🐴 Handy guide to free curriculum

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💡 DEEP DIVE

FREE HOMESCHOOLING CURRICULA

Our SEO (Search Engine Optimization) guy demanded we write an article about "the best free homeschool curriculum." Who are we to refuse a guy with a fancy analytics dashboard?

He also told us that Google's algorithms now prioritize four factors in determining whether a result will show in search "EEAT" - Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. And after reviewing learning plans from more than 100,000 OpenEd students over the past decade, we've actually got the data to back this one up!

Here's the surprising truth:

The most successful families often spend almost nothing on curriculum.

While public schools drop an average of $16,000 per student annually, resourceful parents are building exceptional learning environments using free resources. Once families master the art of combining high-quality free materials, the correlation between educational spending and learning outcomes vanishes.

Furthermore, the pandemic sparked an educational innovation explosion. As millions of families got their first taste of learning at home, entrepreneurs, teachers, and parents began creating and sharing resources at an unprecedented scale.

Two powerful movements have accelerated this transformation:

1. The open source revolution (hello, Khan Academy)

2. The broader open education movement, which is breaking down walls between traditional and alternative approaches

As a result, the best resources aren't necessarily the most expensive or polished.

However, the key to success isn't just finding resources – it's combining them effectively. We’ve found that the most successful families follow some version of the following formula:

• Choose one primary resource per subject

• Add supplementary materials for different learning styles

• Incorporate hands-on projects and real-world applications

• Use community resources to enrich learning

You’ll have to read the full article to see the actual list, but here’s a sample.

For Math: Khan Academy, CK-12's interactive "FlexBooks", FreeMath Program

For Language Arts: Project Gutenberg (60,000+ free eBooks), K12 Reader, Starfall

For Science: Discovery K12, Smithsonian Learning Lab, CK-12

For History: The Big History Project, PBS Learning Media

The journey to quality home education doesn't begin with an expensive curriculum package—it starts with a curious mind and resourcefulness.

The most valuable investment isn't money—it's your time and attention in creating the right learning environment.

🧠 MINDSET MATTERS

Yes, You ARE Enough

"Am I enough?"

This question haunts every parent who takes ownership of their child's education. Laura Feller, whose son struggled with learning disabilities and whose youngest didn't speak until age three, found her answer: "Yes, I am enough to help him."

Why? Because you don't have to do it alone.

The myth of the superhero homeschool parent—mastering every subject, never losing patience—has discouraged too many families. The truth is simpler: You don't need to be an expert in everything. You just need to connect your child with the right resources and community.

As Raymond S. Moore wisely noted: "We should help parents understand the overriding importance of incidental teaching in the context of warm, consistent companionship. Such caring is usually the greatest teaching."

Practical Insight: Laura discovered she didn't need a classroom with "a chalkboard and the whole nine yards." Learning happened in the driveway with hopscotch math, in the car with audiobooks, at museums, parks—everywhere. "Learning became second nature in everything that we did."

Listen to Laura's full journey on this week's podcast and learn the simple observation technique that transformed her approach to home education.

🔨 TOOL OF THE WEEK

OUTSCHOOL + OPENED

When your 12-year-old suddenly develops a passion for Spanish (and you haven't spoken Spanish since high school) that's when Outschool becomes your secret weapon.

OpenEd families can access thousands of Outschool's interactive classes taught by experts who live and breathe these subjects.

What parents love about using Outschool through OpenEd:

• Expert instruction in subjects outside your comfort zone

• Flexible scheduling that fits around your family's real life

• Zero additional cost — classes fully reimbursable through your OpenEd funds

Parents are seeing real results:

Here are some of the most popular classes OpenEd families are taking:

• Advanced math — from pre-algebra to calculus (without the tears)

• Coding & tech — Python, Minecraft, Roblox, web design

• Foreign languages — with teachers who are actually fluent

• Creative writing — with feedback beyond "good job!"

Check out which classes might work for your family here →

Already using Outschool? Reply with your favorite class and we’ll share in a future daily for other OpenEd families

🔍 TRENDS WE’RE WATCHING

The "Learning Opportunity" Effect → Yale researchers found that parents who viewed tasks as learning opportunities intervened 50% less often (4.4 vs 8.6 times).

The Great Happiness Flip → Dartmouth economist finds the happiness curve has inverted - no longer high in youth, low in midlife, rising in age. Teens now report record low wellbeing as daily 4+ hour screen time exploded from 8% to 61% since smartphone adoption.

From Age of Empires to Real-World Skills → Gaming might build complex problem-solving abilities after all. As our Head of Product confesses: "I remember more ancient history from Age of Empires than any class I ever took."

🧰 TOOLKIT

For Math-Phobic Parents: Math-U-See transforms anxiety into mastery through step-by-step video lessons that teach to mastery, not just completion. It consistently ranks as one of our most popular math programs for good reason.

For Nature Study Made Simple: K-4 nature study Beautiful Feet Books' "Seasons Afield" won 1st place in the 2024 Practical Homeschooling Magazine Reader Awards. For a streamlined approach, try Cassie Shepherd's hack: create nature backpacks with basic supplies, use index cards for field notes, and download the free "Seek" app to identify plants and creatures on walks.

For Teaching Multiple Ages: The "Celebrate and Serve" sibling strategy from Simple Homeschool has two parts: 1) Encourage older kids to embrace "kid stuff" occasionally while helping younger ones feel special about joining "big kid" activities; 2) Create daily opportunities for siblings to help one another.

For Screen-Free Learning: BJ Harrison's Classic Tales Audiobooks features 71 different character accents across 800+ books—from Sherlock Holmes to Tarzan—offering literary adventures without the digital eyestrain.

🤔 PARTING THOUGHT

GREAT WRITERS THINK FIRST

As neuroscience professor-turned-homeschool-mom Dr. Claire Honeycutt reminds us: before your child can write well, they need to think well.

David McCullough put it this way: "Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That's why it's so hard."

Maybe the key to raising exceptional writers isn't more grammar worksheets, but more thoughtful conversations around the dinner table.

MEME OF THE WEEK

That’s all for this week!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

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