Library staffperson Elizabeth Napier, a former homeschooler herself, has compiled a list of sites which will be of interest to others who are taking on the responsibility for providing a well-rounded education for their children.   Some sites deal with legal issues;  some others provide less plans and guidance in a variety of subject areas.  As many persons who decide to home school do so for religious reasons,  several of these sites will reflect that philosophy.      These are not the only Internet resources that will be helpful (See our Homework Helpers links on our start-up page, as well,  and use our various search engines to explore specific subject areas.  The Kentucky Commonwealth Virtual Library will also be a valuable resource.  Persons with library cards at this library may ask for a password and user ID.)  Of course, the first and best resource available to the homeschooler is the library card. Come browse our collection of circulating and reference books for your educational and recreational needs.  And don’t forget Interlibrary Loan for items not available locally.

Home School Legal Defense Association
http://www.hslda.org/
These are some great lawyers who have the homeschoolers’ best interest in mind.  You can join HSLDA from this page, just browse to see what they are all about, or read up on the latest homeschool laws.  This page also has some invaluable links for new and veteran homeschoolers alike.

Crosswalk.com
http://homeschool.crosswalk.com/
This site has not only the latest news and ideas for homeschoolers, but also support groups, columns and a great number of resources.  This site’s forum can be a great place to find other great resources used by other home school families.

Homeschool Associates Online
http://www.homeschoolassociates.com/
Are you curious as to where to get the right curriculum for your children?  Why not try this site has all the textbooks and materials you will ever need, plus diplomas and transcripts.  This site also has the “Online Bookmobile” which is terrific for purchasing used books at great prices.  I think one of the star attractions of H.A.O. is their free newspaper and a radio station that you can listen to online.

Homeschool Zone
http://www.homeschoolzone.com/
This site has some of the easiest and neatest crafts to do with children that I have seen.  They also have great recipes and links to free worksheets and software.  The format for this site is nicely laid out and based on questions that I know we have asked or will ask at one time or another:  “Is home schooling right for me?”  “What records do I need to keep?”  “Can a homeschooler make it to college?”
 

Fast Forward at KET

A new service from KET makes adult basic education video content available on-demand through online-video streaming.   FastForward offers library patrons who are studying for the GED or building their workplace skills the chance to use the high-quality content KET is known for--and watch it whenever they want.   Having this video content streamed online provides learners with the option of viewing the content whenever they have time rather than being limited to television broadcast times.

Programs available are:

• GED Connection

• Pre-GED Connection

• Workplace Essential Skills

• TV411 (reading, writing, math, parenting, money matters, & health)
   

Access these videos at:  www.fastforwardky.com

    Some Sites for Lesson Plans

AskERIC Lesson Plan Collection
http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons/
The AskERIC Lesson Plan Collection contains more than 1,000 unique lesson plans which have been written and submitted to AskERIC by teachers from all over the United States.

A to Z Teacher Stuff
http://atozteacherstuff.com
This site has a variety of lessons organized by themes and content area, as well as teacher tips, a search feature, and current topics.

Columbia Education Center Lesson Plans
http://www.col-ed.org/cur/
 These lesson plans were created by teachers for use in their own classrooms. There are a wealth of lessons here.

Classroom Connect
http://www.connectedteacher.com/lessonPlans/lessonPlans.asp
 Classroom Connect works hard to help teachers integrate technology into their curriculum. These lesson plans have great organization and resources.

DiscoverySchool Lesson Plans
http://discoveryschool.com/lessonplans/index.html
 You will be able to find hundreds of standards-based lesson plans in all curriculum areas with many added resources such as vocabulary builders, questions to give students, links, and additional activities.

Education World
http://www.education-world.com/index.shtml
 Education World has lessons, links to award-winning sites, a search feature, and job listings.

FamilyEducation Co.
http://www.familyeducation.com/topic/index/0,2081,1,00.html
 The FamilyEducation Company helps parents and teachers by providing tools and support to develop an Internet information service that brings local, state, and national education resources together in one place -- free of charge to both parents and schools.

Houghton Mifflin
http://www.eduplace.com/search/activity.html
 The Education Place is a searchable database of 400+ original K-8 classroom activities and lesson plans for teachers.

Inspiring Teachers
http://www.inspiringteachers.com
 This website is designed to help new teachers with project ideas, lesson plans, and tips to make your professional life a bit easier.

The Lesson Plans Page
http://www.lessonPlanspage.com/
 This site has hundreds of lesson plans for all ages and subject areas.

PBS Teacher Source
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/
 PBS provides over 1,000 teacher resources online. The lesson plans correlate to national standards.

Scholastic
http://www.scholastic.com/inschool/
 A diverse collection of lesson plans and thematic units from teachers and some experts in the education field

Teachers First
http://www.teachersfirst.com/matrix-f.htm
 TeachersFirst is a Web resource for K-12 classroom teachers who want useful resources and lesson plans to use with their students.

TeacherLink
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/
 TeacherLink is a site of educational resources and links, lesson plans and classroom activities, NASA educational materials, and much more.

Teachers.Net
http://www.teachers.net/lessons/
 The Teachers.Net Lesson Bank is a resource of lesson plans submitted by teachers.

Print Resources
 

• Homeschoolers and the public library:  a resource guide for libraries serving homeschoolers /  Susan Scheps   021.3
• The librarian’s guide to homeschooling resources / Susan Scheps   REF 021.24
• Home school:Taking the first step, a program planning handbook /Borg Hendrickson  649.68
• The home school manual / Theodore E. Wade   371.02813

Magazines for HomeSchoolers