11 Tools that Make Homeschooling Easier
New to homeschooling this year? If so, welcome aboard. So many parents have taken the leap to home educate their kiddos this year, for obvious reasons.
The first thing you should know about homeschooling is – YOU’VE GOT THIS! There’s no better place for kiddos to learn than in an environment where they are free to explore, dig deeper, learn at their own pace and have the opportunity to make friends with like-minded children who are interested in similar things.
Now that we have all of that out of the way, there are a few homeschooling tools that make things easier. While they may seem expensive when they’re all added up, we swear you’ll get a lot of use out of them and we’ll explain why.
Tools Every Homeschooler Needs
A Good Printer
It almost seems like it should go without saying, but I have to admit that we were using printers that ran through the ink like it was water. And then – the ecotank printer came into our world.
This printer will print all of the printables, workbooks, worksheets, seasonal printables you can possibly find and won’t use up every drop of ink.
A Lamination Machine
We were late adopters of this little tool too. Lamination machines make school easier because it allows for you to create items that can be used over and over again. This is perfect for kiddos learning their names, letters, numbers, time and so much more. For just over $20 on Amazon, this lamination machine is a bargain.
A Good Pencil Sharpener
Along with a pile of pencils, these pencil sharpeners have been amazing to have around so we can keep working without mom having to stop to sharpen pencils every 20 seconds.
Three-Hole Punch or Binding Machine
If you are going to print curriculum or order it in unbound (an example would be easy peasy or The Good and the Beautiful), you’re going to want a way to get it in a three-ring binder or bound. Three hole punches work just as well with a three ring binder as a binding machine which some has found to be challenging to use.
Manipulatives and Math Helpers
I want to point out before I start this list that you can ABSOLUTELY buy these things one at at time or as you need them. You can buy them in bundles too. Whichever way fits your budget and your needs with your kiddo – go for that. Every homeschool family works it out based on what they need.
To get you started with younger kiddos:
- Counting rods
- Place value rods
- Fake money
- Clock
These math cubes are amazing for teaching math, but also help with counting, sorting, hand / eye coordination and so much more.
Wrap Ups are amazing for multiplication and are available in sets for other math as well.
This magnetic 10 frame is amazing for teaching addition.
My favorite room clock from Wise Hedgehog.
Magazine Bins for Each Kid / Subject
Keep your subjects and each kiddos binders etc., organized with these handy bins.
Craft Supplies
- Scissors
- Tape
- Glue
- String (yarn)
- Pipe cleaners
- Paper plates (you would be surprised how many crafts involve paper plates)
- Paint
- Markers
- Googly eyes.
Geography & Science Resources
- Science kits
- Weather gauges
- A magnifying glass
- A microscope
Early Reading and Language Arts Helpers
- Lauri sets – see below (there are so many!)
- Hot Dot sets
- Melissa and Doug See & Spell
Lauri sets like this are great for letter recognition….
We love everything Melissa & Doug. This is a favorite.
Books & Reading
- Early reader books
- Books for major holidays
- Seasonal books
- Bookmarks with timers
Music For Learning
Music for days of the week, months of the year, and skip counting songs.
We love this set.
You WILL NOT need everything on this list. I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed with this huge list. Depending on the age of your kiddos, you might not need any of this at all. As a general rule, some of these things – like the pencil sharpener, three ring binder, printer etc are things you’re going to find you’ll absolutely need.
