Tag: The Schoolio Podcast

Celebrate the little things

Has homeschooling been giving you a lasting amount of anxiety?

So many parents are now struggling with this new normal of homeschooling their kids while balancing work, and home life. It’s a challenge, a huge under taking that unfortunately is causing a lot of anxiety for many parents.

2020 was a year of ups and downs, a year that we learned how to live differently from what we had become so accustomed and comfortable with. Many of us are still wishing they could go back in time and land in a place where things were the way they were pre-2020. I totally get that, but the sad truth is – it will never happen.  So, listen, you have to learn to take on this new normal and embrace it. Yes, you’re going to have days that leave you feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and dreading another math lesson. But you’re also going to have days that leave you feeling accomplished, satisfied and extremely proud of you and your kids!

In Episode 12 of The Schoolio Podcast, Sathish and I share our 5 tips for a more peaceful Homeschool year in 2021. One of my absolute favourite things that Sathish shared on the show: Celebrate the little things! Do you do that? Or do you discount all the things that you accomplish in a day, and then mentally beat yourself up for not getting more accomplished. I’d say I land in the ‘hard on myself’ category. And sadly, I actually always have. I’ve struggled with never feeling like I get ‘enough’ done, this never-ending feeling that I have to accomplish more, more, more. But, when will it be enough? At what point can we relax and just be happy with what we did accomplish? The answer: When we celebrate the little things.

 

How can you celebrate the little things? You and your child completed a chapter book? Celebrate that! Show them that everything they do is important, even when it’s considered small. Your son just learned his times tables? Celebrate that! You just accomplished your third day of homeschooling?! You better celebrate that. Each moment, each accomplishment is huge, important and special. All these little moments are playing into the grand story of yours and your child’s lives.

 

Many of us were taught from a young age to always think we should be doing more. While we aren’t advocating laziness, we are in full support of celebrating those little moments and little victories, especially when it comes to homeschooling. When we do this, we aren’t just making ourselves feel better, we are also modeling to our kids how to be kind to ourselves. When we do this, we are teaching them how to be kind to themselves as well.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my kids growing up with low self-esteem, feeling like they’re never enough, and never accomplishing enough. So, let’s break that cycle! Right now, in this moment, choose to be kind to yourself. Choose to celebrate all the little accomplishments, because while they may seem small and mundane, they are actually so much greater than you realize. Choosing to celebrate, and choosing to be kind to yourself is a huge victory for you and your family.

Our hope with the newest episode of The Schoolio Podcast is that you will listen and feel better, utilizing the tools and tips that we equip you with to then improve your homeschool year and life. We care so much about you and are always here to help you.

Enjoy today’s episode of The Schoolio Podcast and share it with your friends! And please, let us know what you think of this episode!

Stream Episode 12 on your favourite Podcast Streaming app, or listen directly below: 

Read: That Homeschool Stress Though for more help with your homeschool year.

Curriculum For Homeschooling Kindergarten?

Kindergarten can be a difficult grade to teach. This is when your child is learning the fundamentals of education. And, they’re often very easily distracted. This may make you feel like you just want to give up, especially when homeschooling a Kindergartener. It seems that all they want to do is scribble all over everything and yell, and run around the house. It’s so hard to get them to focus back on learning sometimes! You aren’t alone, many parents are struggling with just that. Because, let’s face it: Virtual Learning for Kindergarten – just isn’t doable nor is it good for their mental development. During a global pandemic, the best option and most obvious choice for your Kindergartener would be homeschooling.  How can you homeschool your Kindergartener without causing insane amounts of stress for both you and your child? 

First of all, why is Kindergarten so important for your child anyway?  Why can’t you just skip Kindergarten and go right into Grade 1? Or, maybe just do some quick workbooks? Why is a Kindergarten program so important for children? 

Kindergarten isn’t just about learning letters, sounds and colours. Kindergarten is also so important for your child’s emotional development and for building their self-confidence.  Through a solid Kindergarten Program, your child is given the opportunity to learn and then practice very important skills that will help them with their emotions, social skills, and study habits. 

When you have a good Kindergarten Program, your child will better develop their cognitive skills. And when these key characteristics are planted and cultivated in the beginning years of their educational journey, they will have a wonderful foundation for a lifelong, wholesome, learning experience which will in turn, help them with their overall well-being. 

Skipping over Kindergarten and holding off until Grade 1 isn’t a great choice. Why? Because your child will inevitably be behind when they reach Grade 1. 

Because, some of the main things a Kindergartener will cover will be missed if you skip Kindergarten, like: Identify letters in the alphabet, and their sounds. Learning about the different blends that letters can make. They cover letter tracing, because hand writing is something that you need to practice to get better at. They also should cover, diagraphs, sight words, language, rhyming words, nouns, verbs, writing their own stories with booklets. Kindergarten is also when they start the basics of Science and Social Studies, covering fun and basic concepts to peak your child’s interests. They should learn how to write letters, and sight words and more. Yes, some days are hard – Especially when their focus is anywhere but on learning. Even so, if you just skip over these very important lessons, your child will have a more difficult time adjusting to lessons in Grade 1. 

On the same note: Just learning with workbooks isn’t going to give your child the repetition that they need to develop and build excellent skills. Like, handwriting, memorization, and beginning reading skills. Workbooks are so good, for additional practice. But it’s important to have a good Kindergarten Program to be the foundation of their learning. Workbooks never cover all the content that a Kindergartener should be covering. So, the Schoolio Kindergarten Program is vital to their success. And at http://schoolio.io we offer the best foundational programs to help your child along the way. 

The most important thing to remember when it comes to your Kindergartener’s education: Is to not allow stress to enter the classroom (or kitchen). 

Studies show that a child under stress has a very difficult time learning. A key component of a successful Kindergarten Program: No stress. The Schoolio Kindergarten Program can provide a no stress environment for you and your child. Our Kindergarten Program was written by a teacher, who is also a homeschool mom. She has a big heart for all homeschooling parents but especially for those that are just starting out. She wants you and your child to excel on your homeschooling journey. 

With all that in mind, I can tell you that the Schoolio Kindergarten Program has many excellent components to it, that will keep you and your child in a no-stress zone. How? Well, with Schoolio, you are never left to figure it out on your own. Most Homeschool companies sell you the books, and never check in to see how you are doing. With Schoolio, we maintain our mission to make sure that no parent (or child) gets left behind. Feeling stressed? Reach out to us. We have a Schoolio team made up of new and experienced homeschool parents that are here to help you with all your concerns. We give you access to the exclusive Schoolio Community, where you can tap into our resources for your lessons, get freebies, chat with other Schoolio parents and more. You also will get a complimentary 1-hour chat with a Registered School Teacher to help you start off on the right track. 

The Schoolio Kindergarten Program comes with a built-in planner. Which means that you don’t have to worry about figuring out what your child should be doing and when. Because it is all laid out plainly for you. There are 36 weeks of lessons covering 7 different subjects interchangeably. The lessons are fun, and interesting and extremely engaging for both you and your child. There’re not many Canadian Curriculum Homeschooling options out there for Kindergarten. And we take great pride in knowing that with the Schoolio Kindergarten Program you never have to worry about your Kindergartener not reaching their educational goals. We make sure to follow Canadian Curriculum Homeschooling Guidelines to ensure that your child stays on track with a wholesome Canadian education. 

You don’t need to approach Kindergarten with stress, because with Schoolio, we do the groundwork, so you can just focus on what is important: Your child, and your peace of mind. Check out the Schoolio Kindergarten Program here: https://schoolio.io/kindergarten/

Learn more about the Schoolio Kindergarten Program by watching this video. (Click here) There are also tons of free Youtube videos that can help you get started. (Click here)

Do you have more questions about the Schoolio Kindergarten Program? Like how it’s different from other Kindergarten Programs? Why it is the best option for you and your Kindergartener? We answer these questions and more on the latest Schoolio Podcast. 

On Episode 10, “Let’s Talk Kindergarten” of the Schoolio Podcast, we chat with Lindsey Casselman – head writer of the Kindergarten Program. She answers all our questions, and offers great advice for all our new homeschooling parents out there

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Listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/76ViZ1S7q7VaDCQvVWUK2v

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