings. Or get the PDF from IA or from GB.
The American Spelling Book - by Noah Webster. The classic "Blue-Backed Speller". Or try The Elementary Spelling Book: Being an Improvement on The American Spelling Book, also by Webster.
100 Most Often Misspelled Words - Includes tips on how to remember the correct spelling. Also followed by 150 more words, and a mispronunciation section. What a great list! I think I'm going to brush up on my own spelling.
$ Professor Klugimkopf's English Spelling - Buy this RC book already printed in hardcover or paperback. (Scroll down for paperback.) Discounted price for RC users. (Or you can print this from RC version 2.2.)
GRAMMAR
English Grammar: Explanations and Exercises - by Mary Ansell. A free grammar book that covers the basics. Includes exercises and answers. Can download and print, or use online.
English Synonyms and Antonyms - by James Champlin Fernald. Free book that includes exercises. In text or HTML at PG, or get the PDF from GB.
Online Grammar and Writing Handbook - in PDF format. Grades 1-6.
Owl-Online Writing Lab - Grammar, spelling and punctuation. Free lessons in HTML format. Exercises include an answer key. Available in a printer-friendly HTML version, or PDF version. (Also listed under spelling section.)
$ Professor Klugimkopf's English Grammar - Buy this RC book already printed in hardcover or paperback. (Scroll down for paperback). RC users get a discount. (Or you can print this from RC version 2.2.)
Books used in another curriculum, which mayor may not interest you: (These are from the 1800s)
Graded Lessons in English - by Kellogg and Reed in text format. (Or PDF scans at GB.)
Higher Lessons in English - by Kellogg and Reed in text format. (Or PDF scans at GB.)
This following book's not used in the other curriculum, but since the above books have no answer keys, you may find it useful. A Key Containing Diagrams of the Sentences Given for Analysis in the 2 books listed above. (Scans at GB.)
COMPOSITION (or Rhetoric)
English Usage, Style & Composition - A list of free grammar and composition books (old and new) in HTML at Bartleby.com. (Includes the classic "Elements of Style")
Paradigm Online Writing Assistant - Free, complete essay writing course.
Owl-Online Writing Lab - Complete course covering all aspects of writing. Free lessons in HTML format, including exercises and answers. Available in a printer-friendly HTML version, or PDF version.
ABCs of the Writing Process - Free online course, good for younger students.
Book used in another curriculum, which mayor may not interest you: (From the 1800s)
Text-book on Rhetoric - by Brainerd Kellogg
POETRY
30 Days of Poetry - Free lessons.
- ARITHMETIC -
MATH
Note: The flashcards on RC are add and subtract with answers up through 18, and multiply and divide through the 12s. The cards on the CDs are to be printed and folded over. Or instead you could buy similar cards for a low price, write your own on index cards, or download some listed below.
My Math Facts Flashcards - At this site. (PDF) These contain the exact same math facts that are on the RC flashcards, but these print out double-sided. No more folding, taping or laminating. Just get some cardstock, print and cut! (Contains add and subtract up to 18, and multiply and divide through the twelves.)
Mathematics Enhancement Programme (MEP) - Free online math curriculum. (Scroll down to "School Curriculum Materials.") Used in British public schools, but also now used by some homeschoolers. And if you want to discuss using this program, here's the mep-homeschoolers Yahoo group you can join for free.
Math Compass - Great free program for practicing on the computer. Has a flashcard style layout (not printable) and includes add, subtract, multiply and divide. Also has a math worksheet generator and math games.
Math Facts Worksheet Generator - Free program from Schoolhouse Technologies. (There are many other generators online as well.)
Graph Paper - Free customizable graph paper.
$ Saxon Math's Website - See all of the materials they have available. (But remember that RC users get a 20% discount when buying through the RC site. [See Below] ) Available at their site are various Placement Tests, if you don't know where to start your child.
$ Saxon Math Discount - RC users get a 20% discount when you buy through RC. You'll need your RC serial number when ordering. (Located on a sticker somewhere inside the CD case.) This link goes to the order form. (You don't have to buy all of them at once for the discount to apply.)
- OTHER SUBJECTS -
HISTORY
G. A. Henty - Visit Preston Speed Publications or see Henty.com (a Robinson site) to learn why books by G. A. Henty are a great way to learn world history.
Charlotte Yonge - Learn why her books are another great way to learn world history. (She wrote great historical fiction, like G. A. Henty, but her books may be more appealing to girls.)
Our Timelines - Free timeline generator. You just provide a name and some dates, and it fills in the rest. You can add your own personal events that will be interspersed with the world events. Really helps put things in perspective, especially when looking at the life span of an ancestor or historical person. Great tool for history, genealogy, or for fun. Also makes a printable version in b & w.
The Encyclopedia of World History - at Bartleby.com. The 2001 version. Can use just parts VI and VII for post-WWI history (after about 1922 is not covered in RC because of copyright issues). If you know any other great resources to cover post-WWI to modern times, please let me know and I'll post it here.
The Library of Congress - View their online collections (books, maps, historic photos, etc.)
U. S. Historical Documents - Covering all of US history to present day.
The Avalon Project - Historical documents covering all parts of the world, up to present day.
GEOGRAPHY
Owl & Mouse Educational Software - Many free U.S. and World geography learning games. (States, Countries, Land features, printable maps, from small to giant size.)
Seterra - Free geography program provides detailed information about our world. Teaches countries, capitals, cities, and flags.
Geography Tutors - Free programs to brush up on geography. (US, Europe or Africa)
States and Capitals - Learn about the 50 states online, print maps or blank state maps to label.
Blank Maps - World, U.S. and individual states.
Free Virtual Field Trip - Because it's not possible to visit every place you'd love to go.
LANGUAGES
American Sign Language - Free lessons with animations.
Free Online Language Courses - Links to free materials to learn more than 100 languages.
FSI Language Course (or alternate link) - Free materials to learn more than 30 languages. Even includes mp3s so you can hear the words spoken. (I'm interested to hear from anyone who's used their site [or others listed here]. Let me know what you think.)
Textkit - Greek and Latin Learning Tools - Free downloadable materials to learn Greek or Latin.
SCIENCE
Online Biology Book - RC doesn't contain a Biology text, and this one's free. I don't know how printable it is, but you could probably make it work. (If anyone's used this book, I'd be glad to hear what you thought of it.)
Geology Resources - Download the free PDF files about many subjects, such as: Plate tectonics, Caves, Volcanoes, Fossils, etc. See the educational resources section.
Celestia - Free 3D space simulation. Probably the nicest planetarium software I've seen.
Solar System 3D Simulator - Cool free program for your computer. Shows orbits and teaches you about each planet.
Kite Modeler - Free program explores the physics (and math) of creating different kinds of kites. Program helps you design a kite and shows you how it would fly in real life.
Skeleton Puzzle - Learn about the bones in the human body with this online puzzle.
The Virtual Body - Interactive web page. Contains brain, skeleton, heart and digestive tract.
Human Anatomy Online - Interactive web page. Choose any of the body's systems to learn about. Contains all body systems (including reproductive) so you may want to use for older children.
MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS
Harvard Classics Reading Guide - 15 minutes a day for a year will cover the best parts of these classics. (Harvard Classics available at bartleby.com.)
Famous Paintings Art Appreciation Lessons For Kids - at Garden of Praise. See the picture, read about it, and the artist. There are corresponding worksheets, activities and coloring pages. Use the online links to view in color, or print out in color or b & w.
Future Christian Homemakers Lessons - Free Home Economics lessons covering kitchen skills, house cleaning, sewing, etc.
Jon Schmidt's Note Reading - Download free book and learn to play piano.
Keyboard and Music Theory - Free lessons in HTML or PDF, and Garden of Praise. (Click on "Teachers" and find "Keyboard/Piano Lessons.")
Note Reading and Music Theory - Free downloadable program to learn all about music, or just how to read it.
Homeschool Drivers Ed - Learn about driver's ed options for homeschoolers, and read about Parent Taught Drivers Education at HSLDA. Both pages offer useful links. Course discount available to HSLDA members. (Be sure to check your state's driver education requirements before pursuing online or home driving courses.)
- OTHER LINKS -
HELPFUL RC SITES
Robinson Curriculum Official Site - This site is big. But it's good to take some time and learn about this before you decide to get started. You don't have to agree with all of his theories for the curriculum to work. But much of what he says is quite useful. (It's helpful to get a basic understanding of the curriculum before you figure out how to tailor it to suit your family.) While you're getting used to using the curriculum you'll probably come back here again and again. There's so much information that it's easy to forget some! (You can also read much of the same information in the "Course of Study" and "Application Guide" that come on the RC disks.)
Summary of RC - Note: This is written by the man who created RC. But it is quite a bit shorter than the RC site, so it's a good place to start.
Joyful Light Education - A very useful site. Has the RC booklist sorted in a different reading order. Also provides tests for many more of the books. Some ideas on bookbinding methods, tracking (for those in states where that is required) and more.
Weekly Assignment Record - Free RC tracking sheets.
Robinson Forum - at the Robinson Curriculum site. Search here for answers to your questions about using the curriculum.
Robinson Users For Christ - A Yahoo group with helpful people, and also some free files you may find useful. You must sign up for this group, but it is free, and you can always "un-join" later if you like.
HELPFUL HOMESCHOOL SITES (miscellaneous links)
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) - Learn about the legal requirements for homeschooling in your state.
A to Z Home's Cool - A very large site of all things homeschool. Represents many different homeschool philosophies.
AR Book Finder - Enter a book title and search for its reading level.
Author Jan Brett's Home Page - Many of the sections on her page have free educational printables. Her artwork is irresistibly cute!
Clipart For Covers - The following are a few of my favorite sites for clipart.
Printable School-Year Calendar - at Printfree.com. Scroll down to find the one called "12 month School Year Calendar with Date Boxes". These go from July - June. It's good for keeping track of which days you did school, and it fits on one page. (I print mine on cardstock to last all year.)
Pass Books - Free textbooks developed for Florida Public Schools. May be of interest for additional science that doesn't require higher math. Just click "download books" for free PDF files. (Downloadable in sections for slower connections.) Subjects: English, Foreign Language, Language arts, Math, P.E. and Health, Science, Social Studies.
MIT Free Online Courses - (college or high school level.) Google "free online course" or "free courseware" for more sites like this.
Free practice tests - ACT, SAT, and GRE
Sheppard Software - Free educational software for schools and homeschools. (Presidents-Mania, States-Mania, Astro-Mania, Geography, SAT/GRE Crash Course, etc.) Codes provided for otherwise shareware programs.
Owl & Mouse Educational Software - Great free games to download. Many geography, and reading programs, printable maps, and some educational crafts.
PBS - Why not take advantage of educational programming? Look up your local PBS station's programming schedule, and tape the educational shows you're interested in. Check your local station and sign up for a preview newsletter, if possible. (May be in a teacher section.) If not, here's the general PBS Preview Newsletter you can sign up for.
Emergency Homeschool Plan - at Ambleside Online. A plan for temporary schooling, using free online materials. Created for any emergency schooling situation, whether or not the child was previously homeschooled or not.
$ Discounts for Homeschoolers - A list of stores that offer discounts to educators, including homeschool teachers.
BOOKS AND MATERIALS FOR SALE
$ Robinson's printed books page - A few RC, and all the Henty books. Also Grammar and Spelling books.
$ Dover Publications - Many of the RC books (and other classics) are offered here at very low prices. They also have a few Henty.
$ Preston Speed Publications - They offer many Henty books, as well as some study guides, and a few books by Charlotte Yonge. Available in hardcover, trade paperback, or featherweights.
$ Love to Learn - The funnest HS store I've found, and with great prices. They carry: Saxon math books, some RC and Henty books, as well as other great classics (use the "Home School Resources" drop-down menu and click "Good Reading"), Bible learning and other great HS materials.
$ Homeschool Classifieds - Find good prices on curriculum here. (Books, Henty CDs, or the entire RC curriculum on CD.)
$ Used Curriculum Materials. List of places to look for used materials. Also check out eBay, or one of these forums: "Robinson Forum" and the "Robinson Users For Christ" group (people list their used materials at both of those, but more particularly the latter).