Tag: homeschool family

Mental Health Benefits Associated With Homeschooling

Schoolio Addresses Mental Health Benefits Associated with Homeschooling

Toronto, ON, May 18, 2021. May is mental health month. Students and parents across Ontario are struggling with virtual learning and continued lockdowns. Schoolio, a Canadian education startup. Addresses the importance of both parent and student mental health struggles through a holistic approach to education. Today we are highlighting the mental health benefits associated with homeschooling.

Mental health is extremely important to the developmental growth of a child. Unfortunately, students often associate stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns with a traditional schooling system. Additionally, parents across the province of Ontario are reporting increased mental health issues in themselves and their children. Mainly associated with virtual learning. Moreover studies show that students in school settings experience stress and distress 21% more than homeschooling students.

Additional Mental Health Benefits Associated with Homeschooling.

Additional mental health benefits of homeschooling include a better teacher-student ratio. Along with inclusivity for special needs students. And also positive social and emotional learning. There are primary factors causing stress and mental health issues in students who are a part of institutionalized learning. These factors include bullying, negative social interactions. As well as coursework that is inappropriately levelled and irrelevant to students, and a cookie-cutter approach to instruction. Homeschooling addresses these concerns by providing a less stressful learning environment. While also eliminating many of the negatives of traditional schoolings. These negatives include pressure to conform, grade-based goals, and bullying.  

Allowing Children to Learn and Grow at Their Own Pace.

Homeschooling offers schedule flexibility that focuses on individualized learning styles. Allowing children to learn and grow at their own pace. While also enabling more time for physical activities such as field trips, time outdoors, hands-on exploration, and socializing. All of which are proven to be essential for mental health. “Homeschooling as a concept is not new.” Says Sathish Bala, Founder of Schoolio. “We’ve been talking about home-learning to parents who have been doing this for a long time. Along with those who are attempting it for the first time this year. Alternatively those that are currently enrolled in virtual learning. We’ve been listening to their concerns and want to address their struggles.” He adds. 

Taking the Academic Planning Pressure Off Parents’ Shoulders.

Schoolio’s programs take the academic planning pressure off parents’ shoulders. While also giving them the freedom to focus on the holistic education of their child in the ways they, as parents, know best. “We know homeschooling reduces mental health issues for children, but it can add stress to parents when it comes to planning what, when, and how to teach their children. That’s where Schoolio can help.”Says Sathish Bala.

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About Schoolio: 

Schoolio is a Canadian education startup that provides parents with a range of customizable in-home learning solutions. With an aim to empower parents to be teachers for their students. Additionally, Schoolio has created easy-to-follow curriculum modules for Kindergarten through Grade 8. We are engaging millions of students with the best academic foundation materials available. Schoolio sparks love for education and empowers kids to be fully prepared for their future. 

Contact Writer:

Nirmala Jadoonanan

nirmala@schoolio.io

At Schoolio, we provide the academic foundations of an elite program. Along with help and support for parents. And a growing library of unit titles that will include attention to wellness, personal development, and career-building skills. As much as on reading, writing, and math. Our goal is simple: We aim to reduce stress and worry of parents who are making the transition to homeschooling. Equally important is that we also support existing homeschooling families by providing them with the tools and support they need. While still allowing them the customization and flexibility that is a key pillar of the benefits of homeschooling.” 

Finding Joy During the Holidays

What does Homeschooling during the holidays look like? Many new homeschooling parents are wondering the same thing. Do you take a two-week break like the school-boards do? Or you do take the full month of December? Should you homeschool right up until Christmas and then take a day or two off? What’s the best way to approach the holidays? 

This year is especially weird. Normal holidays during a global pandemic – that’s just not going to happen. How can you keep things fun and light for your kids despite the fact that there’s no Christmas plays, visits to grandma and grandpas house, and holiday parties with friends? 

Our best advice: Make little things fun. Put huge hype into things like ‘Pizza night’, driving around looking at Christmas lights, baking Christmas cookies together (unless baking with your kids stresses you out – no judgement here). Spend time reading Christmas books together, watching Christmas movies and talking about the plot of each story. On the latest podcast Lindsey and I talk about just that. Because, just like you, we are homeschooling moms living through a global pandemic and trying to find some semblance of balance through all the chaos around us. 

Whether you celebrate Diwali, Hannukah, Lunar New year, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice or Christmas, I’m sure you want it to be a special time for your children and you. So, let me remind you, that just because life is vastly different now, and things are unreservedly different than they were before, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still enjoy the holidays and cater to your children’s sense of magical peace. 

Light a few candles, make some hot chocolate, snuggle up close and enjoy this special time with your children. Yes, things are not the same. But in everything and every situation, there is something positive. Like the fact that this holiday season, the lack of business translates into more time spent in a peaceful state with your family. The hustle and the bustle are on the back burner, and peace and quality time are front and centre. 

So, enjoy it. Enjoy these little moments, enjoy the sound of your child reading. Enjoy the glow of the candles or Christmas lights. Enjoy the stories, enjoy the time. Because time is something that is taken from us all too quickly. My hope is that despite the difficulties of 2020, and the changes that have been brought as a result of it. You and your children will look back at this year with fond memories of all the time that you got to spend together. Lindsey and I truly believe that this holiday season is one that you both will always remember. 

Listen to this week’s podcast to hear Lindsey and my best advice when it comes to homeschooling and the holiday season. We talk about things like when you should take a break, what you can do to keep your kids up to date with their learning skills, fun things you can do together and more. 

We genuinely hope that you will enjoy this week’s podcast and find a sense of wonder in the mundane. And happiness in the crazy.

 

Find The Schoolio Podcast Episode 9 ‘Homeschooling and the Holidays’ on your favourite podcast streaming app.

Or click the link below to listen directly on Spotify.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2vTUFzvaejHB9bYc0uCA1n

 

Is Homeschooling Right for You and Your Child?

If you are a parent considering homeschooling due to COVID-19, you are not alone. Homeschooling is seeing a global surge; 10% growth in 2020, compared to 6% before Covid.

Homeschooling may not be the right choice for all families, so how can you find out if it’s the right fit for yours?

If you’re pondering with the options of homeschooling your children, or putting them back in school. There are many factors you should examine first, to ensure it will be helpful for both your children and you.

So, let’s start with the benefits.

Choice of Educational Curriculum. Probably the most significant benefit of homeschooling is the ability to choose your child’s curriculum. You decide what your child studies, when they study, and for how long. No one knows your child better than you. And no one cares about your child’s progress more than you do. If you want to spend more time studying math, you can do so. If history is of particular importance to your child, you can include it in your child’s curriculum. Homeschooling also gives children the opportunity to spend more time focusing their studies on areas of interest, such as art or science.

Scheduling Freedom. Just like all forms of education, homeschooling can be demanding of your time. But in other way,  it can be a significant relief to a very busy out of home schedule. Homeschool families are not constrained by the public school system’s daily, weekly, and monthly schedules. Families may choose to set up a homeschooling routine that no longer orbits around the school’s calendar and school hours.

Increased emotional and physical safety. These days bullying is prevalent in most public schools. While not every child is bullied, it happens to quite a few – and the result can be devastating. It’s not only emotionally damaging, but it makes learning and receiving a good education close to impossible for some kids. Homeschooling avoids all of these potentially harmful influences. Other negative consequences that homeschooling can sometimes avoids includes: peer pressure, competition and poor self-esteem issues. Homeschooled children also don’t have to worry about the “fitting in” aspect that plagues just about every child in the public school system.

Increased productivity. Public schools have a scarcity of teachers. Growing class sizes means students receive less one-on-one attention. Kids attending public schools often have a ton of homework – because the classroom setting isn’t conducive to getting a lot accomplished in a day. Homeschooled kids rarely have “after school” tasks, as the assignments are completed while class is in session.

Better Sleep. Sometimes sleeping in, just a little bit, is just what you need. Early morning sleep can be beneficial, especially for kids that aren’t morning people. Homeschooling starts when the child naturally wakes up fresh and ready to learn.

What about the negative side of Homeschooling?

Heightened stress. Homeschooling your children can be stressful at times. Homeschooling takes a lot of time and effort from you as the parent. Day in and day out, lessons have to be prepared and taught. Parents who homeschool have to deal with many of the same issues as teachers do. They must also provide their children with hands-on learning experiences and activities. Homeschooling is not spent at the kitchen table with textbooks and worksheets – as many people envision.

It can be costly. Homeschooling isn’t cheap, primarily if you’re used to being in a two-income household. Almost all homeschooling homes are one-income families. Living off of one income is a result of one parent usually assuming the role of teacher for their children. This can be a big sacrifice if money is tight – but most homeschooling families find the sacrifice well worth it because of the many benefits of having their children learning in such a positive environment. There is also the cost of books and supplies to consider. As homeschooling is not subsidized by taxpayers dollars – as public schooling is – parents must cover all costs associated with homeschooling. (some states and provinces do offer some funding)

Heightened scrutiny. Even though there are more homeschoolers today than ever before, homeschooling faces increasing scrutiny, criticism and negative pressure from government and mainstream educational organizations. Some critics can’t handle seeing parents do a better job educating their children than the “highly” trained professionals in the public education system.

To summarize, the choice is yours. Both homeschooling and public education have their pros and cons. At Schoolio, we believe parents should choose the best method that empowers their child to love learning – stay curious and find passion in becoming a lifelong learner.

How Do I Balance Teaching Multiple Grades?

I read a question from another homeschool mama that went something like this, ‘How do you balance teaching more than one child in different grade levels at the same time?’ I have three children, ages 9.5, 7.5 and (almost) 6. That translates to me teaching grades 1,3 and 4. It’s busy! I won’t lie and try to convince you otherwise. Last week I posted a blog and I stated that I felt like Grade 1 was this huge milestone. I feel it’s the official ‘beginning’ to school. When my oldest daughter was in grade 2, and my second little lady was starting grade 1, I actually felt hugely overwhelmed. Now it felt like a balancing act. Like I was on a tight rope, holding both my daughters, trying so hard to keep up with everything so that neither of them would fall behind.

I know lots of homeschool families that make this whole teaching of multiple grades thing look so easy. And I just couldn’t figure out what their secret was. The things that they suggested to me, just didn’t work for our family and our schedule, as I also work a full time job from home. (I’ll write about that later) I never felt like I measured up to their level of success when it came to the balancing act of teaching multiple grades and honestly I just felt brutally upset with myself by the end of the day. Because all in all, something would get neglected. I wanted to be ‘supermom’ who had her act together, did arts and crafts and accomplished all the things. But most days I was the mom that would wait till her husband got home from work so I could lock myself in my bathroom for 10 minutes. So what are some things that I learned teaching multiple grades?

  1. Every family is like a musical band. You can’t compare the Beatles to Led Zeppelin, they are different, both unique. In the same way you just can’t compare your family to another home school family. I was comparing myself to home school families that the dad was the only one working, and the mom got to stay home and just focus on the kids, school, and housework. (Which might I add is still so much) That’s not my life. So why compare myself to that? Each home school family is unique just like all the classic bands. And each is carving their own path in history. Your history, your story – not someone else’s.
  2. Be patient. Not just with your kids, but with yourself also. You know those times when you’re exhausted, you didn’t sleep the night before and your child is just not applying themselves to their math at all? They literally have 4 questions left – they could finish it in 2 minutes, but instead, they’re hanging upside down in their chair, whining that they want another snack? Those are the moments I’ve had to work HARD on my patience level. Every part of me just wants to scream ‘COME ON JUST DO THIS!‘ But when I get angry, they lose focus even more. So I’ve learned (and am learning) to be patient with each of my children and to be patient with myself. I get so frustrated with myself when I feel like I haven’t checked all the boxes for the day, and that’s just not fair.
  3. Remember all you did accomplish. It’s second nature to me to remember all things that I missed doing in a day, ‘I didn’t send that paper to the bank.’ ‘I didn’t send that work number to my boss.’ ‘I didn’t get the kids spelling done with them today.’ ‘We forgot to practise our musical instruments.’ Remembering all the things that you missed for the day will only cause your patience for yourself (and sometimes your family) to crash. Instead, at the end of the day, remember all the amazing things you did accomplish. You kept your kids alive, fed, happy, healthy, and educated. All in one day! Those are HUGE accomplishments. Think about it, you’re doing the job of a house cleaner, a cook, a doctor, and a teacher and often times much more. And you did all that! So forget your to – do list. You rocked this day! You should be proud of yourself. Sometimes it just takes changing your mindset, and focusing on something different to get you out of the broken shell of anxiety.
  4. Spend time with each child individually. What I mean by this is: Pick your most difficult subjects in your house. For us, it’s Math. When I started teaching multiple grades I thought ‘This period is for math, and this one is for science, and this one is for language arts.’ But I’m not a school, and therefore I don’t need to run like one. Is it great to have a schedule? Yes! But I found teaching each of my kids math at the same time was hands down a nightmare. One kid would need help, so I’d be working with her and my other daughter would start screaming she didn’t understand her multiplication. And so I’d head over to her. But then my other daughter would start baulking about her frustrations with her number line. Then my son would want a snack. It actually took double time when we would try to do it all together. I thought it would save time and I was poorly mistaken. What has helped us on many a day, is doing math individually. I like to start with the youngest grade first. Right now my son is in grade 1, so we sit down and work on his math. His takes the least amount of time, and I’ve taught it 3 times now so I feel like much more of a pro. While he’s working on his math, the other two have play time. Or I set them up with a school subject they enjoy. When my son finishes his math, he then can enjoy a break. While I hop into grade 2 with my daughter. It’s much easier for my children to accomplish their math lessons faster when I spend time just with them. Sure some days they’re still flipped upside down in their chair, fussing that they don’t want to do the work. But most days go much smoother when I take this approach.
  5. Blend different subjects. If your kids are close in age, try blending certain subjects. Like geography, or science. Have a scheduled part of the day where you all sit down at the table and work on science together, or learn some new geography together. Have fun with it.
  6. Outsource some classes you are having trouble teaching. I outsource our French. Obviously, French isn’t mandatory with Ontario Curriculum. But I want my children to have more opportunities in life. And I always feel like bilingualism can get them one step closer to success. In the past we’ve hired a French tutor. But with COVID looming, and our schedules constantly evolving, I’ve found them some online French resources to help them learn.(But remember, me sharing with you that we do French does not mean that you should feel guilty if your kids aren’t doing French. It’s your homeschool) Or art, I LOVE art. However, it’s one thing that unforatunely gets neglected because I’m always so busy with every thing else. It’s fun to sign them up for an art class at FourCats. They get to get their creativity on and I get to have a nice hour long break from my kids. It’s a win win!

Your Homeschool journey is yours. I think – as with everything – when you start to compare yourself, your family, and your homeschool to other families. All you do is overwhelm yourself, and that overwhelm trickles down into your kids. The days that I’m stressed and anxious, my kids feel that, I let off that negative energy and they begin to get frustrated easier with their school. Just take it slow. You don’t need to accomplish everything today, home schooling is a process, so make sure to enjoy it. As always, I want you to remember that you are a rock star, you made the incredible decision to homeschool and you’re using amazing curriculum from Schoolio. If there’s anyone who can accomplish teaching multiple grades – it’s you.

Jaymee Davis is a stay-at-home/work-at-home/ homeschool mama. She believes that you can accomplish this homeschool thing. And she’s here to help you reach those goals, one step at a time.