Back to school tech: Laptop in a classroom

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Going from dropping your children off at school to semi (or fully!) taking over their education is not easy. Not only do you have to make their lunch, you have to make sure they understand Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion. How do you manage your children’s education needs and your time as well? How do you make sure they are actually learning while at home? We put together several tips and resources that can help you with homeschooling your kid(s). Guess what, these resources are FREE! That’s a word all you moms and dads love.

How do I get anything done without giving in to having them spend all day watching TV and playing video games?

Sometimes you just have to get stuff done without your kids along for the ride. YouTube is an AMAZING resource. Find certain series that resonate with your kids. We all know if it feels like schoolwork, they’re going to tune out.

Elementary kids might like:

  1. A Kid Explains History
  2. National Geographic Kids – for animals, science, world culture
    • “Are We There Yet?” series is great for learning about different cultures.
  3. StoryBots: cartoons incorporate songs on topics like
    • “Learn the Planets in the Solar System”
    • “Amazing Discoveries and Inventions”
  4. Peekaboo Kidz: short cartoon videos on science related stuff like
    • Why do we get nightmares?
    • What causes bad breath?
    • How cell phones work
    • How does a rocket fly

Upper Elementary & Middle school should check out:

  1. Crash Course: A really engaging presenter/scientist talking about topics like
    • Biology – decomposers, food chains, etc
    • Engineering
    • Science concepts: measuring, classifying, etc
    • Space, Solar System, Gravity, etc
    • Water cycle
  2. In Search of History

We’re getting tired of each other’s faces. How do we “get out of here”?

The best replacement for the classic school field trip are virtual ones. Luckily, there are many websites that provide educational tours. Adventures in Familyhood put together a great list of 20 museums, zoos and aquariums offering virtual tours. You can watch the otters at Monterey Bay Aquarium or explore the Louvre in Paris! All without leaving home.

When we need to turn off the screens, what do you suggest?

Podcasts! It’s not great for your kids to spend their entire day looking at the screen (from education to entertainment). Which to your other sense. Add a few podcasts to their lessons. There’s quite literally a free podcast you can listen to on just about anything! Where can you find some great, kid-friendly educational podcasts that you won’t mind listening to with them?

  1. PocketCast
    • PocketCast lets you listen for free on just about any device
    • Create custom playlists, discover new content with their machine-enhanced human curators
    • Supports cross-device sync & can even trim the silence to speed up your consumption
  2. Forever Ago
    • Explains the origins of things like sandwiches, video games, skateboards, emojis, etc
  3. Pants on Fire
    • A game show helps kids learn how to tell facts from lies. Real expert vs. fake expert, kid asks questions.
    • Topics like Ice Cream, Soap, Martial Arts, etc
  4. Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest
    • Author Adam Gidwitz (A Tale Dark & Grimm series, Unicorn Rescue Society series) tells some of the real Grimm fairy tales to a group of kids.
  5. Overdrive
    • Download the app
    • Link your library card
    • Get digital access to your library’s catalog of eBooks and Audiobooks
  6. Audible
    • Audible is giving free access to hundreds of Audiobooks for “Little Learners,” Teens & Young Adults.
    • Fairy Tales & Classics, too
    • No membership needed

Where can I find resources & inspiration?

You might be thinking: “Did we skip a step? Like, what do I actually teach my child. Are books and lesson plans I can use?” Well…yes there is! You can find a comprehensive list of available resources at We Are Teachers. National Geographic Kids also offers videos about animals & science. Plus, their “Try This” section details easy hands-on experiments for your children. Scholastic Learn at Home provides daily themed educational videos, read-along eBook and activities.

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