Free Online Homeschooling

Enrolling in a free online homeschooling program provides parents with a flexible curriculum and support. With multiple options available to choose from, parents can find the program that suits their families and needs the best.

Programs that Provide Free Online Homeschooling

Most online programs require enrollment (meaning that you have to register and be present for classes), there are a few that do not require students to enroll. Each of the online programs provide parents with resources and instructional materials, making it easier for parents to focus on teaching.

The K-12 Free Homeschool

A Christian-based program, K-12 Free Homeschool provides a core curriculum, tuition free. Once a student is enrolled into the program they receive:

Interactive CD-ROMs
Textbooks
Workbooks
Audio programs
Video programs
Homeschool activities online and offline
Software for grading
Software for record keeping
A complete curriculum with more than 140 Bible-based courses

Parents are asked to pay a small shipping and handling fee for the materials.

A flexible program, the course content of K-12 Free Homeschool is adjusted based on the needs of each child. Parents can mix the grade levels of the subject materials according to the level of the child in each subject area.

The school offers optional fee-based upgrades which include:

Unlimited assistance by a homeschool teacher
Elective courses
Creation of a portfolio

Ambleside Online

The free curriculum provided by Ambleside Online follows the methods used by Charlotte Mason in her correspondence and private schools.Parents receive access to the curriculum guides, book lists and online books for their grade level, from kindergarten through twelfth grade, and a weekly schedule following a 36-week school year. Adherence to the schedule is optional as it is intended as a helpful resource for pacing the amount of reading a student must do. Parents do not need to register or notify Ambleside Online that they are using the material on the website. Joining the email list provides access to support; however, it is not mandatory. The program does not include a math program, a foreign language program or a preschool phonics program.

Available resources include studies in the following areas:

Bible study
Picture study - art appreciation
Folk songs and hymns
Composer study - classical music appreciation
Nature study - science
Study of the lives of Plutarch and Shakespeare
History
Geography

Abacus Educational Service

The Abacus Educational Service, in association with the Excellence in Education Academy, provides free online classes and a virtual classroom for homeschoolers everywhere. This collaborative effort is an online educational experiment in response to the need for online homeschooling facilities. Abacus Educational Service uses the famous course management system, Moodle. Homeschooling parents download the Moodle user guide and add themselves as a teacher. They are then ready to share their expertise in an area.

Fee-based online homeschool courses are also offered by Abacus Educational Service.

Connections Academy

Connections Academy offers free, public schooling for grades K - 12. They are fully accredited with state-certified teachers who guide the program. Upon enrolling, each child receives all text books and materials free-of-charge. Parents are actively involved in the program as Learning Coaches, and work closely with the teachers to provide a unique and individualized lesson plan for each child. To help children socialize, the program has ctivities, clubs and field trips.

Connections Academy also offers an online private schooling option for a fee.

Free World U

Free World U offers curriculum for grades preschool through 12. The program uses accelerated learning methods that are faster than conventional methods, and offers a rolling enrollment, meaning children can join at any time during the year.

Information is given via flashcards in small facts that students can mark as correct or incorrect and sort into learned and unlearned categories. More than 20,000 flashcards are available on the site with additional content added frequently.

Students can use the flashcards and projects on their own or enroll in the accredited program which includes project learning, student assessments for individualized lesson plans and socialization.

The Head of the Class

The Head of the Class allows you to customize your child's curriculum by mixing grade levels and multimedia presentations. The curriculum is for preschool through grade 8 and includes worksheets, videos and interactive programs for all levels and subjects. Options include:

Videos of art projects and music
Worksheets
Coloring pages
Foreign languages
Strategies for customizing the plan to your child's level and ability

All content is free and can be used collectively or as a supplement to other homeschooling programs.

Splashes from the River

Splashes from the River is a DVD and online streaming site for English, grammar and essay courses. While these programs are paid, the site also offers a free online spelling course from grades 6 to 8. The course consists of 30 lessons, each with approximately 20 new words and several exercises to incorporate them into vocabulary and learn the proper spelling of each one.

National Repository of Online Courses

The National Repository of Online Courses offers several free programs for high school students and for AP and honor students. Classes include algebra, physics, history, calculus and biology. Each class includes a syllabus, unit work and class extras.

K12 Online Public Schools

K12 Online Public Schools offers programs for both K - 8 and high school. Courses are taken online with assistance from teachers through email, web meetings and the telephone. The program offers:

State certified teachers
Flexible pacing
Individualized lesson plans
Loaner computers and subsidized internet in some circumstances

All courses are completely free and emphasizes independent work, with a structure that slowly decreases the amount of time that parents are needed to act as "learning coaches" for their child's education.

Not all states are part of the public school program of K12, however, the program does offer courses and resources for all homeschooled children.

Softschools.com

Softschools.com has free math and phonics, as well as math, phonics and grammar games and online lessons. Programs include:

Science
Language Arts
Social Studies
Math
Phonics and Grammar

Quizzes, games and themes are also available. The program is aimed at Pre-K through Middle School.

Get Started with Online Schooling Today

As more families leave the structured setting of a traditional classroom, the need for free homeschooling resources continues to increase. More programs are being added and created everyday, so getting started is becoming easier than ever before. Enroll your child in a free online program, or simply utilize any of the individual courses to supplement your homeschool program and save on homeschooling resources today.