Children love to sit in front of screens. And as much as some parents try to minimize screen time, it’s almost unavoidable. Why not take advantage of all the online resources for homeschooling available at your fingertips!
Leverage that love of screens and kill two birds with one stone (we don’t condone killing any number of birds, but you know what we mean).
Free worksheets online, practice quizzes and learning videos can make learning much more interactive and interesting than it used to be. That doesn’t mean you’re simply delegating your child’s learning to a computer program. Think of those online resources as an extra set of tools in your toolbox of teaching, just like a pencil, construction paper or crayons. These tools give you the option to add more variety in your child’s learning. Sometimes teaching the same material with a different tool can help the material resonate with your child.
Try teaching your child the material in your words, have them repeat or try to apply the learning, then have them watch a short video on the topic and test their retention after that. Or show them the video first (let them re-watch it as much as they like) and then cover it again in your own words.
There are also plenty of free online resources that will help your child learn the keyboarding skills they’re sure to need for their future studies and career. You’ll be amazed at how quickly young kids can learn (and want to learn) how to type with some of the fun online resources out there. We recommend www.TypingClub.com for having your kids learn to type for free online. It’s just one example of the many online resources for homeschooling available (many of them for free).
As your child progresses, the online world is a great place to teach them about how to pursue and expand their own knowledge by teaching them to search trustworthy and reputable sources, and importantly, learn how to discern between reputable and less reputable sources online. These are important critical thinking skills that all kids should learn. It’s a part of building the foundation for their future independent learning.
Not sure where to start? Most libraries have online resources available, including the ability to sign out free ebooks, free movies and free audiobooks on a huge number of topics (did we mention they’re free?). Don’t have a great internet connection at home or just looking for an excuse to get out? Visit your local library and access online resources through their computers. Many of them offer access to online resources from their computers.
E-learning has just begun to revolutionize the world of education. If harnessed properly, a child can assimilate an astonishing amount of information from all those resources available within their own home. By using all of the online tools at your disposal and your good guidance, you’ll be teaching your child how to navigate the online world in a safe and responsible way and how to be a good online (and offline) community member.
Looking for a huge number of learning videos appropriate for your child’s age and curriculum on an easy-to-navigate platform? One of the best online resources for homeschooling is www.2cool4school.org! Whether you’re new to homeschooling or a seasoned pro, you can use the 2cool4school curriculum as a supplement to teach any or all the subjects and topics your kids need for their stage of learning.