Web Sites and Resources
This page contains a list of various web sites and resources that will be of interest and value to homeschooling families.
FINS Members' Educational Websites and Videos
Read to Me Dad - children's stories read aloud showing each page by Jay Moore
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEkVFknO2a_yEEYTp8ztXiw/videos?shelf_id=0&view=0&sort=dd
Getting Started Videos by Barb Beideman -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Jzjw6doTA&feature=youtu.be - This is part one of a three part series on why and how to get started homeschooling. It covers reasons to homeschool, benefits and costs, setting goals, and curriculum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0URQYzp_-0s&feature=youtu.be - This is part two of a three part series on why and how to get started homeschooling. It covers styles of homeschooling, curriculum, scheduling, a typical day as well as tips for new homeschoolers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPvnggr4k_8 - This is part three of a three part series on why and how to get started homeschooling. It covers information specific to homeschooling in Pennsylvania and complying with the law. Resources related to this video are available here: https://sites.google.com/site/pittsburghfins/home/pennsylvania-homeschool-law
Homeschooling Middle School videos by Rick and Barb Beideman -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVkyz-MBUeA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBE9ylyFF1w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkxCETjmARo
Site About Writing by Josiah DeGraaf
General Homeschooling Sites
Christian Homeschool Association of Pennsylvania
Lots of information about homeschooling
General Homeschooling Resources
www.ck12.org online textbooks from California
www.learner.org video courses made for PBS
http://www.khanacademy.org/ The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere.
www.watchknow.org an attempt to organize learning videos
www.teachertube.com learning videos
www.educationworld.com a variety of resources
ww.edhelper.com (on-line educational supplements)
www.enchantedlearning.com (on-line educational supplements)
www.donnayoung.org - educational printables for a fee
www.iknowthat.com -free info on all subjects
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/ lots of good information and puzzle maker page
http://www.criticalthinking.com/index.jsp Critical Thinking Books and Software
http://www.oldfashionededucation.com Free curriculum site
http://www.amblesideonline.org/ Free curriculum based on the Charlotte Mason approach
http://allinonehomeschool.com/ Easy Peasy Complete Free all in one Christian homeschool curriculum
http://www.ellenjmchenry.com Homeschool mom's lesson plans and ideas for different subjects
http://downloads.cas.psu.edu/4H/PA4HPublications.pdf 4-H materials - many can be downloaded and make wonderful curriculum and projects
www.academicearth.org online degrees and video courses from leading universities
www.ocwconsortium.org open courseware consortium courses from universities and colleges all over the world - click on Use at the top of the page to get to the list. These are courses you could use at home and put on transcripts. Admissions departments of universities recognize these courses as having high academic quality. The courses often include the syllabus, tests, and hand-outs.
http://www.teach12.com/teach12.asp?ai=16281 Teaching Company - videos of college courses. Many are also available through the library
http://www.homeschoolshare.com has free resources for unit studies and lapbooks including Five in a Row
https://underthehome.org/home Free K-3 Charlotte Masson inspired curriculum
Testing Sources
http://www.christianlibertypress.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TS-CAT02
This is an online CAT test. Computer administers the test and results can be printed immediately.
http://www.setontesting.com/ CAT-E, Iowa, Terranova
http://www.familylearning.org/ CAT
http://www.HomeSchoolerTests.com
Woodcock Johnson III Individualized Achievement Tests for Preschool -- 12th grade.
http://thurbers.net/teatests.html CAT
http://www.mailordercentral.com/sycamoretree/ CTBS – Terra Nova
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/released-tests/ achievement test to use for practice
Oportunities through Carnegie Mellon
http://www.cmu.edu/gelfand/k12-students-parents/index.html There are dozens of opportunities for children to learn and grow at Carnegie Mellon. Many activities are held during the summer or on evenings and weekends during the academic year. We invite you to look at the programs that are listed to see if there are activities that are aligned with the needs of your child.
Co-ops
http://www.enrichmentday.org/ Enrichment Day co-op meeting at Fellowship Baptist Church, Economy Borough.
http://k12star.weebly.com/ - STAR co-op meets at Dorseyville Alliance Church
http://www.virtualhomeschoolgroup.com/ Free virtual co-op
http://saltpittsburgh.weebly.com/ SALT (Speaking About Life and Truth) speech and debate
Reading Resources
http://www.fcrr.org/ Florida Center for Reading Research excellent materials for teaching reading
www.starfall.com -free help to teach a child to read
www.bookadventure.com offers quizzes on many books and prizes
http://qa.bookitprogram.com/enrollment/homeschool.asp Pizza Hut Book It! Register in May.
Pathway Readers - books created for Amish schools. Request an order sheet by mail at:
Pathway Bookstore, 2580 N 250 W, LaGrange, IN 46761. Spring sale starts March 15 and ends May 31 every year.
https://www.robeson.k12.nc.us/cms/lib6/nc01000307/centricity/domain/890/24_ready-to-go_genre_book_reports.pdf - book report ideas and forms
https://www.scoilnet.ie/uploads/resources/19249/18943.pdf - graphic organizers that help create reading strategies
English/Grammar Resources
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kmn7v2cbj1n49sa/AAA3LCg4h4JvB4rQSS1MkKEFa?dl=0nal+find Free online writing and grammar workbooks from Scott Foresman
http://www.rfwp.com/mct.php Michael Clay Thompson materials for language arts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MCTLA/ a Yahoo group to discuss Michael Clay Thompson materials
http://www.sparknotes.com/sparknotes/ online study guides
http://gec.kmu.edu.tw/~lc/ecorner/eBook/Descriptive%20writing.pdf descriptive writing book with ideas and forms
Free performances at Grove City College. Children's theater is usually in mid-April. Fall and spring musicals as well.
https://my.gcc.edu/html5/apps/theatre/tickets.html 724-458-3331 or email theatretickets@gcc.edu
Public Speaking
https://sites.google.com/site/finsgavelclub/home Toastmasters Gavel Club meeting a CCAC (community college)
http://saltpittsburgh.weebly.com/ NCFCA Speech Club meeting in the North Hills
Writing Resources
http://www.time4writing.com/ Online writing for elementary through high school
http://www.writeguide.com/ Online writing courses and help
http://www.writeathome.com/ Online writing courses and help
Math Resources
www.math.com lots of math resources
http://coolmath4kids.com/ Cool math 4 kids is an amusement park of math, games and more - especially designed for fun, fun, FUN!
www.artofproblemsolving.com a variety of resources including many excellent free videos
http://www.singaporemath.com/ math curriculum - placement test are available at this site
www.mathcounts.org Math Counts competition and club for middle school students
http://www.moems.org/ Math Olympiads for elementary and middle school students
http://www.math-drills.com/ math worksheets
http://www.khanacademy.org/ The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere.
https://amysflashcards.com/ Resource site provided by local retired homeschool dad who also provides math tutoring
Mini Math Conference at Grove City College in March Dr. Kelleen Bonomo Email:khbonomo@gcc.edu
Science Resources
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/ - lots of great ideas for science fairs and fun science projects with directions
http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/programs/homeschool/ -here they list all homeschool classes
http://www.periodicvideos.com/# videos for the elements of the periodic table
http://www.scitechfestival.com/mainsf.asp Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair
www.tomatosphere.org science project involving growing tomatoes
http://www.ssp-pgh.org Faraday Lecture information
http://www.orwc.org/ This is the site with information about the Ohio River Watershed Celebration each September
http://www.streamrestorationinc.org/ Watershed information
http://www.khanacademy.org/ The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere.
http://www.county.allegheny.pa.us/parks/north-park/nature-center-programs.aspx North Park Nature Center Programs
Young Nature Explorers Class, second Tuesday of every month 10 am to 11 am, or 1 pm to 2 pm. Program for children and parent. Pre-register 724-935-2170
see schedule at https://sites.google.com/site/latodaminaturecenter/events-and-programs
Social Studies, History, Geography and Citizenship Resources
http://www.studentnewsdaily.com Provides current news stories and follow-up questions to encourage students to think about current events.
nationalgeographic.com has a geo bee quiz
http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq traveler IQ challenge at
www.sheppardsoftware.com-states
http://www.mccollam.com/fun/geoquiz/ geography quizzes
http://www.quia.com/mc/4.html matching game for state capitals
http://explorepahistory.com/ Pennsylvania History site with lots of information
Civics Resources
Foreign Language
https://www.duolingo.com/ free site for learning languages
http://www.openculture.com/freelanguagelessons free resources for learning 40 different languages
Music Resources
http://www.gmajormusictheory.org/Fundamentals/workbooks.html Free music theory worksheets
Computer/Programming Resources
www.openoffice.org free download like Microsoft Office
http://scratch.mit.edu - fun introduction to programming
http://www.learnerstv.com/course.php?cat=Computers resources for teaching computer programming
www.snopes.com -check out those urban legends that find their way into your e-mail
http://www.forthuntparent.com/academy/HTMLFrontPage.cfm?from=FINS&CFID=377417&CFTOKEN=b25e09aaffa03280-77C8F452-D9D9-671F-8826BE6E3C695CFA Free for now HTML 100 for kids nine and up
http://homeschoolprogramming.com/ computer programming for kids and teens
Typing Resources
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
Christian Resources
http://www.biblegateway.com/ -free Bible help with many, many versions of the Bible
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/spiritual_growth_for_kids/character_crew.aspx Developing Christian character in children
Gifted Sites and Resources
http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?A0=TAGMAX
You should be able to use this link to join TAGMAX national homeschool gifted list. Lots of traffic.
This link has some information about the TAGFAM electronic mailing list,
one of the oldest email lists for parents of gifted children. TAGMAX is a spin-off
of TAGFAM.
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/ Great site for all kinds of information and resources
http://www.cmu.edu/cmites/ C-mites special programs at Carnegie Mellon University
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~leap/ Andrew’s Leap summer program at CMU for middle school and high school students
http://www.stephanietolan.com/is_it_a_cheetah.htm Is it a Cheetah? by Stephanie Tolan
http://www.prufrock.com/ publisher of materials for gifted
http://www.cty.jhu.edu/ Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth
http://www.davidsongifted.org/ Davidson Institute for Talent Development
http://www.educationaladvancement.org/ Institute for Educational Advancement
http://educationaladvancement.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23:grc-overview&catid=11&Itemid=24 Gifted Resource Center with database to search for contests and scholarships
Special Needs Resources
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SpecialneedshomeschoolersofWPA/
http://www.nathhan.com/ National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network
http://home.earthlink.net/~tammyglaser798/authome.html -homeschooling and autism
http://www.fcrr.org/ Florida Center for Reading Research excellent materials for teaching reading
http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/ Catalog with some materials specifically designed for special needs
http://www.joyceherzog.info/Joyce_Herzog/Welcome.html -homeschooling special needs resources/curriculum
Buying Resources
http://curriculum.handinhandhomeschool.com/ Reviews, opinions, and feedback on homeschool curriculum
http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/homeschool/ Homeschool Buyers Co-op discounts on materials
http://www.rainbowresource.com/index.php Rainbow Resource Center - largest homeschool materials catalog
http://www.timberdoodle.com/ Fun catalog of homeschool materials
http://www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/events/warehouse/states.asp?st_abbrev=PA the Scholastic Warehouse in Munhall has periodic sales
Field Trips
http://www.fieldtripfactory.com/ field trips that can be set up locally
http://www.factorytoursusa.com/ -find cool places to tour all over the states
Contests
http://www.artandwriting.org Scholastic Art and Writing contest enter in the fall grades 7-12
http://www.chapcontest.com/essay_contest.html CHAP essay contest begins Jan. 1 ages 10-18
http://www.freewebs.com/pigmom/grovecityprojectfair.htm This is a project fair held in March
High School Planning
http://www.hslda.org/highschool
http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000000/00000019.asp
http://www.thehomescholar.com/
http://www.homeschooldiner.com/specials/high_school/college.html
http://www.everydayeducation.com/home/index.shtml
http://www.collegeconfidential.com/
http://www.collegeboard.com/html/apcourseaudit/teacher.html This is a great resource for creating your own AP course or just a general high school course. Scroll down and click the course that interests you. Many suggested resources will be available as well as four sample syllabi for each course.
High School Transcripts
http://www.hslda.org/highschool/academics.asp#transcripts
http://www.raisingrealmen.com/handouts/HomeschoolingHighschoolSampleTranscript2010.pdf
Discussion Groups
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homeschool2college/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hs2coll/
Courses
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/online_hs.htm
http://www.youtube.com/user/ucberkeley#g/p
http://www.virtualhomeschoolgroup.com/
http://www.khanacademy.org/ The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere.
http://www.learnerstv.com Video Lectures, Video Courses, Science Animations, Lecture Notes, Online Test, Lecture Presentations. Absolutely FREE.
http://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/ Highlights for High School features MIT OpenCourseWare materials that are most useful for high school students and teachers.
These are programming courses, starting from CS101 and up
Wider variety of courses
http://teacherweb.com/USA/BlueTent/Thompson/apt19.aspx
Online Honors and AP English courses
http://www.laroche.edu/academics/scip.htm
Scholar Credit Initiative Program at La Roche College for juniors and seniors in high school
http://www.openculture.com/freelanguagelessons free resources for learning 40 different languages
Testing
http://cty.jhu.edu/ts/grades78.html
http://sat.collegeboard.com/practicesat-question-of-the-day
College
https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/
http://www.collegeguide.org/itemdetail.aspx?item=f6837a32-967f-4d49-a174-72a13b6560bf&page=1
over 30 colleges (mostly private) listed and their requirements for homeschoolers
Financial Aid
http://mappingyourfuture.org/paying/scholarshipresources.htm
https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp
FINSPittsburgh@gmail.com