TV4H Resource List - Groups, Classes, Curriculum and More
Welcome to a Connecticut Co-op’s Homeschool Resource List!
Thames Valley 4-H Homeschool Co-op has compiled this list of resources, divided into categories that are listed in alphabetical order, from homeschooling families within our cooperative, with the assistance of two outside teachers whom we trust. This means one of us has personally used or read through each document/source listed here. This list was a labor of love and is meant to be shared. However, we do have a few requests when you share it:
1. Please do not use public forums or social media to share it. We would prefer you e-mail, private message or text this document from person to person.
2. Thames Valley 4-H does not want credit for this work. We simply compiled the amazing work of so many activists and educators. However, if/when you do choose to share it, please share it in its entirety. Please do not copy and paste sections and use them without the rest of the document. Our members spent a lot of time and energy compiling this, and they continue to do so, as they keep it current. We would appreciate it being distributed whole and not in bits and pieces.
3. If you are grateful for one or more of the resources on here, we ask that you donate to or patron the authors/activists/educators who have created the material. Almost all of them are homeschooling parents, teachers, non-profit directors, activists, and various others who rely on every dollar to care for their families and causes.
4. This is a living document; we will be adding, updating, changing, and deleting things as needed. Please have patience if you find a dead link or an outdated source. We will make corrections as soon as we are able.
Anti-Racism
“Teaching Kids About Social Justice & Racism” via Oak Meadow
Roots ConnectED - A national professional development organization committed to ensuring that each child recognize the humanity in one another.
“Systemic Racism Explained” YouTube video
Rethinking Schools
Children’s Books For Parents Who Want to Talk About Racism With Their Kids
13 Books to Build an Educator’s Anti-Racist Library
Sesame Street’s Town Hall Addressing Racism
Nine Things Parents Should Consider When Searching for Anti-Racist Media for Their Kids
Let’s Talk About Race by Chemay Morales-James
Teaching the “New Jim Crow” from Teaching Tolerance
Embrace Race’s Diverse Books for Kids
Art
Purring Pottery - Located in Colchester, CT
Wild Earth Studio - Located in Salem, CT
Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Style of the Great Masters by MaryAnn F. Kohl
The Art Sherpa
Art and Nature Study with Beatrix Potter
Deep Space Sparkle
Art History Kids
Books/Documentaries About Homeschooling and Education
The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart - A book about creating a home learning environment. Leans toward literature-based learning and child-led unschooling. No religious content but used by both faith-based and secular homeschoolers.
The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids Sarah Mackenzie - Author is Christian and does talk about it, but the principle and studies about reading books as the cornerstone of a family is not religious. Also not strictly for lifetime homeschoolers.
The Call of the Wild and Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child's Education by Ainsley Arment - Author is religious but largely doesn’t affect the content. Very popular with our secular and religious members.
A Literary Education: Adapting Charlotte Mason for Modern Secular Homeschooling by Emily Cook
Learning All The Time: How Small Children Begin to Read, Write, Count, and Investigate the World Without Being Taught by John Holt
Home Learning: Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp
Weirdos: A Homeschool Documentary - May contain religious content
Minimalist Homeschooling: A values-based approach to maximize learning and minimize stress by Zara Fagen, Ph.d.
The Heart of Learning by Lawrence Williams
Free to Learn by Dr. Peter Gray
Unschooled by Kerry McDonald
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by John Paul Gatto
Books and Media Sources - Audio, Digital, Etc.
Library Extension
OverDrive
Kindle App
Audible App
Hoopla App
Epic App
Amazon Lending Library
Brooklyn Digital Library
Fairfax Digital Library
Houston Digital Library
FarFaria App
Scribd Membership
Z-Library
Librivox
LoyalBooks
Open Culture
Free Classic Audiobooks
Learn Out Loud
YouTube - Believe it or not, YouTube offers a number of free audiobooks. Search with book title and/or author.
Book Lists
Books to Inspire Kids to Change the World
Books for Littles - Igniting Luminaries
National Black Home Educator’s Recommended Book List
Books for Summertime
Facebook Groups/Pages
Living Books of All Peoples
My Reflection Matters
Secular, Eclectic, Academic (SEA) Homeschoolers
Hip Homeschool Moms Community - Has faith-based material and admins
Decolonize Homeschool - A safe place solely for indigenous peoples and persons of color
Homeschool Curriculum Marketplace
Connecticut Homeschool Alliance
Hispanic and Bilingual Homeschoolers
New London County CT Homeschoolers
Thames Valley 4-H Homeschool Co-op
Secular Homeschoolers of CT
Southeast CT Military Homeschoolers
Classical Conversations Southwestern, CT - Religiously affiliated
Secular Homeschoolers in Southeastern CT
Farmington Valley Homeschoolers
UNSCHOOLING CT
SECT Hike and Explore Club - Open to everyone but run by homeschoolers
Windham CT Area Homeschoolers
A Mighty Girl
Morning Baskets & More
Homeschooling with Netflix
Homeschool Gameschool with Meg Grooms
Gameschooling (Teaching with Games)
Gameschooling: MyLittlePoppies
Faith-Based Curriculums - Curriculums with a Christian focus and point of view
My Father’s World
The Good and the Beautiful
Sonlight
Five in a Row (Before Five in a Row and Beyond Five in a Row)
Ambleside Online
Simply Charlotte Mason
Thinking Tree Books: Fun-Schooling
History/Social Studies (Also see Secular and Faith-Based Curriculums)
Black History Month Library Public Google Drive
Curiosity Chronicles
Extra History
History Smashers
Honest History Magazine
Living Geography for the Primary Grades
Tides of History - An audio documentary series, ideal for middle to high school aged kids as well as adults. Most episodes so far are about the Roman empire, dark ages Europe/Middle East, and some Renaissance.
Kathy Troxel's geography songs - Also available on iTunes
Story of the World - Contains some religious viewpoints and content, especially in Vol. 1
History Unboxed
African-American History: From Emancipation to the Present
Not Your Momma’s History
An Indigenous People’s History of the United States
Kids’ Podcasts and Video Series
Smash Boom Best
Bedtime History
Brains On!
American Innovations - Elementary and middle schoolers kids enjoy it. Radio drama-style presentation of the stories behind the creation of Coca-Cola, rubber, Star Wars, airplanes, the birth control pill, television, and tons more.
Minute Earth
Mark Rober
TierZoo youtube channel
Molly of Denali - By PBS Kids. From a story teller about life in Alaska from Qyah, Alaska
Story Pirates - By Sirious XM. Leo & Mindy tell stories written by kids and turn them into songs and skits for kids to enjoy.
Wow in the World - On May 15 2017, NPR launched its first podcast for kids and families, Wow in the World. Hosted by Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas, this weekly show invites curious kids and their grown-ups on a journey away from their screens, inside their brains, and into the most amazing stories in science, technology, and new discoveries
Crash Course
Cosmic Kids Yoga
The Radio Adventures of Doctor Floyd
Story Time - Bedtime FM
Circle Around - By WBUR Boston. Family-friendly stories from all over the world. Loaded with stories that you have never heard of before.
Big Life Podcasts for Kids- By Big life Journal
Earth Rangers
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls- A fairy tale podcast about the extraordinary women who inspire us. This show is based on Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, the global best-selling book written by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo, inspiring millions of girls and women around the world to dream bigger, aim higher, and fight harder.
But Why
Ear Snacks
Forever Ago
Sparkle Stories
The Past and the Curious
Tumble Science Podcast
Language Arts (Also see Secular and Faith-Based Curriculums)
myView Literacy by Lucy Calkins - Workshop models for reading and writing
Brave Writer
All About Reading and Spelling
Sequential Spelling
Explode the Code
Institute for Excellence in Writing
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Spelling Power
Language Lessons for Today - May contain religious content
Mommy, Teach Me! & Mommy, Teach Me To Read! by Barbara Curtis - A pair of how-to books for parents for teaching pre-school and kindergarten at home. Montessori-inspired perspective and activities for parents in a home setting.
Libby library app - For access to free audio books through the library
newsela.com - For reading practice on current events
Rooted in Language
Super Grammar
Epic App
Word-of-the-Day E-mail From Merriam-Webster
Winston Grammar
Handwriting Without Tears
Life Skills/Health and Safety/Personal Growth
Your Need a Budget Youtube For Kids
Math
Terc Math
Singapore
RightStart
Saxon
Math-U-See
Math Mammoth
Math in the City
The Art of Problem Solving
Wild Math
Everyday Math
Bedtime Math
Engageny
Beast Academy
Teaching Textbooks
Math Collective
Math Lessons for a Living Education - May contain religious content
Life of Fred - Has religious content
MathAntics.com - As of June 2020, for $10, you can get yearlong access to all the work pages that accompany their videos.
Multiplication.com
Prodigy Online
Music
Hoffman Academy
The Flute and Piano Lab - Located in Gales Ferry, CT
Ashley Jones Violin Lessons - Located in Stonington, CT
Joyful Noise Music Lessons - Located in Groton, CT
Timeless Harmony Studio - Located in Groton, CT
Squilt Music
Online Classes
OutSchool
Khan Academy
Easy Peasy Homeschool - Has some religious content
Time4Learning
4-H
Secular Eclectic Academic Online Classes - From SEA Homeschoolers
StrideStart.com - For general math, reading, science, and language arts practice with a solid rewards system and game play
Online Homeschooling Inspiration/Help
Ten Black Homeschool Moms You Should Follow
Build Your Library University for Parents
NHELD - A legal resource
My Reflection Matters Products and Services
My Little Poppies
Conscious Parenting
Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars
Melissa Camara Wilkins
Simple Homeschool - May contain religious content
National Black Home Educators
Organization
“Organize Your Homeschool Room with this Handy Guide” by Pam Barnhill
Monthly Teaching Calendar
“Plan a Morning Time with Older Kids” by Mary Hanna Wilson
Parents’ Podcasts and Video Series
Read Aloud Revival - May contain some religious content
The Homeschool Solutions Show - May contain some religious content
Classics For Kids
Tea with Emily
Raising Free People
Dr. Peter Gray via Youtube, like this one, or on Ted Ed Talks - A scientific expert on the subject of how traditional schools are contrary to the biological-evolutionary way humans are adapted for learning.
Off-Trail Learning - Interviews with lots of education reformers who are rethinking education and experimenting with non-traditional school models.
Ted Ed
Your Morning Basket - May have religious content
All in a Homeschool Day
Parenting Beyond Discipline
Positive Parenting
Honey! I’m Homeschooling the Kids - A homeschooling/unschooling mom of 3
Real Life at Home
Growth Mindset for Kids - Parenting kids with anxiety
Sage Family
Simple Families
The Good List
The Homeschool Sisters
The Next Right Thing
Wild + Free - May contain some mentions of religion
Physical Health/Fitness
Girls on the Run SE CT
School Supplies
Rainbow Resource Center
Discount School Supply
Book Barn - Used book store with a wide assortment of books and resources. Located in Niantic, CT
Dick Blick
Classroom Friendly Supplies
Homeschool Printing Company
HardCopy HQ
Teachers Pay Teachers
Science - Curriculum and Supplements (See Also Secular and Faith-Based Curriculums)
Mystery Science
Mystery Doug
Wonderopolis
Field Trip Zoom
The Kid Should See This
Science - Nature Studies
Nature Anatomy, Farm Anatomy, Food Anatomy and Ocean Anatomy by Julie Rothman
1,000 Hours Outside
Survivor Kid: A Practical Guide to Wilderness Survival by Denise Long
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center Homeschool Classes - Located in Mystic, CT
Decolonizing Nature Connection: Resources for Anti-Racist Nature Lovers
Exploring Nature With Children
DIY Eco Column
Wild Craft! - An herbalist family’s dream game for children
One Strange Rock Ft. Will Smith on Netflix - Nine-Part series. Disclaimer: An episode lightly covers sex when closing the loop on earth-life cycle.
New England Science & Sailing (NESS) - Hosts programs for homeschoolers. Subjects include water pollution, topography & waterways, marine life anatomy, fishing, sailing, wind & water (green) energies, weather & climate, plants vs. algae. Approx $35 per class, 3 hours long, 1x per month. Sept - April/May. Located in Stonington, CT.
Circle of Trees Nature Connection - Located in Voluntown, CT
How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling In Love with Nature by Scott D. Sampson
Nature Journaling - Bravewriter
Science - STEM
Aeronautics for Pre-K from NASA
Secular Curriculums
Pandia Press
Torchlight
Moving Beyond the Page
Build Your Library
Blossom and Root
Oak Meadow
World Book; Typical Course of Study By Grade - For scope and sequence reference
Social-Emotional Health
Big Life Journal
Go Zen
Spanish
Calico Spanish for Kids
Spanish Playground
Mi Jardin Infantil
123 Andres
Doremi
Flip Flop Spanish
Special Needs/Exceptional Learners
"How Schools Kill Motivation & How to Regain It with Dr. Peter Gray" on the Dyslexia Quest podcast
Teacher-Educators
Carl Anderson
Ralph Fletcher
Stephanie Harvey
Tech & Typing
Typetastic
Kiddle - Kids’ search engine
The Boogeyman Exists; and He’s In Your Child’s Back Pocket: How to Keep Your Child Safe in a 24-7 Always Connected Digital Society by Jesse Weinberger