Blossom Learning Sources
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These are some of the many helpful resources I have found over the years. I change them often so come back frequently to find more.
To see these resources put into action, check out Blossom Learning’s lessons—the antidote to cookie-cutter Common Core learning. |
Online Resources
Student Recommended Resources
I'm proud to offer resources sent to me personally by students who use my site! Here is what we have so far: U.S. Career Institute Recommended by Evelyn Bottle Store Recommended by Dakota Gold, Silver, and Other Precious Metals Recommended by Piper Chemistry Glossary of Terms - Atoms, Compounds, and Ions Recommended by Brendan School Yourself I'm really excited to find this great, FREE resource for learning Math! Every subject is broken down into bite sized pieces and all the lessons are interactive and easy to follow. Great for Middle School and High School learners. Study.com Study.com is a great resource for families looking for traditional learning opportunities. It is broken up by grade, provides worksheets and quizzes, and offers ways to earn credits. IXL IXL is a complete education source that covers all topics in a really expansive way. The downside is that it offers no room for creativity or imagination. But it is great for kids who love to do lessons online and appreciate the reward of completing exercises. Its also great as a parent to see what is offered per grade to get ideas of topics to teach. BrainPop I can't say enough about BrainPop! They offer very well-made, quality, thoughtful, non-biased videos on a huge range of topics. Even subjects like the Holocaust and Puberty are handled in an appropriate, honest tone. Khan Academy There is no more complete and reliable source for Math, Science, and Engineering. If you have a visual/auditory learning, Khan Academy is the way to go. They do offer some videos on History and Art, but Math and Science are the real focus. Education.com If you are looking for printable lessons for elementary and middle school-aged kids, this is the right place! They're lessons are friendly and fun. You can even create your own. I have used these lessons for grammar, poetry, history, and even holiday activities. No Fear Shakespeare I was so excited when I found No Fear Shakespeare! For every piece of work they offer a modern English translation, plot summaries, themes, critical analyses, and quizzes to test understanding. Now there is no reason not to teach Shakespeare at home. EchoDot Programs Who would have thought your EchoDot would be your best homeschooling tool? Through Alexa you can find language learning programs, history lessons, spelling help, audiobooks, science popcasts, really the possibilities are endless. Open Culture Offers FREE ebooks, educational videos, video classes, language learning, audiobooks, movies, music, and so much more! PBS History in a Nutshell PBS offers this great site full of short FREE videos on just about every history topic you can think of. The content is geared to elementary students and is well-balanced. It's a great addition to your homeschool toolbox! Pronunciator A great App that enables you to create personalized foreign language learning. Check it out through your local Library for free! Mensa for Kids A great online science site. Ask a Biologist If you're looking for great ideas for science experiments or science articles, you should check out this site offered by ASU. NASA for Educators Space Math, Lesson Plans, Teaching Materials and so much more... PBS Math Club A fun way to get your video Math facts in. OHEN Resources Oregon Home Education Network supports families with critical information, resources, helpful suggestions, and words of encouragement from homeschool families and professionals in Oregon. Positive Vocabulary Words Create a positive attitude with positive only vocabulary lists! SEA Homeschoolers This site is full of excellent secular content and resources. It is an invaluable source that I turn to over and over again. Science News I love using articles from Science News to supplement topics. They offer current news that are high interest and easy to digest. Their articles make for great reading practice material! The 1619 Project This very well-produced podcast will shed a whole new light on the African American experience, starting with the first slave ships arriving in Virginia to the Civil Rights Movement. A great way to gain knowledge that you won't find in the history books. GreatSchools.Org Book recommendations by topic. Morgan Museum Online A global institution focused on the European and American traditions, the Morgan houses one of the world's foremost collections of manuscripts, rare books, music, drawings, and ancient and other works of art. Doodle Learning Math Worksheets Powered by Discovery Learning, 40 free printable Math worksheets distinguished by grade level. Kids National Geographic Interactive videos and lessons brought to you by National Geographic. Science Bob “Science Bob” Pflugfelder is a science teacher, author, maker, and presenter that knows how to share the world of science like never before. He is a regular guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Live With Kelly and Mark, and also appeared on Nickelodeon’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn. Most importantly, Bob encourages parents and teachers to practice Random Acts of Science by providing instructions and videos for interactive science experiments on his web site. Reading Rockets Get guidance on types of books, how to choose great titles, fun ways to pair reading with activities, tips on reading nonfiction, and where to find free kids’ books. Browse our themed booklists — where you’ll discover fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for kids 0-12 years old. Dig deep into our diverse books section, where you’ll find booklists, author interviews, and ideas on how to use diverse books in your homeschool. National Archives America's Founding Documents Are you studying American History in your homeschool? This resource is the perfect place to see our Founding documents! |
Reference Books
Mudpuppy Book Series for Preschoolers
Everything You Need to Ace Science in One Big Fat Notebook: The Complete Middle School Study Guide Everything You Need to Ace Math in One Big Fat Notebook: The Complete Middle School Study Guide Everything You Need to Ace English in One Big Fat Notebook: The Complete Middle School Study Guide Everything You Need to Ace American History in One Big Fat Notebook: The Complete Middle School Study Guide Everything You Need to Ace World History in One Big Fat Notebook: The Complete Middle School Study Guide This series is a great guide for Middle School education. The subjects are not complete, but correspond perfectly with BrainPop. Using these sources together really rounds them both out. They also work well together for kids that prefer visual learning over text or vise versa. DK Eyewitness Books for Kids Best encyclopedia series, ever. Offering books on every topic you can think of! The Story of the World series This series is designed for parents to share with elementary-school children. Enjoy it together and introduce your child to the marvelous story of the world's civilizations. Each Story of the World volume provides a full year of history study when combined with the Activity Book, Audiobook, and Tests—each available separately to accompany each volume of The Story of the World Text Book. DK Big Ideas Simply Explained series The Big Ideas Series by DK (Dorling Kindersley) is a popular collection of educational books designed to simplify complex subjects for readers of all ages. Each book in the series breaks down big, sometimes challenging topics into accessible, easy-to-understand explanations. The series covers a wide range of subjects, from science and history to philosophy, politics, and the arts. Write Source Write Source offers writing instruction for all grade levels. The books are accessible and easy to use. They are a great backbone for your writing tools. Oak Meadow Waldorf Homeschool Curriculum. This is the only complete source for Waldorf Homeschooling that I have seen. It is NOT cheap, but if you compare it to sending your child to a private Waldorf school, it is a bargain! They offer parent guided sources and an accredited distance learning program as well. They do an excellent job of combining traditional school requirements with a Waldorf sensibility. The Golden Treasury of Poetry My Name is America series My America series Dear America series Royal Diaries series I rely heavily on this series for my own homeschooling curriculum. In my home, we base a lot of our history studies on the books in this series. My daughter learns history best through a story that she can identify with and this series never disappoints. I have developed entire history lessons from the topics that are taken from the books. Being a Teen: Everything Teen Girls & Boys Should Know About Relationships, Sex, Love, Health, Identity & More Jane Fonda's book, Being a Teen, is an honest and practical approach to navigating adolescence. It's candid and insightful, and provides teens with essential information. Fonda’s warmth and dedication to supporting the teen community shines through, making this book a valuable guide for both adolescents and those who support them. Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) Every U.S. president is the focus of public scrutiny, but how well do we know these men? What kind of fathers do presidents make? Husbands? Neighbors? Other books focus on the historical achievements of those who have occupied our country's highest office; Lives of the Presidents looks instead at their bad habits, silly nicknames, and strange pets. Every president—from George Washington to Barack Obama—is included, with an emphasis on those who have had the greatest impact on history. Understanding Politics and Government An informative guide to political systems, elections, voting and government, and issues including feminism, human rights, freedom of speech and fake news, all explained with clear text and bright, infographic style illustrations. Includes tips on how to argue and debate, a glossary, and links to specially selected websites with more information. |
Reading List
My Life with the Wave - Preschool
In the Light of the Night Kitchen - Preschool Inside Mouse Outside Mouse - Preschool Goodnight Moon - Preschool The Seaweed Cafe - Preschool A Lot of Otters - Preschool Little Bear - Preschool Good Dog Carl - Preschool Chicken Soup with Rice - Preschool Busy Fingers - Preschool Where the Wild Things Are - Preschool We're Going on a Bear Hunt - Preschool A Chicken Sure to Impress - Elementary Owls in the Family - Young Reader Little House on the Prairie Series - Young Reader Understood Betsy - Young Reader The Wind in the Willows - Young Reader The BFG - Young Reader The Trumpet of the Swan - Young Reader Matilda - Young Reader Charlotte's Web - Young Reader Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Young Reader Stuart Little - Young Reader Little Women - Middle School My Side of the Mountain - Middle School A Fish in a Tree - Middle School Huckleberry Finn - Middle School Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Middle School I am Malala –Young Reader - Middle School Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Middle School Call of the Wild - Middle School Where the Red Fern Grows - Middle School Code Talker - Middle School Some Writer! - Middle School Anne of Green Gables - Middle School Breakfast at Tiffany's - High School The Diary of Anne Frank - High School The Catcher in the Rye - High School To Kill a Mockingbird - High School Cannery Row - High School The Kite Runner - High School The Color Purple - High School Tracks - High School Animal Farm - High School The Handmaid's Tale - High School Out of Africa - High School The Joy Luck Club - High School The Chosen - High School Fried Green Tomatoes - High School Night - High School Circle of Friends - High School I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - High School Educated - High School |
Are you looking for an alternative to standardized Common Core?
Check out Blossom Learning's downloadable lessons.
Check out Blossom Learning's downloadable lessons.