A common misconception about homeschooling is that it’s expensive. It can be — but it doesn’t have to be. Ontario families have access to an abundance of high-quality free and low-cost resources that together can form an excellent education at a fraction of the cost of commercial curricula.
Free Online Curriculum Resources
Khan Academy (khanacademy.org)
The gold standard of free online education. Comprehensive math from counting to calculus, sciences, history, grammar, and more. Mastery-based learning tracks individual progress. Completely free, ad-free, and genuinely excellent. Used by millions of homeschoolers worldwide.
Ontario Curriculum Documents (curriculum.ontario.ca)
The actual Ontario curriculum documents for every grade and subject are publicly available for free. Many Ontario homeschoolers use these as a framework even if they’re not following the public school approach exactly. Useful for understanding what grade-level expectations look like.
CK-12 (ck12.org)
Free, customizable digital textbooks for science and math. Can create custom “flexbooks” combining exactly the topics you want to cover. Particularly strong for middle and high school science.
Duolingo (duolingo.com)
Free language learning for dozens of languages. Gamified and effective for building vocabulary and basic grammar. Used widely by homeschoolers adding a second language.
Library-Based Resources
The Toronto Public Library card (free to all Toronto residents) gives access to:
- Libby app: Free e-book and audiobook borrowing from an enormous catalogue
- Britannica School: Encyclopaedia Britannica’s full educational database, free with a library card
- LinkedIn Learning: Full access to LinkedIn’s video course library — excellent for high school students exploring career paths
- TumbleBooks: Digital books for younger children
Mississauga, Brampton, and York Region library systems offer similar digital access with a library card.
YouTube Channels Worth Knowing
- Crash Course: Entertaining, comprehensive courses in history, science, literature, philosophy, and more. High school level.
- SciShow: Science content for curious learners at any age
- TED-Ed: Short, high-quality educational animations on almost any topic
- National Geographic Kids: Engaging nature and science content for younger learners
Low-Cost Paid Resources Worth the Investment
- Beast Academy (beastacademy.com): Exceptional elementary math curriculum with comic-style textbooks. $15/month for the online version. Regularly cited as one of the best math programs available.
- Outschool.com: Live online classes with real teachers. Individual classes from $10-$30; subscription options available. Huge range of subjects and age groups.
- Typing.com: Free typing instruction — an essential skill often overlooked in homeschool planning.
