A mum once asked on a homeschooling bulletin board if it is possible to homeschool without a library in town. I said it is because *I* homeschool without a library in town :) I told the sister that when I am in Singapore, I am the crazy lady with equally crazy kids dragging suitcases of books from the neighbourhood library. In Islamabad though, I make do and alhamdulillah, it really has not been a hardship. We are blessed with second-hand bookstores which have allowed us to build our own library of award-winning literature and reference books.
There are also lots of free online resources. I’ve been busy surfing (can’t sleep – must be all that paracetamol in my system) so I’ll be sharing links over the next few days in shaa Allah. (Aren’t you guys glad I’ve sworn off Facebook and Farmville?? :P)
So, to kick off my Freebie Frenzy, here is a site that I’ve found useful.
Lesson Pathways is a FREE online educational resource for grades K-5. It contains high-quality, pre-screened online units (Pathways) that are designed to serve as either a full curriculum or as a supplement to your existing lesson plans.
You can choose how to use their resources:
A Guided Journey is a 36-week learning plan in one of the core subject areas, for a specific year or grade level (ie. Year 1 Science). A Guided Journey is made of individual Pathways. You may follow our recommended Guided Journeys or mix and match Pathways to create your own 36 week course.
A Pathway is a single unit on a given topic (e.g. Animal Life Cycles). Each Pathway contains content for one week of instruction, depending on how often you teach a given subject. Each Pathway is made of multiple Stepping Stones.
A Stepping Stone is a single resource. This may be a lesson, video, worksheet, hands-on project, ebook, online game, or other activity (e.g. Create a Spider Life Cycle Poster). Multiple Stepping Stones make up a Pathway.
The site has a planner that allows you to assign, customise and track pathways for each child. If you already have a curriculum, then Lesson Pathways can supplement it by providing you with free online links and materials.