5+ Free Language Arts Resources (That are Actually Worth the Click)

We’ve all stumbled upon free homeschool resources that weren’t worth the effort of clicking on it. These aren’t those.

Google for ‘free homeschool resources’ and guess how many results appear.

33,900,000

Now, look around your homeschool. How many free resources do you actually use?

Most of us download & bookmark them with the best of intentions. Sometimes we forget about them; other times, we quickly realize they weren’t even worth the click.

It was easy enough to find good-enough free materials when my kiddos were 5. But fifth grade, sixth grade, and up?

When I find a cool-looking resource only to discover it lacks any depth or usefulness? I admit that I can get rather cranky! I also want my free homeschool resources to be easy to use, have enough material that it’s worth more than the time I invested in signing up & figuring it out, and surprisingly hard sometimes, not to be littered with mistakes!

My time, like most of us, is limited. I don’t want to spend it sifting through poor-quality stuff. And you don’t either.

So I’ve done that work for you!

Some of these free homeschool resources, like Progressive Phonics, are ones I’ve used in the past. Others, like NaNoWriMo & 826 Digital, are resources I’m currently using. All of them are free, and all of them are worth your click.

Free Homeschool Resources for Reading

Progressive Phonics (beginning readers)

We used Progressive Phonics alongside Explode the Code for my youngest. These readers were a highlight of his journey to fluency. Shuffling papers is a struggle for me, so I downloaded the books to the iPad. Whether you use the program as a stand-alone or alongside your favorite phonics program, they are a fun addition to your day.

{Check out my review.}

Great American Read (reading list)

Great American Read from PBS — As voted on by viewers, this list is 100 of America’s best books. While a few will not be showing up on my kiddo’s lists (Hello, there, 50 Shades of Grey!), this list is a fantastic one to guide your reading choices for your teens. My 8th grader has marked off several already, including Charlotte’s Web, Dune & Don Quixote.

They’ve also created other resources to go along with the list, including crossword puzzles & lesson plans. (Check out the posters — we have several hung in our room.)

Excellence in Reading (reading list)

The first reading lists I ever used came from Excellence in Reading. Mostly classics, each list of 20+ titles is still my first stop when I’m building yearly reading lists. There are four lists, beginning from kindergarten and going through high school.

Check out their engaging lesson plans & online educational games, too.

Read Theory (reading comprehension)

Reading passages & comprehension questions were one of my favorite parts of standardized testing. (I was a weird kid who loved yearly testing!) But in the homeschool setting, most of us don’t come across this setup. But many homeschoolers see a benefit in it. Or maybe your kiddo struggles with reading comprehension.

Read Theory to the rescue. As your student completes reading passages, the system adapts to their performance by raising/lowering the Lexile level of the next passage.

Historical Fiction (database)

Historical fiction can be an easy add-on to whatever history program your homeschool loves…or a way to tie your literature into your historical time periods. But finding ones that match up can be tricky. Historicalnovels.info makes that easier.

The site isn’t updated frequently, but the existing database is quite extensive. Book suggestions range from preteens to adults with subcategories for countries & time periods.

Free Writing Resources

Dance Mat (typing)

Dance Mat Typing — This typing program, courtesy of the BBC, is a long-time favorite in the homeschool community. All three of my kiddos used it. Free, engaging, and effective.

826 Digital (writing activities)

826 Digital is the company that produces our beloved Don’t Forget to Write series. But they also have a variety of writing plans — from mini-lessons (Sparks) to multi-lesson writing projects — on their website, ready for you to use.