(Inside: This simple and fun math app is perfect for a large family homeschool! It makes my homeschool day so much easier, and the kids love it!)
This year, we’re homeschooling all three boys.
Fourth grade, kindergarten/first grade, and preschool.
There’s so much to get done, and almost no time to do it in.
See, we also have to get A-Man to his therapy twice a week two towns away.
We also have to keep Miss S from completely destroying the house in all her toddler glory.
And Miss C was born in August, the month we start our school year.
So, yeah, overwhelm doesn’t really even begin to cover it.
I have been embracing simple in all aspects of my homeschool. We wrote no curriculum list this year, and we’re emphasizing unit studies and fun activities into our school days.
The other way that I’ve made my life more simple in a large family homeschool? Finding the perfect math app that works for all three kids!
*I was given access to try out the Smartick Method Math App for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions is 100% my own. Please see my full disclosure for details.
Simple & Fun Math App for a Large Family Homeschool
Okay, so I know that some of you might be super anti-screen-time. I’m not, and here’s why.
We live in a tech-centered society. Think about how often you have a 100% screen-free day. It was forever ago, right?
So why would we expect our kids to be 100% screen-free? Or even 90% screen-free??
I embrace screens in my homeschool when they’re used effectively.
A math app that frees my time, gives my kiddos individualized math practice, and happens to be on a tablet so they think they’re being spoiled with screen time? Yeah, I’d call that being used effectively.
Why Use an Math App in a Large Family Homeschool
As a mom running a large family homeschool, I need to save time anywhere I can. We try to alternate independent activities for the kids so that each kids’ individual needs are being met.
With a math app, I can keep one kid working independently while I do focused work with another kiddo. With Smartick Math, Mr. C can complete his daily work completely independently, A-Man just needs supervision to keep him on track, and Cap’n M just needs someone nearby to clarify questions when he gets confused.
The other reason that I love using a math app is that the kids feel like they’re getting a break from “school”. I’m not even kidding, my kids seriously get so excited to do their Smartick daily math because it means they get tablet time!
And finally, the Smartick Method Math App keeps super helpful records for me. I can login at any time and see exactly where Mr. C is struggling and excelling. I can also easily see what percentage of the problems he got correct to make sure he’s putting forth his best effort.
How to Fit a Math App Into a Large Family Homeschool
We have two tablets that we use regularly in our homeschool, so if we wanted to, we could have two kiddos doing the math app at once.
In reality, we typically use the Smartick Math App when a kiddo needs a structured break or if we need to keep one of the boys completely occupied.
So while A-Man works on reading, which needs one-on-one with Mom or Dad, we can set up Cap’n M with the Smartick App to keep him out of our hair for a bit.
The Smartick Method Math App
We have absolutely loved adding the Smartick Method Math App to our homeschool. The boys feel like they’re being spoiled with their tablet time, and I love knowing that they’re getting a quality math lesson when I’m busy and overwhelmed.
