Getting Started
- The Illinois State Board of Education’s homeschooling page - Answers to frequently asked questions about registration, requirements, resources and more.
- The Home School Legal Defense Association - Advocacy, education and support to parents who want to homeschool their family.
- Homeschool.com - Find out what a beginner needs to know.
- Homeschool Buyers Co-op - Low-cost homeschool curricula and resources.
Curriculum Ideas
- 826 Digital
- All About Learning (curriculum)
- Brave Writer (curriculum)
- Epic
- Explode the Code (curriculum)
- Spelling City (paid)
- Write Shop (curriculum)
- NASA for Students
- STEAMsational (store)
- Special Needs Homeschooling
- SPED Homeschool
- Time 4 Learning (curriculum)
Museum Passes
Check out passes for local museums and attractions including the Brookfield Zoo and the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Research
American History Online
Spans more than 500 years of political, military, social, and cultural history to cover the American experience. Primary sources, maps, charts, videos, and curricula included.
Daily Life through History
Explore the lives of ordinary people in the ancient world, medieval world, 15th-19th centuries, and the modern world. Learn about family life, food, work, sports, languages and social customs.
eLibrary
Designed for students in high school and college, full-text content includes books, magazines, scholarly and trade journals, newspapers, photographs, transcripts, and videos on a variety of subjects.
Encyclopedia Britannica Library
Comprehensive encyclopedia with separate sections for kids, teens, and adults. Articles, images and biographies on thousands of different subjects included. Find trusted content for school projects or just to learn something new.
LOTE4Kids
Help your kids learn a language and engage with reading. Choose from thousands of picture books in 70+ languages.
Modern World History
Modern World History offers a comprehensive look at world history from the mid-15th century to the present.
Stream & Download
Flipster
Read full-color digital magazines on your computer or download the app. Featured titles: Consumer Reports, People, Entertainment Weekly, Real Simple, and Bloomberg Businessweek.
Freegal
App available. Log in with your library card to instantly stream or download millions of songs. Download up to 5 items per week, and everything you download is yours to keep.
Hoopla
App available. Stream or download TV episodes, movies, ebooks, audiobooks, and comics for all ages. Even check out magazines (search Binge Pass). Check out up to 20 items per month. Note that the Library currently has a Daily Limit.
Kanopy
App available. Stream classic films and documentaries on-demand on your computer, tablet or mobile device. Check out up to five items per month. Kanopy also includes children's shows and movies in its "Kids" section.
LOTE4Kids
Help your kids learn a language and engage with reading. Choose from thousands of picture books in 70+ languages.
Overdrive / Libby
App available. Download and enjoy ebooks and eaudiobooks on your computer, tablet or mobile device. Check out fiction and non-fiction ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and comics for all ages.
Scholastic BookFlix
Pairs classic video storybooks from Weston Woods with related nonfiction eBooks to build a love of reading and learning.
Scholastic TrueFlix
Pairs short videos and ebooks on a variety of social studies and science topics to help students build literacy skills.
TumbleBook Library
An online collection of animated, talking picture books for kids. Books are also available in a read-along format and in Spanish and French.