When deciding to teach a child at home, a parent should consider the types of homeschool supplies needed. It isn't necessary to purchase expensive curriculum in order to provide a homeschooled child with a quality education. Parents should use their creativity to organize materials for the homeschool classroom that will enrich their child's learning environment.
One important material to acquire is a basic library card from the public library. A library card provides a parent access to various resources, including books, videos, DVDs, CDs, audio books, and magazines. All of these resources can be used by the homeschooler as she studies a variety of subjects.
Internet access is another useful resource for parents. Many websites provide links to free lesson plans, worksheets, projects, and learning games. The Internet can also aid in research for history or current event projects. If a parent surfs the web long enough, she can often find a wealth of lesson plans and teaching aids to help her teach her homeschoolers in a variety of fun, hands-on ways.
Visiting yard sales, thrift shops, and educational stores can help a parent find educational games that will develop children's math and reading skills. These homeschool supplies are ideal for adding variety to the school day. Accessing websites for stores like Classroomdirect.com or Teacherstorehouse.com provide simple solutions to finding educational games that kids will enjoy playing as they learn a necessary skill.
The nuts and bolts of homeschooling materials include writing paper, pencils, crayons, markers, and ink pens. Some parents may even wish to invest in a small whiteboard or chalkboard to give the study area more of a classroom feel. Of course, the homeschooled child will need access to a variety of books, both fiction and nonfiction, in order to be surrounded by a print-rich environment.
Those who wish to provide their children with a more well-rounded education might wish to include classes in the arts. In this case, parents may want to purchase homeschool supplies such as modeling clay, paint, and paint brushes. To teach music appreciation, a parent might obtain CDs from a variety of music styles and time periods. Children can learn to play a musical instrument by taking private classes from a music teacher. Drama and dance may be other useful classes to teach a homeschooled child.
If a parent worries that she is not equipped to homeschool a child on her own, she can always purchase a homeschool curriculum in addition to other homeschool supplies. It's important to do some research in order to determine which commercially available curriculum is best for a child. Store-bought curriculum usually arrives by postal or delivery service.
Some packages include all the basic homeschool supplies a student needs to complete her school work. This includes paper, pencils, textbooks, and other important materials. Prices and program quality vary, so a parent should comparison shop before making a final decision.