Ten Homeschooling Resources and Must-Haves

You are looking for homeschooling resources.

You know it takes a whole host of must-haves. You just aren’t sure what they are.

Homeschooling our kids is a big job that requires balancing parenting, teaching, and learning. Especially if you are jumping into this because you need to unexpectedly as some are finding right now.

But it doesn’t need to be over-whelming.

Keeping your list of must-haves to a minimum, knowing what you really need and staying focused will eliminate a lot of stress from your homeschool.

What do you need?

1. A curriculum you love – Take your time. Do some research. Find out what is going to fit your kids, your family, your home and your teaching style. For me it was My Father’s World, Teaching Textbooks, and bits and pieces of fun things I found online. Be sure to check out what your state is offering for online learning. This is an incredible resource to families! If you have older kids, they can help with dual enrollment, transcripts and so on.

Homeschool Help Course – September & Co

2. A good tote – We like to move around when we do school. Many days, we found ourselves doing school at the park or on the way to a field trip or in the backyard. In the early years, I kept my teaching books and whatever the girls might need in one tote that was ready for schooling on the road. As the girls got older, they each carried what they needed for whatever they needed to get done in their own bag. Invest in some good totes or backpacks if you like to move around and want the flexibility of going somewhere with your learning.

3. A Teacher Plan Book – Having something simple like this really allowed me to keep track of each of the girls’ schooling and write down what we were doing each day. I love having all my records in one place. This of course can be done in a program online or in an app, but I like the feel of a paper book to see and make changes as we go.

3. A Good Printer – We have always done really well with a Canon printer/scanner/copier. This is something we use every single day. So have plenty of ink! If you really want to get serious, grab a laminator too.

4. Homeschool Conventions – This goes on my must-have list because it is an important time to gather information, browse curriculum and meet friends. Go to one at least once. You won’t be sorry. In the days of coronavirus, still check into what’s happening online for homeschool conventions and workshops!

5. Sticky Tac – I love hanging things around the house! Our morning routine or a new timeline or an encouraging poster or the girls’ newest artwork. Make sure you invest in sticky tac for this purpose. Find some fun things to hang up!

6. A comfortable, usable, organized school room. This is a must for me. Although we are on the road a lot, nothing replaces a good school area in your house. I suggest the basics so you aren’t investing too much money in a place you really don’t sit all that often. A strong school desk like this one from IKEA. We chose one with folding legs so we could put it away if we needed to. Get a comfortable desk chair for you and some good chairs for the kids. And don’t forget a few basic book shelves. You can find more ideas in a tour of our schoolroom!

7. Craft Supplies – Get a storage unit of some kind with drawers… I like this one… and fill it up with all the glue, glitter, buttons, cotton balls, paint brushes, stickers, coloring books, colored paper and whatever other fun, interesting craft supplies you can find! No matter what age your kids are in homeschool, every project deserves a little fun creativity!

Seriously, middle and high school moms… you’ll be shocked at how much your older kids will use these kinds of supplies or wish they had them on hand!

8. Devotions – Making sure Bible time is more than just part of your curriculum but a part of your day, your parenting and your teaching. Family devotions is something that can’t be skipped. You can check out our favorite devotionals here.

9. Technology – In our homeschool, we are not afraid of screen time. So much can be learned from a documentary or a youtube series or an interesting website!

10. Office Supplies – Nothing is more fun for a teacher to set up the schoolroom! This is where I splurge – other than curriculum – lots of great organizational tools to help us learn and stay focused. Think through what is messy and not working in your school area and find something to make it better!

A few bonus ideas:

Field trips – this always helps change things up!

Museum Passes – look for reciprocal passes that allow you into more museums for free

Homeschooling for the Busy Family – A 5 Days Series just for you!

What are your homeschool must-haves?

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