20+ Resources, Curricula, and Platforms for Learning at Home in 2021
Rogelio Valdés
Jun 4, 2021
One of the biggest advantages of homeschooling or home education is that we can choose the curriculum for each student. Not everyone learns the same way. Some children do better with technology and video-based tools, while others prefer hands-on exercises and textbooks. This is a very important part of homeschooling, and it is something we also wanted to bring into our school methodology: the ability to design an individual path for each student based on their strengths and learning style.
Here are some of the resources, curricula, and digital platforms we use to build each student’s plan at the elementary and middle school levels:
Khan Academy
Cost: FREE
Languages: Spanish, English
Subjects: Math, Biology, Physics, Chemistry
Khan Academy offers educational videos, interactive exercises, and automatic progress tracking. It is free, very complete, and an excellent option from elementary school onward.
SEP Textbooks
Cost: FREE
Languages: Spanish
Subjects: Math, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Reading, Spanish, History, Geography
The official books from Mexico’s Public Education Ministry actually have very solid content. Their explanations are clear and the topic sequence is well structured. Since the books are online and free, families outside of Mexico can use them too.
Zearn
Cost: FREE
Languages: English
Subjects: Math
Zearn is a math learning platform built around visual and highly instructional exercises. It is intuitive for students, and as teachers or tutors we get excellent visibility into their progress.
LingoDeer
Cost: $200 MXN/month
Languages: English
Subjects: Foreign Language
LingoDeer is a digital language-learning platform. It is especially strong for Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and other languages that use non-Latin alphabets, but students can also learn English, German, and Romance languages.
Mystery Science
Cost: $1800 MXN/year
Languages: English
Subjects: Biology, Physics, Chemistry
Mystery Science offers hundreds of science lessons with both short and long videos, activities, and clear instructions for at-home experiments. It can easily replace a science textbook, and I especially like that each topic starts from a strong guiding question. We already include this option in the Robin curriculum.
Leamos
Cost: $125 MXN/month
Languages: Spanish
Subjects: Reading
Leamos is like a Netflix for digital books specifically designed for children and teens. Most of its content is in Spanish and includes both classic and contemporary books.
iXL
Cost: $200 MXN/month
Languages: Spanish, English
Subjects: Math
iXL is a digital math practice tool. The platform grades work automatically and allows students to practice as much as they want until they master a topic. It is a strong replacement for printed workbooks.
Kindle Unlimited
Cost: $130 MXN/month
Languages: Spanish, English
Subjects: Reading
Kindle Unlimited is one of the largest digital libraries in the world. It works like a Netflix or Spotify for books and includes content in both Spanish and English. It is not limited to children’s books, so parents can also make use of it.
BrainPOP
Cost: $200 MXN/month
Languages: Spanish, English
Subjects: Math, Spanish, English
I like BrainPOP because it explains topics through short, story-driven videos. Each lesson begins with an interesting question or real-life scenario, which gives learning more meaning and helps students see why it matters. It also includes short review exercises.
Duolingo
Cost: FREE
Languages: Spanish, English
Subjects: Foreign Language
Duolingo is one of the most popular language-learning platforms in the world. It may look simple, but it is actually very effective. The key is consistency and time. It is free, and students can use it to learn almost any language.
Dreambox
Cost: $260 MXN/month
Languages: Spanish, English
Subjects: Math
Dreambox offers a more playful way to learn and review math topics. The exercises feel like games, which turns practice into a challenge students actually enjoy. It is highly visual and especially useful for younger children.
Educatina
Cost: $300 MXN/month
Languages: Spanish
Subjects: Math, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Spanish, History, Geography
Educatina is a comprehensive video platform with exercises that students can complete on a computer across almost any curricular topic. The videos are in Spanish and tend to be short but effective.
Cambly
Cost: $2800 MXN/month
Languages: Spanish, English
Subjects: Foreign Language
This option may seem expensive at first, but it is highly effective. If a student already has a basic understanding of English and can read and write, but still needs speaking fluency, Cambly allows them to meet one-on-one with tutors from the United States or England to practice conversation.
Epic
Cost: FREE
Languages: English
Subjects: Reading
This digital library is designed specifically for children and teens, with English-language titles in mystery, fantasy, graphic novels, and nonfiction. There is a free plan that includes two hours of reading per week, and families can upgrade to the paid plan for $200 MXN/month.
Time4Learning
Cost: $400 MXN/month
Languages: English
Subjects: English, Math
Time4Learning offers a complete curriculum for learning math through videos and computer-based exercises. It is a very popular resource in the United States among homeschooling families and charter schools, and it can be used from first grade through middle school and even high school.
NoRedInk
Cost: FREE
Languages: English
Subjects: Writing, Grammar
NoRedInk is an excellent platform for improving writing in English. Students can write about topics they care about while practicing grammar. It includes tutorials and guidance that adapt to what the student most needs at the moment.
PruebaT
Cost: FREE
Languages: Spanish
Subjects: Math, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Spanish
PruebaT is a fully free educational platform backed by Fundación Carlos Slim. It includes videos and exercises from elementary through middle school and is a useful tool for reviewing topics. Because the content is organized by grade, it is easy to find the right material.
Lab4U
Cost: $600 MXN
Languages: Spanish, English
Subjects: Chemistry, Physics
Lab4U uses the sensors and processing power of a smartphone to turn it into a home science lab. The materials needed for the experiments are simple and commonly available. It includes a library of video-based science experiments with intuitive explanations.
Crash Course
Cost: FREE
Languages: English
Subjects: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, History, Geography
Crash Course is a totally free collection of courses across a wide range of subjects. Beyond school subjects, it also covers computing, literature, economics, psychology, ecology, statistics, artificial intelligence, business, and more. I strongly recommend exploring their channel. The videos are short, highly visual, and direct.
CTCMath
Cost: $300 MXN/month
Languages: English
Subjects: Math
CTCMath is a math learning tool with video tutorials, interactive quizzes, and printable worksheets for students who want to work by hand. It is easy to follow independently and gives parents or mentors a clear view of progress.
Rosetta Stone
Cost: $150 MXN/month
Languages: English, Spanish
Subjects: Foreign Language
Rosetta Stone is another strong language-learning platform with audio, reading, grammar, and spelling activities across several languages. Again, consistency and focused time are key if a student wants to truly master a language.
These are just some of the platforms we use to create a personalized path for each learner. As you can see, some are paid and some are free, some are in English and others in Spanish.
Remember that we also help families design their own curriculum. If you have questions or need help, you can write to me at rogelio@robinacademy.com.