There are many good companies and lots of information on the Internet for home schooling resources. Here are a few that I have tried and feel good about recommending.
Sonlight
Make learning exciting and fun with Sonlight Curriculum’s literature-based homeschool packages.
We used the Sonlight when we started homeschooling in 1997 because I love the literature approach to learning. We read real books to learn things and not just text books. Also, the Instructor Guides are very much like Motivated Moms for homeschoolers! There is a column for each day with what work to do, pages to read or questions to answer each day. Although the check list is helpful, it’s not rigid and we could mark off things we didn’t want to do, add things we do and move things from one day to another. I liked knowing what was expected of me while homeschooling each day and being able to see what we’ve accomplished.
Five in a Row
I switched to Five in a Row when I had more than one child homeschooling. The books are now beloved and have a special place in our hearts (and on our bookshelf). The forums there are a great community.
Language Arts
For learning to read, I have used a few different programs for my children.
We first used Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. It is scripted and really helped me as a new homeschooling mom. My first and second children used this one.
My third child used Reading Made Easy by Valerie Bendt. This one is also scripted, like 100 Easy Lessons, but I had heard Valerie speak and loved how her heart for her children came through in her books. Check out her website for all her products!
With my fourth child (my baby) – well, he learned more organically. We did a bit of Phonics Tutor on the computer to get some of the sounds down but we are a family of avid readers and thankfully it came very easily to him.
Math
We have used many math programs in our homeschooling career so far!
I first used Making Math Meaningful by Cornerstone Curriculum. I loved the elementary program in particular with it’s script for the teacher. Later on it moves to teaching directly to your child.
Next we moved to Math-U-See. The videos are great aids for teaching concepts – I would just watch them with my children. There are plenty of practice problems provided, but you only need to use as many as your child needs to understand the concept.
My oldest child used several levels of Chalkdust Math. This is a DVD teaching program that accompanies a math textbook. This program is one of my favorites because the instructor is great at explaining concepts!
My second child used ALEKS math for 3 levels in high school – the student does all work online, it is graded automatically and you can view reports at any time. It was a good fit for this student.
My third child has been using Teaching Textbooks for the past 2 years. We are using the automated grading versions and it’s been very helpful for me and he is doing well with the program.
My fourth child is using Life of Fred. I have to admit, I find this to be the most enjoyable math program I’ve used in my 17 years (so far) of homeschooling. Fred is a 5 year old boy who also happens to be a professor at a University and has a lot of adventures.
Science
Sonlight has some great science packages. I love how they have a box of supplies and I only have to provide common household items to be able to do the experiments.
For the past few years we have been involved in a homeschool co-op for science that uses the Apologia books for elementary through high school. I found out that doing science at home didn’t work well for me in the upper levels because I am averse to anything disgusting or extremely messy. 🙂
We just love the Moody Science Video Classics. They are science videos from a Creation viewpoint. They are beautifully filmed and very interesting. They are older and don’t have all the computer animation and flash and dash but are wonderful to watch.