FREE Home School Resources
Happy Monday friends! As I write this post all about FREE Home School Resources, Lola (our kitten) is curled up on the couch beside me. The wind is making the leaves on the trees rustle outside. Its a cold and rainy Sunday night. Yes, the cold has officially settled in for us here on Long Island.
This weekend we celebrated Halloween, and thankfully after what seemed like a week of rain, we had a clear day! Even though the world is a little crazy right now, we were able to celebrate the holiday. The girls were in their costumes bright and early, and we headed out to the Cutchogue Diner for a late breakfast. It was delicious! If you are ever on the East End on Long Island (North Fork), this Long Island landmark is worth the visit!
After we stuffed our faces, we headed out to Harbes Farm for some pumpkin picking. Yes, we waited until the last minute to get this tradition checked off the list but, I am glad we did… we had our own little family adventure to make the day special. Sadie picked the tiniest pumpkin, Nora picked a small pumpkin, and I grabbed the goblin pumpkin!! I had no idea these existed but they look totally cool. And, I had the girls convinced if they touched it, their skin would start to change to look just like the pumpkin. 🙂
Hey, it’s Halloween, I had to scare them a little bit! If you have never heard of a goblin pumpkin, just drop it into Google and it will pop right up.
HOME SCHOOL UPDATE
Earlier this week, my phone pinged with a notification that the deadline for our first home school quarterly report (for the district) is almost due. To be honest, it is crazy to think that the first quarter of the school year went by so fast! But, its also the perfect time to share some of the best FREE home school resources we have curated on YouTube. Videos we’ve sourced to supplement our curriculum.
Bonus Read – Check out this post for more on how our journey into home schooling began!
FYI – these videos are great for Pre- K – first grade! Here we go… completely FREE home school resources coming at ya!
THE FOUR SEASONS
In the first two weeks of school, science was focused on learning all about the change of seasons. This video kept both of my girls engaged, they looked forward to watching it each day. And, at the end even my little PK3 student could tell me the four seasons!
Auditory Discernment
We had a blast playing these videos and trying to guess the sounds as a family. I got a few wrong myself – I thought the sound of a cat purring was a motorcycle! But, Mister Teach has a bunch of different auditory discernment videos – from farm animals to musical instruments.
Early Elementary Math
Okay, I am going to say it… Jack Hartmann makes learning fun! This video made me and my daughter laugh. But, its a fun way to get moving and learn how to count to 100 by 1’s! I totally just said that in a Jack Hartmann voice, lol. Watch it, your kids will love it!
Language Arts | Sight Words
We were first introduced to this video when we went remote last Spring. It was a breath of fresh air! It allowed us to forget about cabin fever, dance like maniacs and learn in the process! They have Pre-K and First Grade sight word videos too!
Health | Dental Hygiene
Personal hygiene and body awareness were huge focuses in our home school curriculum for the first quarter. My daughters are definitely on a routine with brushing their teeth but, this allowed them to see why it is important that the stick to their routine. When one of them whines about having to brush their teeth, I just have to say the word bacteria, and they are ready to start brushing!
MUSIC | THE RECORDER
This is a resource I learned about from another home schooling mom! And, I am so grateful (when our community shares free home school resources) because the book that I was trying to follow went right over my head. I am proud to say we are moving onto lesson 4. So, Nora and I both know how to play Hot Cross Buns, and Mary Had a Little Lamb! So far, these videos have been great!
FIRE SAFETY
This is a quick video series all about Fire Safety. It’s more geared towards the PK crowd, maybe even Kindergarten. Nevertheless, they are short and a great review for our first grader too!
THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Warning!!! This video references EIGHT planets! As a person born in the 80s, that took some getting used to (Pluto, I got your back!). But, this song is super catchy, and even helped me memorize the order of the planets in our solar system. This is the sort version. If your kiddo loves it, you may want to search for the 40 minute version where they get into the moons of each planet.
Community Helpers
I love the focus on community helpers in early education! Every time we hear a siren, the garbage truck or see our mail carrier, I remind the girls about community helpers. Its good for them to know about those who support our community, and even put their lives on the line for our safety.
MOVEMENT | YOGA
Yet another video series introduced to us during remote education last Spring. This is a great way to get kids moving through story telling. I’ve done a couple of videos with the girls, and she does move fast! But, our little balls of energy were able to keep up! Definitely worth a shot as we move into the colder months.
CLOSING OUT THE TOP TEN
These videos have been great supplements to our curriculum! I love breaking up our lessons and allowing our girls to learn the same material in different ways (hit em’ from all sides!). Have you watched any of these videos with your kids? Do you have a video that you love but isn’t listed? Let us know below!
Until next time,
