I know it feels overwhelming to plan and shop for our homeschool with all the choices we find out there but I can always rely on good advice from homeschooling friends and Cathy Duffy’s picks before I decide on anything we shop for our homeschool.
Cathy Duffy is the know-all when it comes to homeschool curriculum. She has reviewed hundreds of homeschool curricula to help educators like me make an educated decision when shopping for homeschool curriculum. So as soon as I see a product has been approved by Cathy Duffy, I am more likely to trust it. Here’s a handful of Cathy-approved educational picks available at Educents.com. I hope these double-recommended educational resources will relieve you from endless hours of shopping around for the best (and most cost-effective) homeschool resources.
Cathy Duffy’s Picks for Elementary Math & Science
Life of Fred Elementary Math
If you haven’t heard of Life of Fred, you’re in for a real treat. Dr. Stanley F Schmitt is a math teacher who developed story-based math learning series that has taken homeschooling by storm! Forget rote learning that doesn’t resonate: learners follow the Fred and his pals through life and learn math concepts along the way. Kids sometimes don’t even know they’re learning math until they’re told! I love that we can use these fun books along our favorite Math curriculum: CTC Math, another Cathy Duffy’s pick!
Each book has a topic, like Apples, Butterflies, and Cats. I recommend supplementing math learning with science of social studies of the same topic!
Giant Butterly Garden
This ties in with the second Life of Fred book so well! With the set little ones can learn about (and experience!) the miracles of metamorphosis. Available at Educents for $35.99.
Tip: You can pair this with Life of Fred Butterfly book for fun Math learning too. 🙂
Cathy Duffy’s Picks for Elementary Reading & Writing
Grammaropolis
I can’t say enough for story-based learning. It’s one of the oldest ways we’ve learned from each other – starting with fables that teach us to be good to one another.
Grammaropolis is a great tool for K-3rd grade learners on their quest for perfect English grammar, which isn’t always straight forward! This set comes with animated shorts, music videos, books and quizzes, so you’ve got a lot of learning styles covered.
Price: $40, down from $50
Cathy Duffy’s Picks for Middle School Math
Life of Fred Intro to Algebra
I really can’t say enough about the Life of Fred series! Kids learning algebra and beyond will enjoy the stories and learn the concepts through holistic learning. If your learner is new to Fred but at a more advanced level, it has been recommended that they start from the beginning. That said, re-learning a few known concepts in the Life of Fred framework will help them get up to speed with story and succeed with the series.
Price: $34.08 down from $38 at Educents.
Life of Fred Financial Choices
As your kiddos get older you may also like to instill strong financial decision making. The Life of Fred Financial Choices book is a great intro. And if we’re being honest, there’s never a bad time time for parents to brush up on this!
Price: $15.99 down from $19.99
Cathy Duffy’s Picks for Middle School Social Studies
myWorld Social Studies
Comprehensive comprehension: this world history and social studies packet is an excellent kick off to middle school studies. Created for 6th graders, this set lays the groundwork for students to become active citizens by learning about US history and politics, and encouraging learners to understand real ways they can participate, and how it matters.
The package also includes a teacher’s guide for every chapter, lesson plans, audio podcasts on each subject, and editable tests with answer keys: it really sets everyone up for success!
Price: $72.47
Cathy Duffy’s Picks for Science for the Family (Great for co-ops!)
Magic School Bus Nature Bundle
Summer is a great time to get the whole family involved with experiments to foster learning and family bonding!
This set comes with four science kits at $16 (a $35 savings) with topics covered:
- Weather – learn about rainbows, tornadoes, the greenhouse effect and more.
- Going Green – learn about recycling, compost, and making new paper out of old!
- Solar Energy – watch solar energy inflate balloons and spin a top
- Wonders of Nature – build and ant hill, dissolve an egg shell, do an animal tracks exercise
Price: $63 down from $100
Your Turn: Are you using any of these Cathy Duffy’s picks on your homeschool now? Which one do you recommend?