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Home Schooling-Part 2 Grade 5 to Pre-O Levels

Home Schooling-Part 2 Grade 5 to Pre-O Levels

Are you a struggling parent planning to schedule a home schooling study outline for your kids. This blog series provides essential links and resources to support your homeschooling journey.

Table of Contents

Essential STEM Foundation Courses

Creating a personalized lesson plan on Khan Academy involves setting up Course and Unit Mastery Goals, which provide a clear, measurable path for learning. Here are the steps to do it:

  1. “Essential STEM Foundation Courses are critical in providing students with a solid foundation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”
  2. “Creating a personalized lesson plan on Khan Academy involves setting up Course and Unit Mastery Goals, which provide a clear, measurable path for learning STEM science, technology, and engineering fundamentals.”
  3. Using Mastery Goals: Course and Unit Mastery Goals on Khan Academy serve as powerful tools for teachers to guide and monitor student progress. Teachers can use these goals to gauge the class’s progress throughout the year, identify areas of strength and opportunity, and adjust their teaching strategies accordingly.
  4. Creating a Khan Academy routine for students to work on mastery goals: It is recommended to have 30 to 45 total learning minutes, and at least two skills leveled up per week.

Having data-driven conversations with students using data from mastery goal progress.

In addition to the above, Khan Academy has introduced a new feature called Khanmigo. Khanmigo can align your lesson with your specific standards, choreograph an engaging lesson from initial hook through assessment, and even suggest videos and practice problems to complement your instruction. It also gives you the ability to set learning objectives, create lesson hooks, generate exit ticket questions, and create rubrics. You can get started with Khanmigo here.

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Must Read Classics

Here are some classic books that are often recommended for children before they start their O level studies:

  1. “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll
  2. “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott
  3. “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson
  4. “The Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum
  5. “Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter
  6. “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame
  7. “Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery
  8. “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  9. “Winnie-the-Pooh” by A.A. Milne
  10. “Tarka the Otter” by Henry Williamson
  11. “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams
  12. “Swallows and Amazons” by Arthur Ransome
  13. “Ballet Shoes” by Noel Streatfeild
  14. “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien
  15. “The Magic Faraway Tree” by Enid Blyton
  16. “Animal Farm” by George Orwell
  17. “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell
  18. “The Princess and the Goblin” by George MacDonald
  19. “Heidi” by Johanna Spyri
  20. “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London
  21. “The War of the Worlds” by H.G. Wells
  22. “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
  23. “Robinson Crusoe” by Daniel Defoe

These books are considered classics and have stood the test of time. They offer a variety of themes and writing styles, providing a rich literary experience for young readers.

International STEM competitions

  • International STEM competitions are highly beneficial for students, especially those in the age group of 6 to 13 years. They provide opportunities for students to think critically, work independently or collaboratively, and strengthen their problem-solving, analytical, and social skills. Participating in these competitions can boost students’ confidence, encourage risk-taking in learning, and help them discover their capabilities. High school students can also participate to challenge themselves further. International STEM competitions are highly beneficial for students, especially those in the age group of 6 to 13 years, including secondary school students preparing for their future studies.

Here are some international STEM competitions suitable for students aged 6 to 13 years:

  1. BIEA International STEM Youth Innovation Competition: This competition is for students aged 6-21 and is organized by the British International Education Association (BIEA). It aims to raise the level of technological enthusiasm among students from all over the world and stimulate students’ passion for STEM.
  2. International STEM Olympiad: This is an international online competition platform in which students from grade levels 1 to 12 compete. The questions are prepared in line with the philosophy of STEM education.

Please note that the availability of these competitions may vary by region, and the selection will depend on the specific agreements each platform has with the organizers.

Self organizing apps and software tools

Sure, here are some apps that can help your child in various areas:

Self-Organizing Apps:

  1. TickTick: A to-do list app that helps manage tasks effectively.
  2. iStudiez Pro: An app that offers a color-coded calendar for each class and activity.
  3. Todoist: A top-rated app with a comprehensive list of all tasks and the ability to keep important assignments top of mind.
  4. Streaks: This app encourages users to build habits and follows their progress over time.

Time Management Apps:

  1. RescueTime: This app keeps a tab on where and how much time your kids are spending.
  2. Goally: Kids Information Manager that helps in managing time and tasks.

Reading Habit Apps:

  1. Prodigy English: A game-based educational app that can help keep your child motivated and excited to read.
  2. Google Play Books & Audiobooks: An app that provides a wide range of books and audiobooks for kids to explore.
  3. Reading Eggs: An interactive reading app that has become one of the most popular phonics-based reading apps in both families and classrooms around the world.

Productivity Apps:

  1. Lumosity: Brain Training: This app is designed to improve cognitive skills, such as memory, flexibility, and problem-solving.
  2. MentalUP Brain Games: A cutting-edge learning app that helps teens and young adults develop their cognitive skills.

Smart Surfing Internet Apps:

  1. National Geographic: This app provides a wealth of information about the world, encouraging curiosity and learning.
  2. Sky Kids: This app provides a safe and fun space for kids to explore and watch their favourite shows.

Secure Surfing Internet Apps:

  1. Kaspersky Safe Kids: This app allows you to monitor your child’s smartphone activities, block inappropriate content, and manage app usage.
  2. Kidgy – Parental control app: This app monitors your child’s online activities, including blocking access to unsafe websites.

Please note that while these apps can provide a good starting point, it’s important to review each app to ensure it aligns with your educational goals and standards.

List of Websites and subscriptions for guided learning

Scribd.com is the best eBooks platform offering very econimical monthly subscription and a lot of content. Besides Scribd we can explore sites like

  1. Project Gutenberg: This is a library of over 60,000 free eBooks. You can choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them, or read them online.
  2. Google Play Books: Google Play Books lets you search, preview, and buy millions of books using Google Book Search. Books in the public domain and certain copyrighted books can be read and downloaded in their entirety for free.
  3. Apple Books: Apple Books is a single destination for all the books you love, and the ones you’re about to.
  4. Kobo Plus: Kobo Plus is the ebook subscription service of Kobo. Currently, it’s only available in Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands. If you’re living in those countries, you can try it for free for 30 days, and you can browse its catalog of 200,000+ titles.
  5. Bookmate: Bookmate is an ebook, audiobook, and comics subscription service based in Ireland. It costs $8.99 USD per month, and you can choose from up to 500,000+ titles in different languages.
  6. Joomag: Joomag is an all-in-one digital publishing platform. You can develop, publish, share, track, and monetize through interactive digital publications.

Early career guideline and platforms to discover natural talents of kid

To identify early career guidelines and discover your child’s natural talents, it’s crucial to maintain open communication, encourage critical thinking, embrace technology, and foster emotional intelligence—all pivotal for STEM foundation learning in real world applications.”

Websites for Early Career Guidelines:

  1. Websites like YouScience offer career guidance for students using aptitudes, providing a platform for early career exploration and guidance.
  2. Websites like Self-Sufficient Kids offer insights and resources for nurturing children’s talents and interests.
  3. Genleap provides genetic testing solutions that can help identify personality traits, talents, and aptitudes based on your child’s DNA, offering a scientific approach to talent discovery.
  4. Consider investing time and money in genetic personality tests to scientifically identify your child’s true interests and talents. This can help filter through the noise and provide a clearer picture of their potential.

Apps for Discovering Natural Talents of Kids:

Based on the latest information from the provided sources, here are some of the best educational game apps for kids that offer interactive learning experiences, puzzles, and games that align with their interests:

  1. Thinkrolls 2 – This app challenges young minds to think out of the box and encourages critical thinking through brain-stimulating games. It’s designed for children aged 3 to 9 and uses cute little monsters as animated characters to keep them engaged. The app features two levels of difficulty with 117 mazes on the basic level and 118 more complicated mazes on the hard level, encouraging patience and critical thinking .
  2. Prodigy – A math learning game app that makes learning fun and engaging through engaging games. It’s designed for elementary and middle school students, aged 6 to 14, and allows them to compete in mathematical battles with their friends. The app customizes the difficulty level based on the child’s understanding, making it both educational and entertaining .
  3. PBS Kids Games – Offers over 250 educational games featuring beloved characters like Daniel Tiger, Wild Kratts, Rosie’s Rules, and more, allowing kids to explore their favorite topics while learning core skills.
  4. SplashLearn – Combines math and reading practice with entertaining, game-based activities for PreK-5 kids. It features 1,900+ math games and activities aligned with the curriculum, as well as personalized reading experiences for ages 3-11. The platform offers anytime, anywhere access, so your child can learn and practice on the go .
  5. Starfall – An interactive learning platform for children from pre-kindergarten to third grade, offering engaging activities and games tailored to the individual learning needs of each age group, covering reading, math, music, and other social skills .

These apps are designed to make learning fun and engaging for kids, helping them master various subjects while playing and having fun. Many of these apps offer free trials, so you can test them out to see which ones work best with your child’s learning style and interests. Other such apps worth a try are BrainPOP, Outschool, Time4Learning, Homeschool Manager, Power Homeschool and Beast Academy.

Please note that while these resources can provide a good starting point, it’s important to review each resource to ensure it aligns with your educational goals and standards. Also, please remember that the effectiveness of learning can be enhanced by a balanced combination of different resources. Happy exploring!