It’s August, and we all know what that means: time for the back-to-school frenzy.
And it’s not just kids and parents who are busily preparing for the first day of class. So, too, are our local teachers, homeschool families, and preschool and daycare providers.
And the Library District! We’ve sharpened our pencils, dusted off our books, and stocked up on Teacher Library Cards, all in preparation to debut our latest resources for educators.
Although the new curriculum materials and webpage were added with homeschooling families in mind, the resources are available to all families and teachers to use.
“My family loves the library! I truly appreciate [the Library District] working with homeschoolers to create an even better library experience,” says Sadie Merrill. “The library has helped homeschoolers feel like the library gets what we do and supports us.”
Here are some of the new services for homeschool families and teachers that you’ll find at the library.
Homeschooling Resources Webpage
A dedicated webpage has been added to the Library District’s website to offer a single source for information about materials, services, and programs available at the libraries for homeschool families, teachers, and educators. The webpage includes links to useful teaching and learning resources like Book Club Kits, research databases, and homework help.
The page also includes information on a variety of curriculum materials for teaching subject-area content and skills. You can access the new materials for check out beginning on August 23. Preview the materials at the Homeschool Resource Fair at Old Town Library that evening from 5:30-7:30PM.
Curriculum Materials
A selection of new curriculum materials are being added to the library collection including instruction manuals, student books, workbooks, testing materials, and more. The items, which will be available beginning August 23, were donated by Northern Colorado Homeschool Association (NCHA) and are designed to support a variety of home-based instruction.
The sampling of materials cover core subject areas like reading, writing, math, and science, and can be used with various ages, grades, and learning levels. The collection is designed to offer homeschool instructors and other educators an opportunity to try out different curriculums and teaching ideas before making any investments, time or money.
Curriculum materials will be located on the Parent Shelf in the Children’s area at each of the three library locations and can be further identified by the NCHA logo on the book spine. The curriculum resources follow the same lending and hold procedures as other books in the library and may be borrowed for the extended period allowed with a Teacher Library Card.
“As a homeschooling family, I have a special book shelf I fill up by subject and taste for each person in our family. The ease of renewals means that we can explore the books on our shelves over several weeks. It’s like having your own book store at home,” says Sydney Dean.
View the entire list of available curriculum materials online.
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendar for the upcoming Homeschool Resource Fair on Thursday, August 23 from 5:30-7:30PM at Old Town Library. The free event is presented by NCHA and Poudre River Public Library District. Attendees can connect with local resources and information on testing, evaluation, enrichment programs, and other support services available to the homeschooling community and to parents of school-aged children. You’ll also learn more about the various free homeschool resources available at the library for teaching and learning.
