Hundreds of free educational websites are available for home school families. Free worksheets can be found online for elementary students by searching "homeschool worksheets." Starfall.com is one resource for kindergarten through second graders who are learning phonics. Children of all ages can take advantage of Math.com which supplies a wide range of math lessons from basic math and pre-algebra to statistics and calculus. Hippocampus.com, a project of the Monterey Institute for Technology and Education, provides high school students with a variety of subjects, including algebra, calculus, biology, government, history and science. Also for older students, Sparknotes.com offers English literature guides, quizzes and test preparation material.
Book exchange sites, such as PaperbackSwap.com, allow home school families to have access to free used textbooks. Books are listed on the site and every time a book is requested and sent out, one credit is issued. The accumulated credits can then be used to obtain a book listed by another member. It is a one-to-one swap, one book is sent and one book can be received.
Television stations such as the PBS, Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel offer educational programming that can be used for home school lessons. The channels also offer online videos, games and lesson plans to accompany the programming.
Used textbooks and curriculum can be purchased through online auction websites such as eBay. The material is often available at low prices that can be afforded by families on strict budgets.
Home school families can consider joining the HomeSchool Association of California in order to gain access to other local home schoolers. Home school groups often offer curriculum swaps or co-ops to help educate the children.
Those who would like to home school their children but are still concerned with the cost can look into an online public schooling option such as California Virtual Academies (CAVA). Using the K12 curriculum, CAVA offers a full-time, tuition-free way for children to be schooled at home. Students have access to California-credentialed teachers as well as free textbooks and learning materials.