Insights On Education
§59-65-47  Statewide SC Home School Association

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Online Courses are published below the publisher section of this page.

 

Curriculum Publishers and Resources

 

ABeka Book
PreK-12 - Christian - Online ordering
Download their catalog or browse the catalog online and place your order. Find out about meetings near you.
Beautiful Feet Books
History through Literature - Literature-based history for Homeschoolers.

Bob Jones University
PreK-12 - Christian - Online ordering
A Christian curriculum publisher.  Online ordering is available.

Castlemoyle Books
K-12 - Secular - Online ordering
Castlemoyle Books is a Washington State-based company specializing in publishing and distributing multi-aged, multi-sensory, multi-learning-style, and individualized educational materials.

Children's Books   Lymon, SC company that offers most if not all books you'll ever need. New books and material at great prices. If you are able to visit them, be prepared to stay for hours.    You'll want to stay that long to see it all!  They have an online catalog as well.

Common Sense Press
K-12 - Christian - From dealers only
Publisher of many homeschool products including a complete language arts program for all ages, math manipulatives, books by Valerie Bendt and Gayle Graham, and more! New - Great Science Adventures.

Continental Press, Inc.
PreK-12 - Secular - Online Ordering
Continental Press, Inc., has been publishing supplemental education materials since 1937. Our mission is to develop quality materials for students, teachers and administrators at a reasonable cost.
Easy Grammar
Grammar presented in a step-by-step, building block approach for ease of learning.    Increased mastery because materials are reviewed throughout.

Felt Source
Felts - Educational and Bible - Online ordering
With felts, learning becomes fun and natural. The lessons learned aren't soon forgotten when you get to touch, move and play with the pieces!

Five In A Row
PreK-12 - Christian - Online ordering
Literature-based unit studies for children ages 2 and up. (The Bible supplements are available separately.) New: Above & Beyond FIAR is a literature-based unit study for children ages 12 and up!

Fun Felt
Felts - Educational and Bible - Online ordering
The Story Teller - Felt Educational Products.

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill  Leading publisher for businesses, trades, and technical two-year colleges maintains a catalog of secondary and postsecondary publications.

Greenleaf Press
Grades 1-6 - Christian - Online ordering
Greenleaf Press is a small family-owned and operated publisher and supplier of quality books for children. They are committed to "twaddle-free", living books.

Houghton Mifflin Company Specialists in home and educational markets. With links to its imprints, catalogs and student learning facilities.

Konos Curriculum
K-12 - Christian - Online ordering.
A biblically-based unit studies curriculum.  Order online, or by phone, fax or mail.
Learning Language Arts Through Literature
A fully integrated language arts program that teaches grammar, reading, spelling, vocabulary, writing mechanics, creative writing, thinking skills and more.

Macmillan Publishers Specializes in scientific and technical books as well as textbooks. Includes an introduction to the company and a history.

Macmillan/McGraw Hill Teaching Resources 

Robinson Curriculum
K-12 - Christian - Online ordering
Self-teaching K-12 curriculum. Use as a stand alone homeschool curriculum or as a supplement to your current school education.

Saxon Math
Find out about the Saxon Math program here.  Interactive placement tests available online as well as math games.

Sonlight Curriculum
PreK-12 - Christian - Online ordering
Sonlight features a unit study approach to history motivated by a Christ-honoring heart for the world.

Usborne Books at Home
PreK-12 - Secular - Online ordering
Usborne Books are wonderful, high-quality educational books, that are beautifully illustrated and designed in such a way to encourage children to want to read.

 


Online Courses

Companies offering free online courses that can be used as full subjects and/or as a component to a subject you are teaching at home.  Please read their website carefully to ensure you are teaching from the appropriate grade level for your child(ren). IOE is not endorsing these websites, so please use at your own discretion and discernment. Many of these are geared for more higher levels.

 

Curriculum Material and Resources:

Free Firewood:
Free online courses, curriculum guides, textbooks & reference materials. Foreign language, English & Language Arts, and 19th Century Schoolbooks links have been posted. 

Webteacher:
A complete, free computer course, originally designed as continuing education for teachers. This course more than meets the Maine computer literacy graduation requirements.

SCORE Cyberguides:
Free, extensive literature units for grades K-12

MIT OpenCourseWare
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology places most of their course materials free online for anyone to use. Some of the course packages are very complete, and advanced high school homeschoolers would be able to study the materials on their own.

 

 English Resources:

Paradigm Online Writing Assistant
This online course provides instruction and practice in the development of basic writing composition skills necessary for college-bound students. Each explanatory section comes complete with assignments. Also included is instruction in how to write four different types of essays: Informal, thesis/support, argumentative, and exploratory. This course could be used as a stand-alone course in composition, or the course segments distributed over several years of high school as part of another English course.

Principles of Composition
This is a complete course in English composition with interactive exercises and assignments, covering patterns and structures of composition. (Capital Community College, Hartford, CT)

Supplemental Resources: The Elements of style, by Strunk

 

English Grammar:

The Internet Grammar of English
This is an online course in English grammar originally designed for university undergraduates. It incorporates interactive and self-correcting exercises, and is a complete course in English grammar, easy to use. Because this is a British site, grammar terms may be slightly different than those commonly used in the United States. (English Department, University College London)

Traditional English Grammar: Description and Use
This is an online text/course with built-in self-correcting quizzes. This grammar course is in-depth, intensive, and for advanced students. (Don Hardy, Colorado State University)

Grammar and Writing
This is an interactive course in grammar applied to writing. Includes many online interactive quizzes and complete explanations of English grammar, with applications to written composition. (Capital Community College, Hartford, CT)

 

 

Literature:

SCORE CyberGuides, 9-12
SCORE CyberGuides are model literature units based on the California state standards. Each unit provides comprehension, analysis, and extension activities based on literature. 43 different book units are available; select according to student interest and reading level. All are appropriate literature selections for high school study.  

NOTE: You will need to locate a copy of each book. Some units use books that are available completely online. The following books from the SCORE CyberGuides unit series may be read online or downloaded free in their entirety: 

Huckleberry Finn (also available on audiobook)   |  The Canterbury Tales  |  Cyrano de Bergerac  |  Great Expectations
(also available on audiobook)  |     Hamlet  |  Julius Caesar   |   My Antonia   |   Romeo & Juliet   |    The Tempest

 

British Poetry of World War 1
A series of free online seminars exploring the poetry of World War I. In addition to traditional literary analysis, teaches students to evaluate original manuscripts (provided in digital format). For advanced students. (Oxford University, England)

 

 

Creative Writing:

BBC’s Get Writing Course
Beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of instruction and practical application exercises. Explore the site, then click on “mini-courses” to get started. (British Broadcasting Corporation)

 

 

Screenwriting:

The Basics of Screenwriting
A six-module course covering these topics: The Premise, Character Development, Screenplay Structure and Visual Storytelling, Setting the Scene, and Formatting Your Masterpiece. (American Film Institute)

 

 

Journalism:

News Writing
This is a video instruction series in the basics of journalism. 15 half-hour video segments, using online video-on-demand, with commentary by leading journalists.

NOTE 1: Requires DSL broadband connection.

NOTE 2: There is an optional a student text and teacher’s guide to accompany this video online course, but they must be purchased. The books are not absolutely necessary to use the video course. You may wish to listen to each segment, then design your own assignment to practice the video segment topic.

 

Debate:

Debate Central
This will link you to many resources on debate, including a 13-part “Critical Advocacy” streaming video series on the how-tos of debate (you will need at least the free version of RealPlayer to view these videos). Also included is the free syllabus, course instruction videos, and free online debate textbook used for Dr. Snider’s Fundamentals of Debate course at the University of Vermont. Used together, these resources could comprise a full-year debate course for high school English. (University of Vermont)

 

 

Math:

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
Basic Algebra course; interactive with online video. Originally designed for teacher training.  (Annenburg/CPB) Supplement this course with free online Algebra I textbook,
Understanding Algebra (Boise State University) Supplement this course with video lectures for Algebra. NOTE: Requires DSL broadband connection

Geometry
Basic geometry course; interactive with online video. Originally designed for teacher training.   (Annenburg/CPB)

Geometry of Art & Architecture
This companion site to a Dartmouth College course provides an approach to geometry that may be particularly appealing to arts-oriented students. (Dartmouth College). Supplement this course with
Euclid’s Elements.

Elementary Statistics
A basic elementary statistics course complete with 12 thirty-minute
video lectures,   assignments, quizzes, online calculator, and exams with answer keys. A complete statistics course. (Sofia Open Content Initiative)

Against All Odds: Introductory Statistics
This online video course includes 26 half-hour video modules and introduces the basic principles of statistics.

NOTE 1: Requires DSL broadband connection.  NOTE 2: Optional textbooks to accompany this course may be purchased.

Advanced Placement Statistics
This website offers the course outline, course materials, readings, teacher resources, assignments, projects, and sample tests for the Advanced Placement Statistics course taught at the prestigious Buckingham, Browne, & Nichols independent school in Cambridge, MA. You will need to purchase or borrow the required textbooks and calculator. (Buckingham, Browne, & Nichols School, Cambridge, MA)

Supplemental Resource: AP Statistics Course Description and Syllabi   You must register (it’s free) first, then you may download any AP Course Description and sample syllabi

 

 

 

Science:

AP Biology Online Syllabus
This is a massive and well-organized site, which includes reading assignments, teacher's lecture outlines, a timetable for the course, selections from online textbooks and hypermedia from leading colleges and universities (including MIT), and a large number of well-selected online activities to support learning the course material, including links to virtual labs. Although technically not an "online course," the materials could be used as is, accompanied by the recommended textbook, to more than meet the instructional requirements of AP Biology. You will need to purchase or borrow the required textbook, Biology(4th ed.), by Peter Raven & George Johnson. (McGraw-Hill, Publishers).   Supplemental Resource: AP Biology
Course Description and Syllabi You must register (it’s free) first, then you may download any AP Course Description and sample syllabi

General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II
(Less like a course and more like an online textbook) For advanced students with an excellent math background.

Concept Development Studies in Chemistry
An online chemistry textbook.

Physics I Online Course Outline
This site is actually a hyperlinked online textbook, not a full course. For advanced students.

Physics I, 8.01
This course is a first-semester college freshman level physics course available free in its entirety, including 35 videotaped lectures, from the MIT OpenCourseWare project.   “8.01 is a first-semester freshman physics class in Newtonian Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, and Kinetic Gas Theory. The website features lecture notes, problem sets with solutions, exams with solutions, links to related resources, and a complete set of videotaped lectures. The 35 video lectures by Professor Lewin, were recorded on the MIT campus during the Fall of 1999. Prof. Lewin is well-known at MIT and beyond for his dynamic and engaging lecture style.” The entire course, including video lectures, may be downloaded. For advanced high school students who are ready for college-level work. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology OpenCourseWare Project)

Nature Transformed: The Environment in American History
This is an extensive interdisciplinary, online, hyperlinked curriculum guide including essays, discussion helps, extensive links to related online resources and readings for each section. Students who complete all essay readings, participate in discussions if possible, and select several areas to explore further using the related online resources will obtain a strong foundation in environmental science as it has played out across American history.  (TeacherServe, National Humanities Center)

From Stargazers to Starships
A complete course, physics and algebra-based. (U. S. Government, NASA)

Teacher’s Guide to From Stargazers to Starships 

 

 

Social Studies:

Digital History
This includes a free hyperlinked online U. S. History
textbook, learning modules, classroom handouts and worksheets, active and problem-based learning activities, multimedia including online e-lectures, online virtual exhibits, and links to hundreds of primary sources and history reference materials. This site can be used to create either basic or AP U. S. History course content. (University of Houston) Supplemental Resource: AP U. S. History Course Description and Syllabi http://www.apcentral.collegeboard.com/ You must register (it’s free) first, then you may download any AP Course Description and sample syllabi.

 

The Western Tradition
Video instructional series; 52 half hour programs covering the scope of Western civilization. Uses video-on-demand, playable from the site.   NOTE 1: Requires DSL broadband connection.  NOTE 2: Site lists an optional textbook; if you choose to use this you will need to purchase or borrow it.

 

Divining America: Religion and the National Culture
Includes essays by leading scholars tracing religious issues and influences across American history. Extensive links to supplemental resources and primary source documents accompany each essay. Used together they provide a course of study in the history and influence of religion on American history and culture. (TeacherServe, National Humanities Center)

 

 

 

Physical Education:

Bowling
This course was originally part of BYU’s independent study program. This is a comprehensive one-semester college-level physical education class, appropriate for older high school students. (Brigham Young University) NOTE: Requires access to a local bowling alley.

 

Intermediate Swimming
This course was originally part of BYU’s independent study program. This is a comprehensive one-semester college-level physical education class, appropriate for older high school students. (Brigham Young University) NOTE: Requires access to a local swimming pool.

 

 

 

Foreign Languages:

 Beginners German
This provides a full German I course online, including extensive instruction in German grammar. 20 chapters of which 12 are currently online, practice exercises, online grammar lectures and reference section. Includes sound files. (University of Exeter, United Kingdom) 

Icelandic Online: Modern Icelandic Language and Culture
Includes all instructional materials and sound files. (University of Iceland)

Oggi e Domani
A complete, online Italian I course with interactive instructional components, sound files, quizzes, and tests. (University of New York at Brooklyn)

Francais Interactif
This is a complete college-level first year French course (corresponding to French I and French II of high school level French; one semester of college coursework usually equals one year of high school coursework). This course includes all the basics of language study -- vocabulary, grammar, listening, speaking, culture, and practice. The site is complete with sound files, grammar exercises, cultural information, videos, and even internet explorations. Grammar explanations and practice link to a clever sister site, Tex's French Grammar, which provides detailed grammar explanations for the entire French grammar plus sound files and interactive exercises for grammar practice. For high school French I, use chapters 1 through 6; for French II, use chapters 7 through 13. (University of Texas - Austin).

 

Ancient Greek with Thrasymachus
This extensive, complete curriculum guide includes detailed lesson plans for the teacher, materials for the student, and student exercises. The curriculum guide accompanies the textbook, Thrasymachus, by C. W. E. Peckett and A. R. Munday, and was written by a professor of classics at Duquesne University and a high school teacher of Greek and Latin at St. Paul's School (a private independent school). You will need to download a Greek font for your computer (directions are included).  (Alison Barker)  NOTE: It is helpful to have the textbook Thrasymachus, published by C. W. E. Peckett and A. R. Munday, Bristol Classical Press, 1990. However, it is possible to use the curriculum guide as is if you do not have access to the book.

 

 

 

Fine Arts:

Introduction to Music Theory
A basic music theory course; includes instruction, assignments, and sound files.

 

Sound Reasoning
This is a music appreciation course with built-in “listening galleries” and an interactive online workbook. (Anthony Brandt, Connexions)

 

 

 

Computer Technology and Applications:  

Web Teacher
Substantial course (more than 80 hours of instruction) covering internet-based computer literacy. Includes instruction in web basics, communicating online, multimedia, homepage construction, & peripherals and utilities. (Tech Corps)  

Web Page Authoring
This is a college freshman level course in the basics of html and web page design. Suitable for high school students. (Sofia Open Content Initiative). 

Computer Applications Tutorials
Links to online tutorials for many major commercial software programs, including PowerPoint, JAVA, Eudora, SPSS, PhotoShop, PaintShop Pro, Illustrator, HyperStudio, and Excel. (emTech)

 

 

Unit Studies:

Mr. Donn's Pages:    This site is enormous, and contains links to thousands of free unit studies and lesson plans for all subject areas. The history and literature unit study links are particularly impressive.

Science & Technology, K-6:
The New South Wales, Australia, science & technology curriculum, complete with lesson plans, experiments, and activities.

 

 

 

Classical Homeschool Material:

Classical Homeschooling.org
Extensive website on Christian classical homeschooling, including the free "1000 Good Books" booklist

The Perseus Project: The Internet's largest digital library of classical and Renaissance texts and primary source materials. For advanced classical education students.

Tapestry of Grace: Year 1 |   Year 2 |   Year 3   |  Year 4

 

Online Textbooks:

19th Century Schoolbooks: University of Pittsburgh Digital Research Library Demonstration Project
Free full texts of 19th century schoolbooks.

 

 

 

Organization/Records:

Young Minds:
The web's best site for free homeschool organizers, calendars, and other helpful materials.

The Original Charlotte Mason   Homeschooling Series:
The Charlotte Mason books are in the process of being digitized and made available free online. 

Homeschool Tracker
This free record keeping system works well with any homeschool method.