This post is paid for and sponsored by Reading Eggs. Although the product was given to me, everything written below is based on our experiences as a homeschooling family.
Every homeschooling mom needs a life support. That one thing that saves them when homeschooling days are absolutely horrid or when they are wallowing in the depths of homeschooling comparison.
The thing that they can reach for continuously and can depend on like a good bra or an awesome cup of tea. My life support is Reading Eggs.
Reading Eggs- A Homeschool Mom’s Life Support
Before I start spilling about Reading Eggs and how both of my kids use it let me first cover the basics.
Reading Eggs is a reading program that’s available online as well as an app. They also have colourful workbooks that support each lesson in your child’s program. They also have a not-so-known math section called Math Seeds!
As a matter of fact, simply click CHECK OUT READING EGGS and sign up for a free month. I will be here waiting.
Okay now that we all know about Reading Eggs, a little background on my homeschooling philosphy.
Prior to 2019, I was never a fan of online learning or using an app to teach my kids. I preferred to be the sole person teaching. How else would I be able to see what needed to be reinforced or what had been mastered? Besides, I had tried an online Math curriculum once and it was a terrible match for my daughter.
Why We Use Reading Eggs
This summer I decided to be a bit more intentional about year round homeschooling but I didn’t want to shell out a ton of $$ on new curriculum as yet. Luckily I had seen an email about Reading Eggs and their free month trial and decided to sign up. Besides, if it didn’t work out I wouldn’t have spent any money finding that out.
Once we signed up and downloaded the app, my kids were given placement tests to see gauge where they were in Math and Reading. They were intrigued with the characters and games and silly conversations that took place.
Seeing how easy it would be to spend hours on the app, I set a strict 20 minute per subject time limit for both Reading Eggs and Math Seeds. I don’t know about your kids, but mine tend to get very cranky when they are staring at a screen for too long.
So why are we using Reading Eggs and Math Seeds? We use it because it works. Both my kiddos are learning math facts and doing fun drills such as the Mental Minute game that pushes them. They even beg for it on the weekends!
How We Are Using The App Now
Even though summer is over and we are in our new school year, we are still using the app daily. We use it more as a supplementary curricula that will:
- fill in any gaps that may exist
- practice concepts taught in formal lessons
- allow them to explore concepts at their own pace.
But when do we find the time to get this done after spending a few hours homeschooling? In our home, we are pretty strict on screen time and this means my kids will jump at any opportunity to use a screen. They once watched a movie in German with my husband simply to use a screen!
Our perfect time for using this app is during Quiet Time- a two hour period of downtime after lunch. This is the time my kids are allowed to use an electronic device to get some extra learning done.
Will we ever stop using this app? At this point, I can’t see that happening. I was even about to purchase a full year until Reading Eggs offered to pay for it instead. Yeah, its so good that I was going to pay my own money.
Other Ways You Could Use Reading Eggs
Did you know that Reading Eggs has a homeschooling map up to Grade 2 that includes Math, Language Arts, Science and a few other subjects?
You could simply order the workbooks and use the app and skip buying expensive curricula. They even have books that your kids can practice reading and comprehension skills.
What is your homeschool life support? The thing that gets you through the tough days? Ours is Reading Eggs and you should definitely try it out.