Schoolio Archives - Schoolio™️

Why Your Kids Are Driving You Nuts.

You’re now a few weeks into homeschooling and hopefully by now you’ve started to find a groove. Or you’ve learned 82 ways that DON’T work and you’re still searching for a peaceful rhythm.

Let me ask you this: Are your kids driving you crazy?

Are you wondering how on earth the veteran homeschool moms handle this gig? How do they stand being with their kids so much? I mean, you love those kiddos to pieces and you would literally jump in front of a bus for them, but they’re like, literally always here, am I right?

You’re probably wondering, when do you get a break? When do you get time to yourself? Your kids seem to need a question answered or a snack approved or a fight resolved every 5 minutes!

So, here’s the veteran homeschool mom secret: Homeschooled kids are actually more independent.

I’m sorry to say it, I hope you don’t feel offended, and I know there will be people who disagree. It just doesn’t fit the stereotype that homeschooled kids can’t “cut the apron strings” or “have no real-world experience.” (Trust me, if there was a fake world I had access to, I’d be seriously considering moving in as 2020 carries on, but no matter where I go, here I am in the “real world”.)

People ask me all the time about when I get “time to myself” as a homeschool mom. And at first, I wasn’t sure how to answer. I mean, when I think about it, you’re right, they ARE always here aren’t they? I hadn’t really noticed… I mean, I know they are here. What I truly mean is, I have LOADS of time alone. Half the time I’m really not sure WHERE my kids are. They are home, that I know. But are they in their rooms reading, in the basement playing a boardgame, outside in the backyard? I don’t know. It’s possible I haven’t heard a peep from them in an hour or more.

I write for a living and my desk is in the living room. The living room! Does that blow your mind? I can work in the living room with my kids also in the living room and no one bugs me for long stretches of time. Did your head just explode? My kids aren’t special. They are totally regular kids. Homeschooled kids.

The problem could just be that the school system actually teaches kids to do all these behaviors you are finding obnoxious. And the only way to really fix it is to wait. This is a matter of time, and patience, while your children unlearnsome of the non-academic things school has taught them. I’ve written a list of things the school system has taught your kids that may be driving you bonkers in your early days of homeschooling, and how to help minimize this type of behavior:

1. Asking permission.

Kids in school learn that they have to ask permission for ev.er.y.thing. Need to get a tissue? Sharpen your pencil? Use the washroom? Get a drink of water? Ask. Permission.

I understand why they do this in school: classroom management. You absolutely cannot manage 30+ children with one adult without a lot of rules and asking permission to do anything that’s different than what the rest of the group is doing. It’s a necessity of the school system. But remember now that your kids are at home, they are used to an environment where they can’t make their own decisions and get up and do something on their own. So when you’re trying to get some work done and hoping your kid can do one simple math page independently, but two minutes after you sit down he’s standing beside your desk chair, saying something like, “Ummm, I need my pencil sharpened…”looking lost and confused and you’re thinking to yourself, “SO SHARPEN IT!!! Why does this need to involve me?!?!!?” Don’t pull your hair out just yet. Take a deep breath, and remind your child that he can sharpen his pencil on his own, he can figure out where and what to do, and in the future he can just do it, without your permission first. Be careful not to simply give the permission they’ve asked you for, or this will just continue. Simply empower them to make their own decisions by gently reminding them every time that they don’t need permission, and they can do what they need to when they need to do it, because you trust them to make those decisions.

2. Being constantly scheduled.

Odds are, if your kids have spent time in the school system, they’ve gotten pretty used to having every moment scheduled for them. Classes are scheduled, breaks are scheduled, which subject is delivered when, for how long, and the content of that lesson, is all planned out by adults, and your child had zero say in any of it. And if you’re anything like us when our kids were in the system, school takes up so much of your life that your evenings and weekends are usually pretty planned out too with extra-curriculars, obligations, errands, scheduled playdates, and family outings. Your kids are just not used to making decisions for themselves or deciding for themselves how to use their own time.

This is why you get the “I’m bored”. And you look around at the dozens of toys, games, books, and technology that litter your house and think, “HOW?!? HOW are you not entertained?” But it’s not a matter of not having anything to do, it’s a matter of not knowing what to, because they aren’t used to that kind of choice.

If you think the solution is to micromanage their time, it’s not. I mean, you certainly can, if that brings you joy, and it’ll get rid of the “I’m bored” dilemma, but it won’t teach them anything. Instead, help them brainstorm a mega list of all the things there are to do in your house, and pin it up somewhere. Forbid the words “I’m bored” under threat of chores if you want to, and encourage them to figure out their own entertainment, without (gasp!) any direction from you.

3. Rushing

When my kids were in school, life was a constant rush. As soon as they got up in the morning it was rushing to get breakfast, get ready, get lunches packed, get everyone out the door on time. Kids are rushed and hustled around all day at school:

“Quickly and quietly through the halls please!”

“The bell rang, let’s get a move on!”

“I’m going to count to 3 and by the time I’m done I want everyone in their seats!”

“Get your snowsuit on! Get your boots on! Let’s go, you’re going to miss the bus home!”

The peaceful pace of homeschool can be such a culture shock, for your kids AND you. You now have the ENTIRE day to get 2ish hours of schoolwork done. Do you ever get that anxious, twitchy feeling that there are things that you need to be getting done? You know, that feeling you must be forgetting something important? Kids can feel that too! But they’re less capable than adults of labelling their feelings and anxieties and the roots of them. So, while you might just ring your hands, they might jump around on the living room furniture while you’re trying to have a Zoom meeting with your boss.

Try writing a schedule and putting it somewhere they can see that shows them all their free time blocks. Let them visually see how much free time there is going to be today and talk with them about what they think they might choose to do in those times. This will help them feel less uncomfortable with having open time, and help them learn to entertain themselves, if you begin with helping them make those unfamiliar decisions initially.

4. Fitting In

I’ve talked about the armor our kids wear to protect themselves at school, so I won’t bore you with that rant all over again. But I will say, fitting in is a survival necessity in school social culture.

When it comes to academics, kids also learn to assimilate and blend in. They learn that the “right” thing to do is to have the “right” answer. No outside the box ideas, no brain dumps, rants, or long trains of thought allowed- you’re holding up the class!

As a teacher I know that there’s always those kids who wants to tell you a 20 minute story about what their dog ate for breakfast, or go on and on about the new Pokémon card they got- and you half-listen while bustling around the room trying to get everything prepped and set up. Nodding and giving an “uh huh” as often as you can. Until you finally have to interrupt them with a gentle, “That’s really lovely, but I need you to take your seat now so we can start the class” or “That’s a great story, but we need to let someone else have a turn to talk now.” That child has unfortunately been shut down, shut up, and discouraged. It’s not the teacher’s fault- a classroom is a busy place and s/he has other things to do, other children to attend to. S/he DOES need to start class and other kids DO need a turn to talk. The longer your child has been in the school system, the more this natural curiosity, and love of learning, speaking and expressing their thought process has been shut down.

With your kids learning at home, if your aspiring veterinarian wants to talk about what the dog ate for breakfast in great detail, you can listen. You can google a YouTube video on dogs, you can talk about carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores, you can look at pup’s teeth to see how they differ from our own. You can make that train of thought an entire lesson if you want! Try not to stifle their thoughts when they come pouring out!

Maybe your child isn’t like this though. Maybe when you try to “make learning fun” (what a weird saying- when did learning stop being fun?) by letting them choose topics of interest all you get in response is “I don’t know”.

Maybe you try to teach in a Socratic fashion by asking questions, and all you get for answers are “I don’t know”.

Remember that they’ve learned in school to give the right answer, briefly, so class can move on. And they’ve also learned that if they don’t have the right answer, someone else will. So, what’s the point in giving it any lengthy thought? The answer will be provided by either another classmate or the teacher within 30 seconds! This is why your child is so quick to answer with “I don’t know”. In school, you don’t need to think about the answers to questions, you either have the answer or you don’t, and if you don’t, class moves on.

They’ve also learned to only learn what they’re told to (and because that rarely interests them, they’ve also learned to do the bare minimum required). When you ask something as open ended as “What would YOU like to learn about this year?” that question may just be so big and new that they actually “don’t know”.

They’ve never had a choice in their education before, so that may just be too big a question right now. Grab some pre-made curriculum or make your own plan on a topic you think they will like based on their interests and go from there. Help them re-open their minds and imaginations and rediscover their love of learning, and their ideas will come back to them!

The bottom line is, hang in there parents. You and your children are brand new to homeschooling, and you both have a lot of unlearning to do. Your groove will come. Your rhythm will be found. Be patient, be kind, be forgiving, take it slow. Lower your expectations. Now lower them again. Hang on to your sanity in these early days of this crazy new ride, and before you know it, you’ll have smooth sailing ahead of you.

Lindsey Casselman is a writer, teacher, and mom. She is the founder of Linden Tree Learning and a valued team member at Schoolio. Lindsey is passionate about helping all parents gain the tools they need to have a successful homeschooling journey.

When Homeschooling is Hard.

When you were considering homeschooling you probably heard the experienced home school moms says “We finish school in a couple hours, then the rest of the day is play time.” So, when you shifted your mindset, to actually stay home with your kids, you thought: ‘This is going to be awesome!’ But now you find yourself sitting at the dining room table, listening to your child whine about how they hate math. They literally have 3 math problems left and you’ve been stuck there for an hour. You’re probably wondering what you’re doing wrong. Wondering if your kid needs the school setting. Or if homeschooling was a huge mistake?

Now you sit here in your frustration, your anxiety, your feelings of inadequacy as a teacher. This right here was not what you signed up for. You signed up for something that made you feel connected to your child, something that helped them learn in a one on one setting. But you’re scratching your head thinking ‘WHY DID I DO THIS?’ Then there’s the whole virtual learning challenge. Maybe you didn’t take the full plunge into homeschool, but you decided to keep your child home and do the virtual learning option. Only to be overwhelmed by frustrations when the technology doesn’t work, or your kid can’t hear the teacher over all the other children’s noises.

You still find yourself sitting at the table with your child, as they spend countless hours sitting in front of a screen. You notice that they are beyond frustrated, but there’s not much you can do to soothe them because you also are extremely overwhelmed by this whole situation as well.

You find yourself longing for the days when you could just put your kid on a bus and let someone else educate them. Giving you some time to work, rest, clean, shop or visit friends. Let’s face it, life is completely different for so many of us. The overwhelm that we are facing today can be overtaking. It’s hard to manage your time and patience when so much is new, and more challenging. But you need to remember that you are an incredible human being, that has given up so much to help your child learn in a safe and healthy environment.

How can you keep calm on those days that just never seem to end? How can be a pillar of peace for your child when everything has turned crazy in their lives and yours?

First, remember that they are struggling too. For many kids this new virtual reality and/ or homeschool adventure can be really challenging to undertake. It’s not that they’re at you. They’re mad because their life has changed. They had no say in what happened, none of us did. No one had the chance to avoid a global pandemic. Remember, that your child is just trying to navigate this new reality. So, when he gets frustrated with you, or his virtual teacher, or his homeschool math problems – that’s not your fault.

Second, take breaks. It’s OK to walk away from the schoolwork. It’s OK to say “Hey you know what? We need the day off.” A day off doesn’t mean that they won’t be learning. Give them some Lego, let them build. Give them some paint, let them create. Get them an apron, let them bake. There’re so many ways to learn that don’t involve workbooks and schedules. There’re so many opportunities for them to learn about the world, about creating things, about having fun, and about taking care of themselves.

Third, model good behaviour. Obviously, you don’t want to throw a tantrum in front of your child about how much you despise homeschooling and or virtual learning. But if you’ve accidentally done so. Move forward. Show your child that it’s ok to become frustrated, but that we don’t sit in that frustration. We recognize the frustration and we move forward. Nothing is normal right now, and that is something that your child is feeling also. Connect with them, tell them that you’re also struggling. Model to them that it’s OK to share your feelings, that it’s OK to be frustrated.

Fourth, talk to your child. Ask your child whether there are ways that she thinks you both can improve this new chapter in your lives. Sit down, PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY. Talk to your child like you are talking to your friend. Not a student, not your kid, a friend. Ask them how they are feeling, tell them what you’re thinking. Brain storm ideas to move forward.

Change is hard for everyone. We here at Schoolio understand that. Some of us handle it so much better than others. So, teach your child that even though change can be challenging, it doesn’t have to mean that you will both be miserable. There’s no instruction manual for how to homeschool during a pandemic and an increasingly changing world. Just take it day by day. Don’t be hard on yourself, don’t be hard on your child. You’re both trying, and there’s a lot to be said for that.

Jaymee Davis is a stay-at-home/work-at-home/homeschool mama. She wants you to enjoy homeschooling, even when it can be challenging. And is dedicated to helping you succeed in this new chapter.

Welcome: Schoolio Planning Freebies

What do you need to accomplish in each day when homeschooling? How can you keep your homeschool on track and set realistic goals that can be easily obtained without throwing you into a frenzy? We love our Schoolio Community, and we care deeply about how you are feeling as a homeschool parent. We don’t want you to feel stressed or worried that you are missing something, or spending the entire day trying to reach unrealistic goals.

So what is the best way to have a successful school day? Planning is the best strategy to begin with. So we had our expert planner, Lindsey, create some awesome free schedule planning tools to help you stay on track and not get overwhelmed.

One Month Calendar

Starting out by planning your month is a step in the right direction. You can include field trips, school days and days off on your monthly planner. Pro tip: Use pencil to fill out your monthly calendar, so you can easily erase and update.

Sometimes the plan has to change, that’s totally normal with homeschooling, so be sure to use pencil or erasable pen.

Now let’s break it down to a one week plan, Lindsey created an excellent template for planning out the week. In this planner template, every day is slotted to include Math, Science, Language, Art and so on. Be sure to write down what lessons in which subjects on what days they should be accomplishing them. Remember the Pro Tip, changing up the plan is totally normal.

Weekly Planner

The weekly planner comes in 1 student or 2 students form. If you have more than one child learning from home, you can take advantage of the Weekly Planner for 2 students. If you have more than 2 students, print out more than one page to match the number of students.

It’s beyond important to us that you are happy with your homeschool journey. Because we believe that homeschool should be enjoyable for you and your child, it doesn’t have to be ‘another stressful thing’ added to your already full plate. It can be such an enjoyable ride, that you and your child will never forget.

Take advantage of our free weekly planner and monthly planner downloads. Made free, because we care about your success, time and happiness.

Download our FREE Weekly Planner and One Month Calendar:

Weekly Planner – 1 Student

Weekly Planner – 2 Student

One Month Planner

Let’s Talk About: Planning

When I talk about planning, I’m planning in two different ways: Long-Range and Short-Range. My Long-Range plans are my overall scope for the entire year, which I do before the year begins. My Short-Range is planning week by week, which I plan continuously all year long.

Let’s start with Long-Range planning. First I make a list of all the units I’m going to cover within each subject. If you’ve purchased an all-in-one curriculum like Schoolio, you basically already have this list in your table of contents.

I have two kids, and for efficiency of teaching, I teach them both all of each other’s Science and Social Studies. What does this mean? Well life gets crazy if I’m trying to teach my sixth grader a unit on Electricity in Science at the same time I’m trying to teach my fourth grader a unit on Animal Habitats, so instead they both learn Electricity, and then they both learn Animal Habitats.

When we do the sixth grade unit, my focus for understanding the content is on the sixth grader, for my fourth grader this is an introduction to a topic she’ll understand better in two years. But there’s no reason she can’t participate and learn now. When we turn to the book work, I either photocopy it for my fourth grader (if I think it’s level-appropriate for her), or they work on it as a team with the sixth grader at the helm doing the writing.

When we do the fourth grade unit, my focus for understanding the content is on the fourth grader. For the sixth grader this is a review of a topic he learned two years ago. But there’s no reason he can’t participate and get refreshed on the topic. When I ask questions and when we move to the book work, I remind my sixth grader to let the fourth grader have a go at most of the questions before he provides any answers.

So all that to say, for two kids I am Long-Range planning twice the number of subjects.

The reason long range planning is important is because you want a general idea of how all your subjects fit in to your year. You may have certain subjects you want at certain times of the year (for example, if you’re doing a unit on plants and you want to grow something, you may want to save that unit for the spring), and you also don’t want to get so caught up in one subject that you run out of time at the end of the year for other subjects you were excited about. You also don’t want to move too quickly and complete everything you wanted to for the school year in March, only to wish you’d gone deeper on the subjects you’ve already finished.

Here is an example of a Long Range plan on our Schoolio template for my grade 4 and grade 6 kiddos:

Sometimes I space certain subjects out, and leave entire weeks blank. These are usually my kids’ least favourite topics, so I like to give them a break from it here and there to refresh their minds and not drain them.

I also like to wind down a term by dropping subjects gradually in the weeks before a break, and warm up to a new term by gradually adding subjects after a break.

I also know certain weeks (like mid-November all the way until the new year; or when the weather turns nice in mid-May until end of June) are going to be extra busy with travel, family, or field trips. I never want to have to turn down an experimental, hands on learning opportunity like a field trip because I feel like we’re “behind” in traditional academics.

Once I have my Long-Range Planning done, I’m ready to start my year feeling more prepared in the knowledge of what subjects we are covering, and when. If you’re writing your own material, or you’re trying to figure out how many days per week you want to do a subject, these are easier to backwards plan from this Long-Range plan. If your Science is 10 lessons and you want to complete it in 5 weeks, you want to do Science twice a week. If your Science is 20 lessons and you want to complete it in 5 weeks, you need to do Science 4 days a week, and so on.

Next step is Short-Range planning, or weekly planning. One thing I will say about weekly planning is this: Do NOT plan it too far in advance! You never know when something (or several things) will mess up your best laid plans. Maybe a math lesson just isn’t clicking with your child and you find yourself needing a bunch of practice days before moving on to the next concept. Maybe a spontaneous field trip comes up, someone needs a sick day, or your kids are loving the science topic and you do two lessons in one day. You just never know! And these days WILL happen. Planning weeks and week in advance will cause you to have to redo your schedule many times. I’m a planner by nature and as a teacher I learned to have most of the year laid out well in advance, and I’d love nothing more than to plan my entire year down to the hour, then laminate that sucker and put it on my wall. But in homeschool that just doesn’t work. Trust me on this. I’ve learned this lesson over the years, and now I never do more than two weekly plan templates at a time. Even then I sometimes have to make changes, and they’re a scribbled mess by the end of the two weeks.

Here’s an example of two weeks of weekly planning for my two children:

Week One is very straight forward. I’ve used my purchased curriculum and I’ve slotted in the prescribed lessons in the recommended order. Easy peasy.

As you can see for some lessons my kids will do the same material and for others they will use other material.

Like this:

Their Language (writing) have the same topics, I just have different expectations of the level of work handed in from each of them. This is really helpful to have them both working on “autobiographies” on the same weeks, even if they have very different skill levels in writing.
Both kids are doing Gr. 4 Life Systems in Science.
Both kids are doing Gr. 6 History in Social Studies.

For the subjects that they have different work, like math and grammar, I like to handle them one-on-one. This looks like, one child has free time, or I’ve assigned some silent reading, while I work with the other child alone. It really depends on the kids and their strengths in various subjects. For us, my kids can each work on their own grammar at the same time, because I know only one of them is going to need much help from me. But when it comes to math I want to work with them separately, because I know they will both need help from me. Remember, you are not a ping pong ball!

Week two is starting to show off the beauty of homeschooling.

First a note, see how I plan in practice days, especially in Math? Not every day needs to be a new lesson, in fact, it shouldn’t be, or you’re not going to have all the information well understood and solidified. After many years of teaching my own children, I’m getting more familiar with guessing where they will need more practice and where they won’t. This is based on their own unique needs, but even with experience you just never know. In Week One I guessed my sixth grader would need an extra day to practice integers. It turned out he didn’t. In week two I thought my fourth grader would need two days to practice adding and subtracting to 10,000, it turned out she only needed one day of practice. Yes, here we are in week one and two, and we’re already veering wildly off course. Welcome to homeschooling!

And then, Nana and Papa ask to visit us for the weekend, arriving on Friday – yay! There’s no academics more important than quality family time, so, out with the plan again!

Here’s the changes I made to accommodate their visit:

I switched Creative Writing (usually on Wednesdays) with the final lesson for autobiographies (meant to be on Friday) so that the kids can finish up their autobiographies before Nana and Papa visit, and then I’ll have them prepare to present them orally to their grandparents. The grandparents will LOVE it and the kids get to practice an oral presentation AND share their hard work – triple win! And while they do independent creative writing on Friday morning, I can clean some of the house in preparation for guests.
I’m going to bump our reading time slot on Friday over to Thursday. I’m doing this so I have more free time to prep for guests Friday morning. No big deal, that’s an easy change that makes my life easier.
We will do our spelling test as scheduled, that doesn’t take much time.
Let’s just straight up cancel math it’s a) Friday and b) company! Doing Math is just nuts at this point.
We’re going to add an extra Science lesson on Friday afternoon Because the kids love Life Systems and I know Nana and Papa would love to watch a lesson in action. This is a fun one I know the kids will be engaged with.

One of the greatest parts of homeschooling is flexibility. We can take Friday off entirely if we want to and just be present with the grandparents, and the kids won’t “miss” what’s happening in the classroom. Because the classroom waits for them. Remember never force your life to fit around school, make homeschool fit your life, because life is what’s truly important.

Lindsey Casselman is the founder of Linden Tree Learning and a valued team member here at Schoolio. She not only writes the curriculum for your children, she also homeschools her own children and manages her hobby farm. This woman wears a super-hero cape under her clothes as she works hard to ensure that every parent enjoys their homeschool journey.

Would you like a copy of these amazing planning templates? Simply fill out the form below with your name and email.

In the message section write “Would like free templates” And the templates will be emailed to you in pdf form.

Why Does My Child Hate Reading?

Picture this, you’re at the library struggling to find books for your child who hates reading. When another mom has her kid come sit with her. Her kid looks probably 2 – 3 years younger than yours. And she says ‘Let’s read.’ The child then begins reading, perfectly. No fuss, no muss. Just reading. It feels like a punch to your gut. You’ve been working so hard on teaching your child to read but they just don’t want to. What do you do?

First of all, stop comparing. We are taught from a young age to compare ourselves to others. It just seems natural. ‘She has better hair than me.’ ‘Her skin complexion is so much nicer than mine.’ ‘His car is way better than my car.’ ‘If only I could get the promotion like he got.’ It’s dangerous, and unhealthy to compare ourselves to others, yet it feels so unbelievably right. The danger is that in this situation you are comparing your child to another child. And then in turn, teaching your child that they don’t measure up. That they need to be like someone else.

Obviously you want your child’s learning to be on track. You want them to read, write, do all the math problems, listen to everything you say and be perfect in some way. But listen up: perfection is a myth. There is actually no one way that we should be. That applies to us, and our children. When we let ourselves slip, and compare, we poison our home school environment. Sounds harsh, but it’s true. And here’s how:

I struggle severely with comparison, I always have. But when I allowed that to trickle into our homeschool, I was a mess and my kids weren’t loving it. Suddenly I felt incomplete. I felt lacking. I felt frustrated that my kids weren’t doing what other families were. That constant negative soundtrack playing in my mind, would cause me to become agitated much more, which clearly didn’t help with teaching or my kids attitudes. In order to help your children grow and learn in a happy environment you need to free yourself, and them, of the comparison chains. Your child isn’t reading like that kid at the library, so what? Are you working on it? Yes. So why bother comparing?

My oldest daughter had a really, really difficult time reading. She was 7 and still was reading at a beginner level. Everything I tried, failed. I was frustrated with myself, I had feelings of failure. Like, I wasn’t doing something right for her. But the truth is, I was. She just needed time. She went from reading beginner levels to reading levels far higher than her age, in just a matter of months. How did this happen? She was ready, I was patient.

We like to think that kids should be reading at 4, and be experts by 6, forgetting that every child is on their own timeline. Your child doesn’t read at 5? That’s ok. You feel like the time you put into teaching reading is wasted? It’s not. Sitting down with your child, going over letter sounds, and sight words, it all goes in their sweet little minds. It may feel like it’s not sticking, but one day everything just clicks. It does! The issue is that we let ourselves compare way too much. So stop. Don’t compare your child’s reading to another child’s. Everyone has their own timeline. Every child develops differently and that’s not a bad thing. Remember when they were just a baby and you were hoping they’d say their first word? You waited, you said ‘Mama, Mama’ to them. And that stuck. They did it! (Maybe they said Dada first) Even so, they did it. You weren’t standing over them, getting frustrated saying ‘Come on baby, just say Mama! Why can’t you say Mama?’ Instead you were loving, you’d peek their interest by lovingly saying words over and over, with kindness and a smile.

That sweet little bundle of joy grew, and grew and naturally you think they need to be reaching reading milestones, and I assure you they will.

Below is list of tips that I’ve learned from our own homeschool reading journey:

Make reading enjoyable. As stated above, don’t pressure your child with timelines. Don’t compare them. Don’t get stressed when they just can’t figure out that word that you’ve taught them a hundred times. Instead, make it enjoyable. Snuggle up with them, help them with the words. Cheer for them when they get it right. Be kind and understanding when they get it wrong.
Be very patient with your child. Deep breathe. I know this is hard. Especially when you’ve been teaching and you’re exhausted. Don’t try to hustle them into that next reading level. Just take it one step at a time, even if the steps are small and exhausting.
Be calm. Your child feels your energy. When you’re agitated and annoyed, they will be. Or, they will feel like they never get it right, and that could lead to further issues. So just take it easy.
Try switching up their reading times. Do they get more annoyed in the afternoon, the evening? Try reading in the morning with them. Or vice versa. Make a nice breakfast and read together.
Break it up. My second daughter struggles with large paragraphs. Seeing all the words together overwhelms her. So we read those together. She will read a sentence, I will read a sentence. She has trouble sounding something out, I help her. We work as a team, and enjoy the process together.

Your child’s got this. And you’ve got this. Their reading level is not a reflection of how great a teacher or parent you are. You aren’t damaging your child. Their reading is a reflection of their very own timeline. That doesn’t mean throw the books in the closet and turn on the T.V. That means, each and every day read a little more. Utilize the steps above. Enjoy it. They’re going to get this sooner than you think. You are doing an amazing job my friend.

Jaymee Davis is a stay-at-home/ work-at-home/ homeschool mama. Her goal is to help you have the very best homeschool experience possible. She believes you can do anything, and wants to foster that belief in yourself.

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?

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Let’s Talk About: Socialization

Hey Lindsey, what’s the difference between Socialization and Socializing when it comes to Homeschooling?

Ah socialization, the most common question asked of the seasoned homeschooler. It’s asked by grandparents and aunts and uncles and family friends and strangers at the grocery store. It’s the source of memes and eyerolls and, yes, sometimes a snarky reply here and there. You have to cut us a break, because we get asked it A LOT. Like, a lot, a lot. And for some people, it’s actually insulting.

I don’t personally mind answering the socialization question repeatedly because I love to inform people about what homeschooling is really like. Homeschooling has been such an enriching and positive experience for our family that I can’t help but want to recruit everyone else to our side of the fence, where the grass is certainly greener from our view.

I like to answer the socialization question in two parts. Because I think people don’t 100% understand what they’re asking to begin with. There’s a difference between “socialization” and “socializing”. Socialization is the process by which a person learns the norms, values, behaviour, and social skills appropriate to his or her society. Socializing, on the other hand, means mingling sociably with others. When most people ask, “But what about SOCIALIZATION?” they are actually asking if my homeschooled children SOCIALIZE. But, since it was asked, I like to go ahead and answer to both.

First of all, yes, my homeschooled children SOCIALIZE. Homeschooling may be more popular than you realize. The numbers certainly differ from area to area, but in my city of 100,000 people in Eastern Ontario, we have more than 100 children who are part of our formal homeschool group- and there’s many more locally who are not part of the formal group. My children do all their extra curricular activities through our homeschool group, which includes, soccer, gymnastics, swimming lessons, art lessons, skating, and track and field. They go to an academic co-op once a month, and a physical education co-op twice a month in the winter. They go to themed parties for Halloween, Christmas, Easter, and at the beginning and end of the school year (our Not-Going-Back-to-School Beach Party on the first day of public school is a blast every year!), as well as weekly park meet-ups all summer long. We average 3 field trips per month from September to June- way out pacing the public school system- and these aren’t just meeting up at a museum and paying the admission, these are regular school field trips organized by our members and hosted and taught by the experts at the various locations. At all of these events, my children see the same groups of kids over and over. I’ll see an email come through for sign-up for some event, and the first thing I do is text the parents of my kids’ closest friends to find out if they’re signing up for that event too.

One amazing beneficial consequence to doing all our extra curricular activities with the homeschooling group, is that it’s ended the crazed rush of getting dinner, homework, and extra curriculars done on weekday evenings. Gone are spending Saturdays bustling from one child’s activity to the next. Our evenings are peaceful times, with healthy dinners, practical bedtimes, and no stressful rushing. Our weekends are for time together as a family.

Now that SOCIALIZING is out of the way, let’s talk about the word most people actually use without understanding what it means. SOCIALIZATION. If we’re talking about the process by which our young and impressionable children, with their growing and not-yet-fully-developed brains, are taught behaviour that is socially acceptable to the society in which they live- who do you think is best suited to provide this social instruction? The mature, experienced adults in their lives who love and care about them? Or their equally immature and inexperienced peers on the playground?

My homeschooled kids are not “helicopter parented”, in fact those who know me know I advocate strongly for free range parenting, but they do have the benefit of my presence as they learn to navigate the difficult waters of peer interaction and socialization. For example, when in public school, if my child had a problem on the playground with a friend, I wouldn’t hear about it until the end of the day. By then, the details are blurred, and my child has already had to make a decision on how to respond and action that decision long ago, when the incident happened. My feedback and guidance, in this instance, comes far too late. Alternatively, when we’re at homeschool activities, the children go off and play together independent of the adults, while we sit together and socialize ourselves. When something comes up, as always does with children, my children are able to come to me, explain the situation and problem before it’s escalated too far, and talk it through and get my guidance immediately. They can then make a decision about their next course of action, and I send them off to action that decision with the person they’re conflicting with. Social Conflict Expert (adult) Consultation and Guidance Independent Decision and Action. Usually followed up later in the day with reflection when I inquire as to how it went. This supported learning of social interaction and conflict resolution with a mature adult acting as advisor has led me to see many amazingly mature interactions between even very young children when they are both homeschoolers.

Speaking of mature interactions, have you ever sat and had a conversation with a homeschooled teenager? They are amazing individuals who have interests and beliefs, and things to say about them. No stereotypical teenage angst, sullen, withdrawn behaviour. No embarrassment to be talking to “old people”. These young adults are articulate and confident and are as lovely and easy to converse with as any adult my own age. I’ve met introverted and extroverted homeschooled teens, but I’ve yet to ever meet the socially awkward, bow-tied, weird “stepford” kid that gets passed around in the stereotypes of homeschooled children.

The benefits of being socialized as a homeschooler are numerous, and yet a lot is said, especially lately, about the “mental health benefits” to children going to school. And always one of the reasons they benefit from school is said to be the “social aspects”. While some children enjoy school, an equal number, if not more, hate it there, either due to the academics or the “social aspects”. I would argue that the public school system is not a positive social education for the majority.

In public school, children are cohorted based on birth year alone. For homeschooled children, they make friends based on interests and personality, rather than year of birth. Both my children have a “best friend”, and neither of their best friends are the same age as they are. Age is a non-issue when it comes to choosing friends in the homeschool world. Part of the toxic culture of public school is the idea that it is “uncool” to socialize with anyone younger than you. Therefore, rarely does anyone socialize outside their age bracket, especially as they get to older elementary years. The smaller the school your child attends, the fewer options they have for friends out of this select age group.

The culture of public school teaches kids these toxic socialization rules, another one of which is that adults are the enemy. Being close to an adult or teacher is not cool (“Teacher’s Pet”), speaking up when rules are broken is not cool (“Tattle Tale”), and consulting and confiding in parents is definitely not cool. Hiding things from the adults, getting away with things, and breaking rules is what is considered cool in this culture. On top of all this, fitting in is the most important social achievement of all. Above all else, conform. Conform, or your life will be made miserable. Failure to conform to the social rules of public school will end with you either being bullied, or at a minimum ostracized and without friends and support. This is a high pressure atmosphere our young people are interacting in every single day, and it’s no wonder so many children suffer from anxiety. Children who enjoy the social side of school are the ones who are best at conforming, either because it follows their natural personality or because they work at it, which is also high-stress and exhausting even if successful. And I think we all know what constant high levels of stress do to a person’s ability to learn, don’t we?

Now some will say, “but kids need to go to school to learn how to deal with those negative interactions, for the real world!”. Ok first of all, how much is the public school system a reflection of the “real world”? And here’s the difference between being bullied at public school, and dealing with the inevitable jerk at work in the “real world”: when you’re a child at public school (first of all, you’re a CHILD, not an adult), school is your WHOLE WORLD. When you’re an adult and have a job, you may have a jerk for a boss or a colleague that bullies you, but at the end of the day you come home to your family, you have friends who have no relation to your work, and you have support and camaraderie outside of the toxic environment work may be. For our kids, school is it. Yes, they come home to their family who love them and certainly want to help and support them, but remember that the culture of public school has taught them that adults are the enemy, and they know that confiding in their parents will make the bullying worse if it’s discovered by their tormentors. They don’t usually have friends outside of the school, so if they’re an outcast at school, everyone knows it. Children also lack the brain development for the kind of foresight that tells them that this won’t be how life is forever. This is why we see children committing suicide or shooting up their school mere months from graduation. Furthermore, if an adult has a toxic work atmosphere, they can actively work towards changing it- remedial education, job hunting, change of department, etc. Children do not have those options, to them, there’s no way out. Bullying at school is more than “learning to deal with jerks”, it is incessant and inescapable. How can we know all this, and still think the culture at public school is a positive social experience?

So to answer the question they didn’t ask but meant to, yes, my children regularly SOCIALIZE. And to answer the one they did ask but maybe had never really considered, no my children don’t need school to learn SOCIALIZATION. They’re being socialized in a positive, loving environment, and they are, in my opinion, all the better for it.

Will My Grade 1 Child be isolated?

With the COVID-19 situation evolving, many parents are concerned about their child’s safety in a school setting. And rightfully so. There’s something terrifying about putting your child in a vulnerable situation that could open them up for infection. So now you’re looking for satisfactory, homeschool alternatives for your grade 1 child that will measure up or surpass their current education. Well, you’re in the right place. Schoolio offers only the best materials for you and your child.

So, you’ve found an exceptional curriculum that follows grade 1 Ontario curriculum but you’re still struggling with doubts about homeschooling your child. What concerns are you struggling with?

Could it be the social aspect of homeschooling? I think that’s honestly the number one concern that I hear from parents when they’re considering homeschooling. ‘I don’t want my child to miss out on the social aspect of school.’ And fair enough, the stereotypical aspect of home school, would make you believe that children can’t be socialized while homeschooling. But I’m here to tell you that’s just not the case.

My children have an excellent social network. In fact, my daughter has more friends than I do. But how? And where do they meet these friends? Every city has a homeschool group, or sometimes more than one. (And if your town doesn’t have one – start one!) These homeschool groups are run by talented individuals who care about the mental and educational well-being of your child. They care about their education and most importantly, their safety. Our local homeschool group has many different opportunities for socialization. Like ‘Bubble Homeschool Gymnastics’, where the children are joining a bubble of other children to have weekly gymnastics classes together. There are also art classes at art studios like, 4 cats! Swimming lessons, park dates, co-ops, French tutoring with other home school students, Soccer, outdoor PE, and the list goes on and on.

There’s absolutely no reason your child can’t be socialized. There are so many different opportunities for them to get out there and make friends/see friends. When most people think of home school, they think of children out on a country farm, sitting in a field playing with sticks, never seeing other people or kids and possibly also having their education completely neglected. But guess what? That’s completely not the way!

When COVID-19 hit and quarantine began, many people got a taste of having their children home for school. And it probably confirmed their beliefs that homeschool is isolating, but how could it not be in that situation? That was called ‘Isolation schooling’, not home school. Homeschool is a much better, wholesome experience. So, let’s not make the mistake of putting isolation schooling and homeschooling in the same category. They’re so different.

You’re worried that maybe your child won’t be getting the same mental stimulation and education as in school? Well, my friend, that’s also not the case. Schoolio takes education very seriously, while making it fun and enjoyable for your child. Following strict grade 1 Ontario Curriculum, you have absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to making sure your child is learning the right amount of material.

Maybe you’re afraid that you won’t be a good teacher, or that you won’t be able to handle that extra pressure on your own. First of all, don’t doubt yourself. You are a brilliant human being that makes the best decisions – like choosing to homeschool your child and utilizing Schoolio to accomplish that. Schoolio cares about you and your child. We are here to help. If you have any issues with your curriculum or questions about the content – just ask!

If you are able to stay home with your child, then deciding to homeschool them will always be a wonderful decision. Sure, you’ll have some tough days, some days that you just want to end. But each day gives you another opportunity to help your child learn and grow, and that’s a gift. Don’t let the little worries stop you from doing something that you know would be beneficial for your child. You are a champion, and you are going to rock this thing.

Jaymee Davis is a stay at home/work at home/ homeschool mama. She believes in your ability to teach your children from home, and aims to help you reach this goal.

3 Things You Need To Remember Before Starting Grade 1

Congratulations! Your child has made it to grade 1! I have three children, grades one, three and four. With each one of my children, I always felt like grade one was a huge milestone. You’ve made it through JK and SK and you’re now on a more organized track of learning. With that said, it can still feel extremely overwhelming. I remember the night before my oldest started first grade, I was a wreck! I kept questioning myself and worrying that maybe I wasn’t doing the right thing. I wondered if I should just register her for school. I wondered if homeschooling was really the best choice. I worried that I wasn’t using curriculum that stood up to Grade 1 Ontario Curriculum.

But then I remembered the many school interviews we had, and the tug in my gut that this just wasn’t right for her. I remembered that she learns at a much different pace than other children. I remembered that she needed that one on one attention that I knew I could give her, and the public-school system couldn’t. Homeschooling is such a journey, and honestly some days are tough. But each day that you put the effort in to teach your child, is a beautiful day.

Here are 3 things you need to remember when starting your Grade 1 Homeschool Journey:

Stop pressuring yourself. Just the fact that you care enough about your child’s education to take on homeschool and sign up for Schoolio, is enough reason to believe in yourself. And remember that the decisions that you are making for your child’s education, are actually really great decisions. Second guessing yourself will only lead to anxiety, and that’s one thing you don’t need right now.
Every child learns at their own pace. It’s hard when you’re trying to go over concepts like reading, or math. And your child is just not putting effort into learning. Some days, your child may just need a small break. Change the scene. Take them out for a walk, get some fresh air. Play a game. Just like you probably get a little agitated when you’ve been working for a while, they also need patience, and a moment to refresh their mind. You don’t have to accomplish everything in the early hours of the morning. Your schedule is yours. If you need to change it up some days, then do it.
Be kind to yourself. It’s so easy to allow ‘mom guilt’ to sink in. To feel like ‘I’ve neglected the house work.’ ‘I need to spend more time reading with my child.’ ‘My kid watched too much tv today.’ Mom guilt is a bridge to ruin. Don’t go that way. Every day that you choose to wake up and homeschool, is a day that you rocked being a mom! You are seriously so amazing! So please, be nice to yourself and remember you are doing a stellar job!

There was no Schoolio when I started homeschooling in 2016 or in 2017 when I began teaching my daughter grade 1, and I truly wish there had been. This incredible education platform cares so deeply about your child’s learning and your mental sanity. They spend countless hours crafting content that makes education fun, all while following the Grade 1 Ontario Curriculum. Nothing gets left out, it’s all there. You’re in the right place, and you’re doing the right thing. Naturally you’re going to second guess yourself, so let’s stop that now. You and your child are going to love this homeschool thing! Deciding to homeschool, was an amazing decision! One that you don’t need to doubt, you’ve got this! Don’t face this new chapter with anxiety, because you are going to rock this thing!

Jaymee Davis is a stay at home/work at home/ homeschool mama. She’s been teaching her kids from home since 2016 and believes anyone can do it. She is here to help you reach your homeschool goals.

Let’s Talk About: Activities

So Lindsey, parents want to know is homeschooling boring? Wouldn’t my children get bored always being home? What are some activities that you’ve done with your children to make the homeschool days less boring and still give them fun opportunities?

“This is a list of all the activities my kids have done as homeschoolers, mostly all with the homeschool group we’re in (so seeing the same friends every time), and some outside our home city have been done as a family trip.”

Field Trips:

Fall Fair

Treetop Adventure World

Museum of Health Care

Theatre Performance- Christmas Show

Aquatarium

Geology Museum

Sir John A MacDonald House

Theatre Performance- Dinosaur Show

Woodworking Museum

Polymer Clay Art Class

Overnight at Upper Canada Village

Water Park Day

Art Museum

Toronto Zoo

Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament

Casaloma

Science Centre

Trenton Air Force Museum

CFSCE Communications Museum

Let’s Talk Science

Little Cataraqui Conservation Centre

Activities:

Academic Co-Op (once a month Sept- June)

Soccer (once a week in the fall)

Gymnastics (once a week Sept-June)

Swimming Lessons (once a week in the spring)

Track and Field (once a week in the spring)

Phys Ed. Program (twice a month Oct.- April)

Orienteering (6 week program in the fall)

Annual Homeschooler Science Fair

Weekly Summer Park Meet-Ups

Parties:

Not-Going-Back-to-School Picnic and Beach Day

Autumn Party

Christmas Party

Easter/Spring Party

Year End Homeschooler Sandbanks Beach Day

Year End Family BBQ and Bonfire

“Obviously different areas have different field trip possibilities and different group dynamics (some are bigger/smaller than others, some are more active than others) but this gives you an idea of what the social aspect of your homeschooling CAN look like, if you want it to. Sometimes we get so busy socializing we need to catch up on our academics! And if Covid makes all these socializing ideas impossible this year, just remember that the kids in school aren’t getting to socialize much either. All of us will be suffering pretty equally this year unfortunately.”

There you have it, homeschooling doesn’t mean sitting at home by yourself with your kids. You can have many fun field trips, socialization activities and more.

Let’s Talk About: Co-Ops

Hey Lindsey, what is a Co-Op? And how can I run one in my own town or city?

“Great question! You may have heard homeschoolers mention co-op and not really understood what it was. Last year our homeschool group had a seminar/guest speaker on creating your own home co-op, so allow me share the wisdom with you!

What is Co-Op: Co-Op generally is any sort of “co-operative” grouping. The number of participants, rules, and themes can of course vary widely. It all depends on what YOU want out of it!

We participate in 3 co-ops, and all three are quite different. The local group we’re members of runs a large co-op. We meet once a month, and the co-op coordinator picks subjects for each month, like Science, Art, Phys Ed., Nature, World Cultures, etc. When we register our child(ren) for co-op, we also sign up for at least two helping spots (this is the co-operative part!). The classes are split by ages, usually 4-5 year olds, 6-7. 8-10, and 11+, but it varies each year based on the ages of who registers. There’s usually 12-15 kids per class, There’s also Nursery for siblings under 4. Each class has a teacher, assistant, and a clean-up person. So if teaching isn’t your jam, you can sign up for Nursery or clean up slots instead. If you do like to teach, you sign up for whatever age group and subject you want, and you plan, prep, and teach that class.

So your kid goes to co-op 10 times, and twice you teach, assist, or clean up. It’s a pretty sweet deal.

This is an awesome social time for the kids- first they have class, do a little learning, practice group manners and listening to an adult that isn’t their parent, and things like raising hands, standing in line, etc. that are normal “school” things but not normal “homeschool” things (in fact watching homeschoolers try to make a line can be extremely amusing ). After class, everyone eats lunch together and the kids have free time, which almost always leads to a giant game of tag or capture the flag or some sort of running, maniacal, being loud game. Parents get to socialize too, we all chit-chat while the kids run amok. This co-op is huge (40+ families), organized, and has registration fees that cover building rental, insurance, and reimburses teachers for any supplies.

The second co-op we have is a PE Co-Op (physical education) which I organize from Fall to Spring, to keep the kids active. Usually, I send an email for registrants, and make an email mailing list of everyone interested. Everyone sends me ideas for fun things to do around the city in the colder months (the co-operative part in this group is the idea generating). I slot all the ideas into different weeks. This co-op meets every second week. So the schedule gets emailed out, and it looks like: Week 1: Swimming at city pool, Week 2: Biking at BMX track, Week 3: Snowshoeing at provincial park, Week 4: Ice Skating at arena, etc. For this co-op, you show up, or don’t, if you want to, and you pay your own family’s admission fees. Everything is an open-to-the-public activity. It’s very low maintenance, once it’s planned and scheduled, it’s done.

The third co-op we’ve been in was a specifically themed co-op. Lots of ppl do this style of Home Co-Op. You find a few families that have kids similar ages to yours, or that are already friends, you pick a topic you all want to cover, or want help covering, and you split up the work. Some people do a subject like Geography, or Canadian Government. We did one last year that was a book club.

No one knows what the future will look like, Covid wise, for these sorts of get togethers, but it’s a little info for you to start mulling over in your brains, and maybe even figuring out how to run your own virtual version.”

Thank you so much Lindsey for all this amazing information on what a Co-Op can look like. Do you have more questions? Feel free to leave a comment and we will get back to you.