Chalk this down as something I never thought I would be writing about; Homeschooling Resources and Schedules.
The cats out of the bag, the tiktok has been created, Sofia and Stella are not going back to school. It’s MOM SCHOOL this year people and I’m not going to lie, I’m equal parts excited and terrified.
I question myself everyday on if I had what it takes. I’m not claiming to be a teacher by any stretch of the imagination. But I am going to be their source of learning and wonder this year.
I am Sofia and Stella’s teacher this year.
Now although I am going at it alone, I do have support. This is absolutely the only reason I am able to keep it all together and not let myself have a full-blown freak out. I have a teacher guiding me through home education this year which brings me a great sense of relief. Sofia is registered into a local IDL (Independent Direct Learning School) where we have been designated a teacher to help build a curriculum with and be there for support through out the year if we need.
Without going into grave details on why the girls are staying home from school this year, know the decision was difficult. It was completely a personal choice and I make NO JUDGEMENT on those who has chosen anything different. No family story is the same and this is why there are multiple options out there for children’s education. We know our children and families best, I say make the choice that feels right in your hearts.
you didn’t think we were going to forego ‘first day of school‘ pictures did you?
A great deal of you on Instagram asked for some insight on curriculum building. And while I’m no pro, in fact an absolute newbie, I am one to research ALL THE THINGS until I’m blue in the face. In addition to that I have been known to NOT SLEEP while I’ve had my head in a passion project. Above all, I feel like maybe I have created a pretty excellent resource for anyone getting started with homeschooling.
Our story is this; Stella turns 4 in a week and is going into Pre-School for her first time. Sofia turns 9 in a week and is moving into Grade 4. Stella has never been to public school while Sofia has been going to a public school (Montessori program) since she was 3.
However, while the age gap is quite large, I think I’ve managed quite well with a schedule for our day.
This is our basic schedule that we will follow throughout the week. We will likely not stick to it like glue, that’s what I’ve been told is the beauty of schooling at home. We can go at it at our own pace and make adjustments as we go. The schedule is really for me to be honest. I am an organizer, a list maker and I take great satisfaction in ticking things off as I go. This schedule is absolutely appeasing my inner planner knowing I am on some kind of track. Even if we veer left or right most day, it’s a place I can always come back to and feel grounded.
FREE TEMPLATE > blank schedule here
(Fonts used: Comfortaa, Harting and Bird & Thorn)
HOMESCHOOLING RESOURCE LIST
You came here for a list of homeschooling resources and that’s what we will give you. Without further ado, here is our list;
- Pinterest Preschool Curriculum & Grade 4 Curriculum
- Etsy Preschool Curriculum & Grade 4 Curriculum
- Teachers Pay Teachers (online marketplace where teachers sell original educational materials – all ages) **
- Night Zookeeper (games and activities to improve creative writing, spelling and grammar as well as printable resources – ages 6+) ** LINK PROVIDES 50% DISCOUNT
- Vooks (story books brought to life and printable resources – all ages) ** CODE ‘BACKTOSCHOOL50‘ GIVES 50% OFF ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
- Khan Academy (free math, grammar and computer programming – all ages)
- GoNoodle (free platform and app to get kids moving – all ages) **
- ABCya (educational games covering all subjects – all ages)
- BrainPOP (lessons, videos and games covering all subjects – all ages) **
- FunBrain (games, videos and books – all ages)
- Storyline Online (celebrities reading books – all ages)
- Chrome Music Lab (learning music with hands-in experiments – all ages)
- National Geographic Kids (games and videos learning about animals – all ages)
- Prodigy (math games and tutoring – all ages) **
- EPIC (digital library and reading platform – 12 and under)
- Outschool (social and safe small-group live virtual classes – ages 3 to 18) **
- OSMO (game system for math, coding, drawing and more – ages 3 to 10+) **
- Museum of Vancouver (wonderful resource for online learning – all ages)
- Crash Course (educational YouTube videos for kids – all ages)
- Gizmos (science and math videos – grade 3 to 7) **
- Duolingo (learning a second language – all ages)
- Reading Eggs (language arts and learning how to read – ages 2 to 13) **
- Adventure Academy (interactive games for reading, science, and math – ages 8 to 13) **
- MUZZYBBC (learning a second language – all ages)
- codeSpark Academy (learning how to code – ages 5 to 9)
- Nitro Type (typing lessons with online players – all ages)
- NaNoWriMo (young writers program – all ages) **
** these are all the programs that we have tried, and either have an ongoing subscription for or use on a regular as a educational resource for both my girls. I highly recommend them as we move into another year of homeschooling doing Kindergarten and Grade 5 from home!
HOW AM I REALLY FEELING?
If someone asked me how I am feeling about the year ahead of us, I’d say a little nervous but mostly feeling excited about our decision, confident and eager to get started.
I am listening to an audiobook right now recommended to me by many called The Call of the Wild + Free by Ainsley Arment (book on amazon US/CAN). It is rather amazing I will say and only making me more and more confident in my decision to keep my girls both home with me and take on their education this year. In other words, you should read it too.
Do I think we will continue on with this kind of home educating? There is absolutely a chance that we will. My mama instincts told me back in 2014 when Sofia began Montessori preschool that I should be homeschooling. I didn’t listen, but went with what society deemed as the only path one should take. I regret ignoring my instincts but I am grateful that I am getting the opportunity now. 2020 has been quite the year for us all, if I have anything to be thankful for this year, it’s our health and new educational plan.
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Joanna says
Congratulations ladies on taking on this adventure!
I have a few questions….
1. I got overwhelmed when I got to the part of your post that says curriculum resources. Do you not get a curriculum of what the kids need to learn from the IDL school?
2. How many hours a day do you think you’ll be doing school? Do you think it’ll be mostly computer work now?
Tairalyn says
Thank you Joanna! I will do my very best at answering your question, however keep in mind we have yet to officially START school until next week. This week for us is a very very gradual entry into our new schedule.
1. Our IDL does not provide you with a curriculum (I believe this is the same across the board), they provide you a teacher that HELPS you build a curriculum. They provide you some resources and you can choose their options or find your own. Together you make a curriculum that covers all subjects at their grade level. This is the beauty of IDL you can choose programs/platforms/workbooks that you know your child will like and be engaged in vs going with the standard.
2. I suspect we will be doing about 2 to 3 hours a day of school – however a lot of our schooling will be on the move. Field trips and tours will take up a lot of our learning and therefore our entire day may consist of school. Does that make sense? However I could also see us completing a day in 1.5 hours so that we can have a rest day or go do something else we would like for the day like CAMPING 😉
If you have anymore questions, let me know! I’m happy to help!