Free Homeschool Curriculum & Resources in Arkansas

Key Takeaways:
– High-quality free curriculum exists for every subject
– Arkansas public library systems offer unlimited free resources
– Online platforms like Khan Academy and Crash Course provide professional-quality instruction
– Arkansas state parks provide free field trip opportunities
– Combining free resources strategically can eliminate curriculum costs entirely

You don’t need to spend $1,500+ per year on curriculum. Arkansas families are successfully homeschooling using entirely free or nearly-free resources. The key is knowing where to look and being intentional about combining tools.

Best Free Online Curriculum Platforms

Khan Academy (Completely Free)

Khan Academy offers comprehensive video instruction in math, science, and social studies from elementary through high school. Videos are 5-15 minutes each—perfect for independent study or teacher-directed learning.

What it covers: Math (K-12), science (biology, chemistry, physics), history, economics
Best for: Math review, science enrichment, flipped classroom approach
Arkansas advantage: Access through any Arkansas public library card

Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool (Free & Paid Options)

Easy Peasy provides a complete, free, online curriculum organized by grade level. Lessons are self-paced, project-based, and include all subjects. The free version is genuinely comprehensive—not a limited trial.

What it covers: All subjects K-12, including electives
Best for: Families wanting complete curriculum without cost
Note: Premium options exist but aren’t necessary

Crash Course Kids & Crash Course (Free on YouTube)

Professional-quality video instruction on science, history, and other topics. Videos are engaging, accurate, and well-produced by credentialed educators.

What it covers: Science, history, literature, economics, philosophy
Best for: Enrichment and in-depth topic exploration
Format: 8-15 minute YouTube videos, free forever

LibreTexts (Free Textbooks)

LibreTexts provides peer-reviewed, open-source textbooks for math, science, and other subjects. They’re written by educators and regularly updated.

What it covers: Math, chemistry, physics, biology, engineering
Best for: Upper-level science and math students
Access: Completely free, online

CK-12 Foundation (Free Textbooks & Practice)

CK-12 offers interactive textbooks and practice exercises in STEM subjects. Textbooks are customizable, and students can work at their own pace.

What it covers: Math, science, engineering
Best for: Self-directed learners, supplemental practice
Access: Free with optional paid features

Free Literature & Language Arts Resources

Project Gutenberg

Free access to over 70,000 books in the public domain. Download or read online for free. Most classic literature studied in homeschool is available here.

Best for: Literature study, reading lists, building a home library

Standard Ebooks

Beautifully formatted, free public-domain books. Higher quality presentation than Project Gutenberg.

Best for: English and literature studies

ReadTheory (Free)

Unlimited reading comprehension exercises organized by difficulty level. Students get immediate feedback.

Best for: Reading fluency and comprehension practice

Your Local Arkansas Library

Arkansas’s public library system (Little Rock Public Library, Fayetteville Public Library, etc.) provides:
– Unlimited free books (physical and digital through Libby app)
– Free audiobooks
– Educational databases
– Free computer/internet access
– Often free tutoring services

Check your local branch for homeschool-specific programming.

Free Writing & Language Arts Instruction

Writing With Sharon Watson (Free Samples)

Sharon Watson offers free writing instruction on her website, with paid courses available. Start with free resources to see if her style works for your family.

IEW Freelance Online Writing Courses (Some Free Content)

Institute for Excellence in Writing offers paid courses, but YouTube has free writing instruction and examples.

Hemingway Editor (Free App)

Free tool that gives real-time feedback on writing—too complex sentences, passive voice, etc. Works online and offline.

Free Math Resources

Khan Academy (Already Listed)

Covers K-12 math comprehensively with practice problems and progress tracking.

Art of Problem Solving (Free Community Forums)

AOPS has paid courses, but their community forums have free problem sets and solutions for advanced math students.

Mathway (Free Tier)

Shows step-by-step solutions to math problems. The free tier is limited but useful for checking work.

Desmos (Completely Free)

Beautiful, free graphing calculator and geometry tools. Professional-quality math visualization.

Free Science Resources

National Geographic Kids (Free)

Science videos, articles, and interactive activities for younger students.

TED-Ed (Free)

Professional animated educational videos across all subjects, including science. Free forever on YouTube.

PBS Learning Media (Free with Library Card)

Thousands of videos, interactive activities, and lesson plans. Usually free through Arkansas public library access.

Science Buddies (Free)

Thousands of hands-on science experiment ideas with detailed instructions. Projects organized by age and subject.

Nat Geo Kids Science Fair Project Ideas (Free)

Video demonstrations and step-by-step instructions for science experiments.

Free History & Social Studies

LibriVox (Free Audiobooks)

Thousands of public-domain books read aloud by volunteers. Excellent for history study.

Crash Course World History (Free on YouTube)

John Green’s engaging history videos covering world history and US history.

NEH EDSITEment (Free)

Lesson plans and primary source collections from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

American Memory Collection (Library of Congress)

Primary sources, photographs, and documents from US history. Free access.

Arkansas-Specific History Resources

• Arkansas History Commission: Free online collections and documents
• Little Rock Central High National Historic Site: Virtual tours and resources
• Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville): Free admission, extensive online educational resources
• Hot Springs National Park: Free educational materials and videos

Free Field Trip & Experiential Learning

Arkansas State Parks (Free or Minimal Cost)

Arkansas maintains 52 state parks offering free or low-cost admission, hiking, nature study, and hands-on environmental education. Popular homeschool sites include:

• Crater of Diamonds State Park: Geology and diamond hunting (minimal entry fee, ~$5)
• Buffalo National River: Hiking, ecology, geology
• Blanchard Springs Caverns: Guided cave tours with geology education
• Lake Chicot State Park: Ecology and natural history
• Magazine Mountain: Hiking and outdoor science

Free Museum Visits

• Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville): Free admission, extensive family programs
• Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources (Smackover): Minimal entry fee (~$5)
• Historic Arkansas Museum (Little Rock): Offers free days and reduced rates for homeschoolers

Free Virtual Field Trips

• Google Arts & Culture: Virtual museum tours worldwide, free
• Smithsonian Virtual Tours: Free access to major DC museums
• NASA Resources: Free videos, images, and educational materials

Building a Free Homeschool Year

Here’s how a family might structure an entire free homeschool year:

Math: Khan Academy (free) + Desmos (free)
Language Arts: Read aloud from Project Gutenberg (free) + ReadTheory practice (free) + writing from Sharon Watson’s free samples
Science: Crash Course Kids (free) + Science Buddies experiments (free) + state parks field trips
History: Crash Course History (free) + primary sources from NEH (free) + local Arkansas history resources (free)
Electives: TED-Ed (free) + museum virtual tours (free)

Field trips: State parks and free museums

Total cost: Nearly zero if using library card resources

The quality isn’t compromised. You’re using tools developed by educators and institutions. The tradeoff is slightly more parental organization—nobody’s providing a complete unit package. You’re curating.

Hybrid Approach: Combine Free + One Paid Resource

Many Arkansas families optimize by using free resources for most subjects and investing in one or two paid resources they love:

• Free math (Khan) + paid writing curriculum (IEW)
• Free science (Crash Course) + paid history (Mystery of History)
• Free everything + paid co-op classes (Classical Conversations)

This approach costs $300-$500 instead of $1,500, while reducing parental curation work.

Free Resource Pitfalls to Avoid

Not all free resources are created equal. Some red flags:

• Videos with poor production quality or inaccurate information
• Incomplete curriculum (covers some topics but not others)
• No way to track progress or know what your student has learned
• Requires excessive parental teaching (defeats the purpose of free curriculum)

Stick with resources from established organizations: Khan Academy, PBS, Crash Course, NIH, NASA, state universities.

The LEARNS Act Angle

If you qualify for Arkansas’s Arkansas homeschool ESA scholarship LEARNS Act ($6,864/student), you can use free curriculum while dedicating funds to:

• Hands-on materials and lab kits
• Field trips (registration fees, travel)
• Co-op or community classes
• Enrichment courses or tutoring
• Books and supplies

This approach maximizes your funding without redundant curriculum costs.

Bottom Line

High-quality free curriculum exists for every subject and every grade. You don’t need to choose between saving money and providing excellent education. The time investment for curation is real, but the financial savings are substantial. For budget-conscious Arkansas families, combining free platforms strategically eliminates curriculum as a cost barrier entirely.