BJU Press Blog

Free Homeschooling–Is It Too Good to Be True?   

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The economist Milton Friedman once said, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” He was not just talking about lunch, but saying more generally that everything has a cost or a trade-off. The same is true when it comes to homeschooling. Many free homeschooling resources exist online that may provide a partial or surface-level “curriculum.” But there are often trade-offs in time, effort, and educational quality.    

Is homeschooling free?  

Homeschooling is not free. Even if you use free homeschool resources you find online, there is a significant added cost to your time. It takes time to put together a curriculum that will meet educational best practices and state requirements. While homeschooling is generally much cheaper than private school, it is not a tax-funded “free” service like public school. Whatever your reasons for choosing homeschooling over public and private school, you are making an investment in your children’s education. Investments, by nature, cost something.  

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Finding the Best 3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum for Your Child  

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Your curriculum choice in third grade is an important foundational decision for the rest of your homeschooling years. This is the year your child will transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Third graders also transition to more high-level thinking skills, and this may be the year you decide to start standardized testing. You’ll want to find a third grade homeschool curriculum that leads you and your third grader to success!  

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10 of the Best Books on Homeschooling 

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When my parents started homeschooling, there weren’t a lot of books on homeschooling available. Most families were still trying to figure it out. But we’re living in a very different time. Homeschooling is growing in popularity. We don’t have to grope around in the dark, wondering if we are doing it right. We have the privilege of learning from veteran homeschoolers who have written excellent books on homeschooling. These authors have shared wisdom about all kinds of issues that homeschoolers face—teaching multiple children, balancing homeschooling and housekeeping, overcoming discouragement, and more. These authors know our struggles. They understand that homeschooling is hard. These authors have also tasted the reward of homeschooling and know it is sweet. They have written books on homeschooling to help and encourage us in our own homeschool journeys. 

If you are looking to add some books on homeschooling to your home library or are looking for a gift to encourage a homeschool mom, here are 10 of the best  books on homeschooling that I’ve found. I don’t always agree with the author completely, and you may not either. But there are helpful parts to each one of these books that I think make them worth reading. 

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How to Find the Best 2nd grade Homeschool Curriculum for Your Child 

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I have taught second-grade to three of my children so far. Homeschooling second grade is a lot of fun. I can still remember some of the stories we read together in reading, the hands-on activities we did in science, and the shape poems we wrote in English. My daughters loved homeschooling, and so did I! Our homeschool curriculum played a huge part in creating a positive homeschool experience for my daughters. In this post, I’ve included tips to help you find the best second-grade homeschool curriculum for your family. 

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A Guide to Homeschooling on the Road  

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My family enjoys traveling to visit historic sites. We’ve had opportunities to visit places like Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown, King’s Mountain, Cowpens, Petersburg, Fredericksburg, Charles Towne Landing, and Patriot’s Point. Sometimes, while visiting one of these places, I think to myself, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could do this all the time?”  Although my family has not had the opportunity to travel the country full-time, many families do just that. Homeschooling on the road is becoming a popular form of homeschool. If you are curious about the roadschooling lifestyle or are thinking about trying it, read on for helpful information and tips. 

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