Teachers' aids help the parents learn how to teach subject material to their children. These aids provide information, lesson structure, stories, examples and teaching strategies for each lesson. They teach you how to take a theme and break it down into simple, well structured ideas that your children can understand and retain. They also make sure you cover all the essential information and help you tailor the lesson for your child's needs. Aids such as teachers' companions or lesson guides focus on helping the parents transmit necessary knowledge. Other educational aids, such as informative resources about learning styles and differentiated education help you develop the instructional methods most effective for your children. Many of these aids are sold with the homeschool textbooks, or provided by accredited homeschool programs. If you have not enrolled your child in a homeschool program, you can find these aids online or at educational bookstores.
Organizational tools help you plan your child's education. Tools like charts, calendars and lesson plans help you prepare in advance to make sure your children complete their grades' curricula by the end of the year. They also help you know what your children will study each day so you have the corresponding lessons, activities and assignments ready. Your children can also use these tools to organize their own studies, keeping track of their schedule, assignments and upcoming tests. You can design personalized charts, use the organizational tools provided by your homeschool program or find effective charts and organizers from educational suppliers or bookstores.
Children studying at home also benefit from educational materials like calculators, abacuses, compasses, notebooks and assignment pads. You can purchase these from educational suppliers or stationery stores. You should also incorporate other resources associated with different subjects. You might be surprised at how many of these resources you already have for your homeschool curriculum. A little sugar and powdered drink mix can turn into a science experiment. An old sheet folded into different shapes can be used to teach or practice geometry. Small candies or marbles make excellent counters. Using these and other household supplies is a cheap and effective way of making your children's home learning experience interactive and exciting.
Internet educational sites and homeschool sites provide many additional tools and resources for homeschooling. You can find resources by type, such as worksheets and activities, or by subject, searching for resources related to a specific topic. Some of these resources must be completed online; others can be downloaded and printed out. Your children will benefit greatly from both types. The games and worksheets they use online stimulate and challenge them by constantly monitoring their progress, showing their score and correcting their mistakes. The worksheets and resources that need to be downloaded often cover a broader spectrum of knowledge and can be used as assignments in different subjects. Some sites charge a membership fee or sell their downloadable resources, but many are available for free.