The 15 Best Free Resources (2026)
I spent $1,200 on curriculum our first year of homeschooling. Looking back, I could have done most of it for free.
Not "free with a catch" or "free trial that auto-charges." Actually free. These 15 resources have been tested in our homeschool and dozens of others I know. Every one of them delivers real educational value without asking for a credit card.
Math
Khan Academy (Ages 4-18, Free)
The gold standard of free education. Full math curriculum from counting to calculus, with practice exercises, mastery tracking, and instructional videos. The AI-powered Khanmigo tutor is a paid add-on ($44/year), but the core platform is completely free. We use it daily for math practice.
Prodigy Math (Ages 6-14, Free with optional premium)
Math practice disguised as a fantasy RPG. Kids solve math problems to battle monsters and explore worlds. The free version covers all the actual math content. Premium ($9.95/month) adds cosmetic features kids beg for but don't need for learning.
CK-12 (Ages 10-18, Free)
Adaptive math practice with interactive simulations. Less well-known than Khan Academy but the adaptive technology is excellent. It adjusts difficulty in real-time based on your child's performance.
Reading and Language Arts
Libby App (All ages, Free with library card)
Access your local library's entire ebook and audiobook collection from your phone or tablet. My kids have read hundreds of books through Libby without spending a dollar. You need a library card, which is also free. If you're not using Libby, start today.
Storyline Online (Ages 3-8, Free)
Celebrities read picture books aloud with professional animation. Sounds simple, but the production quality is exceptional. Great for read-aloud time when you need a break, or when a different voice helps engage a reluctant reader.
ReadWorks (Ages 5-18, Free)
Thousands of nonfiction reading passages with comprehension questions, organized by grade level and topic. I use this when I need quick reading comprehension practice on a specific subject. The quality is consistently high and new content is added regularly.
Science
PhET Interactive Simulations (Ages 8-18, Free)
From the University of Colorado Boulder. Interactive science and math simulations that let kids experiment with physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science concepts. My son spent two hours voluntarily playing with the circuit builder. That never happens with a textbook.
NASA STEM Engagement (All ages, Free)
Lesson plans, activities, videos, and games directly from NASA. The content is obviously space-focused, but they cover physics, engineering, math, and earth science through the lens of space exploration. The quality is exceptional because it's produced by actual scientists.
History and Social Studies
National Geographic Kids (Ages 5-14, Free online)
Articles, videos, games, and quizzes about geography, animals, history, and science. The articles are written at kid-appropriate reading levels and the photography is stunning. We use it as a supplement to whatever history period we're studying.
iCivics (Ages 10-18, Free)
Founded by Sandra Day O'Connor. Games and resources for teaching government and civics. My 13-year-old learned more about how laws get made from one iCivics game than from an entire textbook chapter. Seriously underrated resource.
Foreign Language
Duolingo (Ages 6+, Free with optional premium)
The free version of Duolingo is genuinely excellent for building vocabulary and basic grammar in over 40 languages. Premium ($7.99/month) removes ads and adds some features, but the free tier covers real learning. My kids each do a 10-minute daily session.
Coding
Scratch (Ages 8-16, Free)
MIT's visual programming language. Kids drag and drop code blocks to create animations, games, and stories. It teaches real programming logic without requiring them to type syntax. My daughter built a working math quiz game in Scratch at age 9. More on teaching kids to code here.
Code.org (Ages 4-18, Free)
Structured computer science curriculum with hour-long courses and full-year options. The Hour of Code activities are perfect for introducing coding concepts. The full courses go deep into algorithms, data structures, and app development.
AI Tools
Claude AI (Free tier available)
My go-to AI for homeschool lesson planning, assessment creation, and tutoring conversations. The free tier gives you enough daily messages for real educational use. See my comparison of Claude vs ChatGPT for homeschooling.
Perplexity AI (Free tier available)
AI-powered search that cites its sources. Excellent for research projects where you want your child to verify information. Unlike a regular AI chatbot, Perplexity shows exactly where each piece of information came from.
The Real Cost of "Free"
None of these resources replace a parent's involvement. Free tools require more of your time curating, selecting, and organizing than a boxed curriculum does. That's the trade-off.
My approach: use free resources as the backbone for subjects where they're strong (math, reading practice, coding), and invest money in subjects where curated curriculum saves significant time (writing, science lab kits, foreign language immersion).
My full guide to homeschooling on a budget breaks down exactly where to spend and where to save.