Extra Curricular Learning
At Portals, our lesson plans cover the core of instruction, giving your students everything they need to become a well-educated Kingdom citizen. Some of the subject areas you see below are integrated regularly into projects, giving students many opportunities to explore and experiment as they progress through their years with Portals.
We know though that families may want to lean into some areas more, especially as their students discover their God-given interests and talents. Therefore, Portals provides families with the flexibility to dig deeper into those areas by leaving ample time daily and weekly to invest in outside programs like those we have listed below.
This list is by no means exhaustive and we welcome your input. Our hope is that these programs and sites will give you a good starting point as you find what works best for your students.
Extra Curricular Programs Worth Exploring
Adding Emphasis
Music (Portals currently includes exposure to musical content, but not training)
-
Music In Our Homeschool: Integrate music into your daily routines easily with these self-paced music appreciation courses. Each course is laid out in detail on the site so you can see exactly what will be explored and quickly select what fits your family best.
​
Art (Portals currently has a number of art and craft projects)
-
Kids Art Box: Keep art fresh and exciting simply with four art projects a month that work for all ages and will be delivered to your house with all supplies and learning materials included.
-
Atelier: Designed with homeschool families in mind but set in a classroom environment, this program has everything you need to give your students a robust art education.
-
Artistic Pursuits: Study art thematically with these tried and true art courses that are designed with age and interest in mind and are easy to do with or without the internet.
​
World News (Portals currently has limited world news content)
-
World Watch: Build news literacy, critical thinking, and Biblical discernment by watching just 10 minutes each week day of world news from a Christian perspective.
-
The Pour Over: One major news story from the week, re-written for families and paired with conversation prompts to help parents raise discerning and compassionate children.
​
Foreign Languages (Not currently integrated into Portals content)
-
Rosetta Stone: Master the basics of any one of 23 different languages through bite-sized lessons and an immersive approach. Rosetta Stone has been teaching new languages for decades and is still one of the best programs out there if you’re just getting started.
-
Duolingo: Listen, read, write, and speak any of 26 different languages through quick, easy lessons and practice exercises. It’s free, it’s fun and it works!
-
Ginoskos: Learn a biblical language, like Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, through courses on grammar or building vocabulary through exercises. You'll be reading the Bible in it's original language in no time!
​
Supplemental Support
Extra Science Labs & Dissections
-
Nebraska Scientific: Many more options for animal dissections and particular organs for learners that want to learn with a scalpel. NS is the most affordable service we could find.
​
Spelling
-
Spelling U See: These short, daily activities with no tests or preparation needed will have your student progressing naturally through the five stages of spelling with confidence.
​
Vocabulary
-
WordlyWise3000: Direct academic vocabulary instruction and engaging and flexible activities designed to reach a wide variety of students both in print and online.
​
Dyslexia
-
Orton-Gillingham Reading Programs: Programs for supporting students with dyslexia.
​
Special Needs
-
HSLDA: If you are educating a child with unique learning challenges, check out the HSLDA website for information about the law and advice on curriculum. They support home educators across America and have seen it all.
-
LDHOPE.ORG: For consultation, evaluation, and daily computer interactives that target and strengthen areas of targeted cognitive growth.
-
SPED Homeschool: Online and local support, live conversations with SPED experts, and on demand resources for education and guides supporting special needs.
*Portals is not associated with any of the organizations above. Additional charges are prices from the organizations may apply separate from Portals support. Click on the links for more information and pricing .