3 Tools for Simplifying Your Homeschool Day

An overview of some things I've found that make homeschooling go smoother.

Homeschooling is rewarding, but can also be draining, emotionally and physically. There are several ways to simplify your day to help you and your children get the most benefits with the least added stress. I am trying to work at home while homeschooling, so having something that the kids could do their school on while I could get some work out has been hugely beneficial to me.

Laminator

There are many benefits to having a laminator in your homeschooling tools, from protecting important documents, to helping you reuse worksheets. Many homeschool moms love having a laminator on hand so they can quickly get the task taken care of instead of having to run out to get it done.

When there is a piece of your child's work you'd like to keep for records, laminating it will keep it protected from all the mishaps we face as parents. A folder of protected records has a higher chance of lasting until your child is grown and you can give them their portfolios to look back on.

Worksheets are a common homeschool tool, but if you have multiple kids having to print off new ones constantly can waste a lot of paper. There are some worksheets that you'll want to reuse, like math facts practice sheets. Laminating the worksheet can enable you to use a dry erase marker on it, and then it can be reused over and over again, without wasting a lot of paper.

If you want to give your child a certificate for a special achievement, laminating it makes it look professional, and will help them keep it to look back on as an adult.

With all the uses, it's easy to see why many homeschooling parents swear by their laminators.

Kid's Kindle

When I saw the Kid's Kindle released, I knew it would be beneficial for my family. My kids having the ability to work on their school work without having to use my computer frees me up to work and try to bring in an income to supplement my husband's income, and they can all work at the same time.

The parental controls on the Kindle allow me to set it so that they have to do educational activities (reading, educational videos, or educational apps) for a set amount of time before they can access the purely entertaining features. Our first morning with the Kindles we read a few books together, and they used the Starfall app that supplements their main school work.

After that I let them play for a while so I could get some cleaning done. It wasn't long before they asked to get their school work out of the way so they could have the rest of the day free. By the time we usually start school they were all done, and it was by their own choice.

Not only have they gotten their school work done, but I've been able to get cleaning, and some computer work done all by early afternoon. The Kindles are engaging, and easy for them to use without needing constant help, which makes it easier to help them all, since I'm not constantly darting back and forth between them fixing problems.

Scotch Thermal Laminator and Pouch Bundle, 2 Roller System, Laminate up to 9" Wide (TL901X) with ...

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Fire Kids Edition, 7" Display, Wi-Fi, 8 GB, Pink Kid-Proof Case

Powerful, full-featured Fire tablet—with 1 year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited and a Kid-Proof Case—for a savings of up to $109—plus a 2-year worry-free guarantee. If they break i...

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Fire Kids Edition, 7" Display, Wi-Fi, 8 GB, Blue Kid-Proof Case

Powerful, full-featured Fire tablet—with 1 year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited and a Kid-Proof Case—for a savings of up to $109—plus a 2-year worry-free guarantee. If they break i...

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Homeschool Portfolio

Record keeping is important when you're homeschooling. It's important to be able to keep track of what your child is learning and the progress they have made. There are many different methods to keeping track of everything, but having a portfolio that simplifies the record keeping for your year can be helpful.

Having something you can flip through and easily find what you're looking for can save you a lot of time, and an easily transportable portfolio is good for those days when you're on the go. Many homeschoolers travel throughout the year, learning as they go. This portfolio will be great for those people because it doesn't take up a lot of room, but has everything they need for keeping records for the year.

Homeschool Portfolio: Everything you need to record your year

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Homeschooling is a lot of work, and can be very frustrating on some days. Anything that makes the process easier, without sacrificing your child's education, is a good thing. Kids are always learning, but streamlining the guided education can help you get the best results.

Updated: 02/16/2016, melanie_a917

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