Save Money On Tutoring: 10 Cheap Resources for Afterschool Study

Every one of us has struggled with school in one way or another. Watching our kids struggle with similar things is not an easy thing to do. It can be pretty costly to get your child a tutor and help them through their educational road bumps, so many students find themselves just falling behind and losing interest altogether.

It shouldn’t be this way, though, because getting a proper education is the first step in your child’s life to financial independence. After school help shouldn’t be something only the rich can afford. Luckily your kids are growing up in the information age, with loads of free and nearly-free resources at your fingertips. Who knew the internet was for more than just cat videos?

Here are ten educational resources to help your kids stay on track in school. And yes, they are all free or nearly-free:

1. Educational Apps

While many parents spend enormous amounts of energy making sure their kids don’t spend too much time on devices, you’re in on the secret: those devices are full of teaching tools. The iOS app store is so full of free educational apps for every grade that it would take you literal days to scroll through all of them. Apps like Funbrain Jr. and Endless Reader are going to add to what your child is already learning at school, and all for free, with the added bonus that they are on a device your kid already wants to use.

2. Code.org

An absolutely brilliant way to introduce your child to thinking like a programmer. This website trains all ages to make things happen using code. In our world that is so dependent on computers, knowing how to code is going to put your kids ahead of everyone else in their class. The best part about this website is that it’s fun: it uses characters and stories your kids already know and love and gives them challenges they hate walking away from. Check out Code.org

3. Sumdog

This website claims to be, “games that make learning fun” and they’re right. Many teachers across Canada are making use of this website in their classrooms and the research suggests that the Sumdog games speeds up student progress by 3 times. The games are the sort that kids want to play, and might even be hard to drag them away from. Check out Sumdog.

4. BrainPOP

BrainPOP is a beautifully designed site that covers every educational topic imaginable, from science and math to social studies, health and engineering & tech. Each area of study has a variety of enjoyable videos, games, activities and quizzes. Check out BrainPOP.

5. Crash Course Kids

Put out by one of YouTube’s first and most popular stars who is also an acclaimed author of youth fiction, John Green, Crash Course exemplifies his passion for education like nothing else. You can feel that passion come through as you watch your way through the short, easily consumed videos on educational topics of every sort. It’s entertaining, funny, and each presenter on the channel comes off as totally approachable. There are series of videos on Philosophy, Biology, World History and so, so much more. If your kids don’t enjoy these videos, you likely will. They’re absolutely fantastic and can be found here: Crash Course Kids.

6. Khan Academy

This website is great when it comes to learning. Subjects are divided by grade and each grade and subject has it’s own full lesson plan, with video lectures, games, activities and quizzes. It follows the American curriculum of each grade, which luckily closely resembles the curriculum for Canadian kids. It also goes up to post-secondary subjects with full lessons in topics like Art History and Finance & Capital Markets. Khan academy keeps track of your student’s progress through each course, and it is all absolutely free. Check out Khan Academy.

7. Duolingo

If your child is studying a second language, as most Canadian students do with French, Duolingo is a critically acclaimed website that is proven to get results. Designed around simplicity, duolingo will have your kids leaps and bounds ahead of the other students in their class. You can also grab the free app for Duolingo in the app store, as well. Check out Duolingo.

8. IXL

For only $12.95 per month, you get access to a program that follows provincial curriculums all through your child’s school year. Kids get to compete with other students, and they earn rewards as they move along. The learning atmosphere is set up so that students enjoy what they’re learning. A paid membership gets you access to all the grade levels, so if your child is behind or ahead in any specific area of study, he or she can move forward or back. Right now the website covers math and English, but the plethora of learning tools provided here, all in tune with provincial curriculums specifically for Canadian kids, is absolutely priceless. Check out IXL.

9. Scratch & Scratch Jr.

Engineered by MIT, this site sets out to teach your kids programming at a young age. It’s very much like Code.org with lots of different games. It’s absolutely free and your kids will be the most tech savvy kids in the whole school. Check out Scratch.

10. Biblionasium

This is a safe social network for kids that centers around books and reading. It’s built to encourage kids to read, rate and review books. Each child can keep a bookshelf full of books that suit their reading level and interests. They can send recommendations to friends and get recommendations back. They will also earn rewards and have the ability to display their reading stats on their profile page. This site turns kids into readers by making it even more fun. Check out Biblionasium.

What educational sites do your kids use? Let us know in the comments!