Using Supplemental Materials in Your Homeschool
In recent years, homeschooling has become an increasingly popular educational choice for families around the world. The flexibility and personalized learning experience it offers has made it an attractive alternative to traditional schooling. With advancements in technology, digital tools have emerged as invaluable resources for homeschooling families.
Supplemental resources serve as a great way to step away from the mundane of a school day or schedule, take a deep dive into a topic, or even as an outlet for additional educational fun.
In this post, we'll dive into what supplemental resources and materials are, why you should be using them, and how digital tools can help!
What is supplemental material?
Supplemental materials include any additional resources, activities, and strategies to enhance the learning experience beyond the core curriculum you're currently using.
It's important to note that supplemental materials in your homeschool aren't just worksheets or lessons. They can be anything from books, documentaries, movies, manipulatives, and more!
There are so many online courses and educational websites that offer a wide range of subjects and grade levels. In addition, virtual field trips to museums, historical sites, and national parks are on the rise and you can even give your kids a whole immersive learning experience without leaving the comfort of your own home.
Supplemental material goes beyond the internet, too! You can think about joining a local homeschooling group or co-op allows families to share resources, expertise, and organize group activities. These supplemental approaches enrich homeschooling by providing diverse learning opportunities and fostering a sense of community.
Why do you need supplemental material?
The short answer is, you really don't! You do not have to do extra assignments, complete alternative work, or even step outside the box to successfully homeschool. However, most people homeschool because of the idea that it gives their family flexibility. It allows for choice. It is different and it is fun.
That's exactly what supplemental materials do! They give you an opportunity to learn and grow outside of your regular curriculum, but with quality educational aspects that work alongside your chosen course or way.
Where can you find supplemental material?
Here at Homeschool Resource Co., we love digital material! For us, that means great downloadable content, webinars, classes, and opportunities! We love being able to share educational content that is affordable and high-quality!
Check us out on our YouTube Channel, Facebook, Instagram, or even here on our website, to learn more.
Where can you find/buy supplemental material?
There are so many great bloggers and brands out there that offer supplemental materials in the form of workbooks, worksheets, unit studies, and so much more. This is a very good idea if you're looking for free or low-cost material.
However, if you're looking for video or audio content you can look at sites like YouTube or streaming services. Documentaries and short stories are a great way to find material that can help answer questions about a topic or make it come alive for your kids.
You can also check out apps like Libby or Hoopla for audiobooks or ebooks, too! These apps are free and use your local library as a borrow-system without ever leaving your home!
Online Learning Platforms and Educational Apps
There are many online learning platforms families can choose to use to help supplement their homeschooling. With so many options, parents can find the best fit for their own beliefs, standards and curriculum needs. Check out some of the ones we've found below.
- Reading Eggs
- Homeschool+
- Musik At Home
- Flip Flop Spanish
- Music in Our Homeschool
- StoryQuest Academy
- Literacy Adventures
- FundaFunda Academy
- TrueNorth Academy
- NightZookeeper
Virtual Field Trips
These are so much fun to do! With internet the way it is today, the possibilities are truly endless. Take a trip to a museum through a YouTube channel, or go more formal by visiting the websites of the places you want to visit and see their virtual field trip opportunities. Many places have the option to sign up for specific events which makes it even more fun as there's something to look forward to!
Online Tutoring and Mentoring
Does your student need a little extra boost? Are you struggling to teach them all they need to know? Don't feel bad about bringing in an extra set of hands! You can easily hire an online tutor or mentor, set up recurring (or one time) meetings and they will help guide your students through whatever issues they are encountering in their learning.
You can use websites like Outschool!
What should you keep in mind when it comes to supplemental materials?
When you start supplementing your homeschool with online tools, you should start thinking about your goals and objectives. Here are a few questions you can ask prior to heading down this road:
- What are the specific academic or skill areas that your student needs help with?
- What are the learning goals or objectives you hope to achieve through supplementation?
- What are the preferred learning styles and interests of your child, and how can supplementation cater to those preferences?
- Are there any specific subjects or topics your child is particularly passionate about that could be further explored through supplementation?
- How will you integrate the supplemented materials or activities into your homeschooling schedule and ensure a balanced approach?
- Are there any financial considerations associated with the chosen supplementation methods, and how will you manage them?
- Are there any local homeschooling groups, co-ops, or extracurricular activities that can provide social interaction and enrichment opportunities for your child?
- How will you determine if what you're doing to supplement is actually paying off?
These questions can help guide your decision-making process and ensure that the supplementation aligns with your child's educational needs and overall homeschooling experience.
Incorporating digital tools and supplemental resources into your homeschooling journey opens up a world of possibilities, providing access to a vast range of resources, interactive learning experiences, and global connections.
By leveraging online platforms, educational apps, virtual field trips, collaborative tools, digital libraries, and online tutoring, families can supplement their homeschooling curriculum, enrich their child's education, and nurture their love for learning.
How about a giveaway to boost your Supplemental Learning Material Budget?
Even though it feels like summer just started, a new homeschool year will be upon us in no time! Have you started planning and prepping yet? Preparing for a new homeschool year is an exciting time, but it can also create feelings of overwhelm and stress! What curriculum should we use next year? What supplies do we need? And how are we going to pay for it all?
Many homeschoolers live on one income and have to stick to a strict budget that doesn't always allow for much wiggle room. That's why I've teamed up with a group of amazing homeschool bloggers to make getting ready for your new school year just a little bit easier and hopefully a little less stressful for you. Our hope is that we can bless a few homeschool families (although we wish we could bless many more) and ease a little of that financial burden and help you check some extra things off your homeschool wish list this year.
Three people will win a $250 gift card to either Rainbow Resource Center or Christianbook.com – two great places to shop for homeschool curriculum and resources, with the best prices around!!
To enter for your chance to win, simply use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Now I know this is quite a few entries, but each of these bloggers has generously chipped in their own money to make this giveaway possible, so I hope you will take the time to do all of the entries. And hey, the more entries you do, the better your odds are of winning!
Giveaway ends July 21, 2023 at 11:59pm ET. Must be at least 18 years of age. Must be a resident of U.S. or Canada to enter. Selected winners will have 48 hours to respond to email notification to claim their prizes or another winner will be drawn. By entering this giveaway, you agree to be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers (see the Terms & Conditions on the Rafflecopter form).
