It’s been about 2 years, almost 3, since I’ve left a traditional teaching position. I’m proud, and surprised, to say my small teaching business has been around this long. And if you’re one of my first kiddos that started with me during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, let me just say, YOU are the bee's knees. Tot
al rock stars. The real deal MVPs. Thank you for letting me watch your kiddos grow, not only academically, but as little actual people.
Recently I’ve had a handful of my kiddos leave their B&M setting, beginning their journey as homeschoolers. And as promised, here are my top 5 resources and websites that I use as an educator and homeschooler.
www. IXL.com
Some homeschoolers might roll their eyes at this one, but this is where I come to see STANDARDS. That’s right. I said it. The dirty S word. Sorry, not sorry.
Standards give us, educators, an outline of what each grade level is expected to cover. And in case you didn’t already know, my dearest homeschooling parent, YOU ARE NOW AN EDUCATOR. It’s time to think and plan like one. Does this mean you need to follow every standard in chronological order or even at all? NO. Not legally. This is a personal decision which in all honesty, deserves its own post. HOWEVER, if you’re not sure where to start with your homeschool journey or what you should teach next, researching what your state's standards suggests is a good place to start.
The cool thing about homeschooling is that you can personalize your experience. For example, my oldest (6) would be in kindergarten. However, we are working on 1st grade standards in reading, Kindergarten for writing, and between 1st and 2nd grade for math. Science we are… blah, blah, blah, you see my point.
HOW you implement your teaching style is a different story (and a totally different blog post). I believe in the science, research, and brainpower involved in project-based learning. I also believe in scaffolded lessons and using prior knowledge. Basically, I like evidence-based teaching that focuses on child development. You might like Montessori (which probably isn’t what you think it is) or you might like traditional worksheets and textbooks. That’s all fine and dandy. The STANDARDS (there’s the nasty words again) just informs you on what skills they “should’ve” mastered in each grade. If you’re new to educating, this is where I’d start.
2. C-PALMS.org (for Florida)
C-PALMS is where I go when I need resources for the standards I find on IXL. It is full of resources broken down by grade level and standard. It is easy to navigate and has external links and resources, again, organized by standard and grade level. Though I never really follow the lessons from C-PALMS, it’s where I go for inspiration.
3. Nearpod.com
Nearpod is gamification made for the classroom. You can create small games, share whiteboards, matching games, and so much more. If your kid likes to learn with technology, this is a lot of fun! It can be time consuming making them, but it is worth it! Plus, once I make one lesson, I kind of copy and edit for the next lesson (making it easy once the initial work is done). There are also premade lessons shared by other educators that you can cop
y and edit to fit your needs.
4. NewsELA.com
This is a great resource if you like working with current events or need to go over non-fiction literature. The articles can be manipulated according to lexicon (reading level), come with rigorous comprehension questions and writing topics. This site also includes text sets, making it a one-stop-shop for English Language Arts. The interactive site can also be used to teach students to annotate and research with a purpose. I use this resource a lot for upper elementary to high school.
5. Kahoot.com
This is another fun game! I use this site to review or reinforce lessons. The site creates trivia games, and your phone or tablet can be used as the remote control. The kids love it! It’s fun, fast, engaging, and we always crack up when playing! If you have more than one kid, you can do fun competitions. Friends far away can also participate if you share your game code.
There’s Disney trivia, Pokémon trivia, and so much more. And like Nearpod, there are preloaded games and lessons that you can use or copy and edit. 10/10 recommend!
All in all, if you're seeing progress and you have somewhat of a plan, you're going to be just fine. Inhale. Exhale. It's all going to be okay.
Be sure to follow me on Facebook Lauren Sands, M. Ed. | Facebook and Instagram @laurensands.m.ed
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