At-Home Learning Must Haves
We’ve been participating in an at-home learning situation for four days now and I’ve already come up with a list of things we absolutely need that I didn’t think of during my first round of planning. If you’re trying to make your at-home learning experience smoother, check out these items that are making a big difference for us. This list is totally random- I added to it as we ran into obstacles on this at-home school journey.
This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own.
In the 5 months she’s been out of school, my daughter has developed some not-so-great habits, including holding her pencil in a unique (very incorrect) way. These pencil grips are already helping her develop better writing habits and stronger fingers!
I realized pretty quickly that we needed a couple of reading nooks in our house for quiet reading time, and for each of us to have a spot for when we need a break from all the hard things. Like school and teaching. These chairs are so comfy for the kids and they love having their own little nests!
Yes, we got all the supplies on the supply lists. But since our office space at home is limited, we’re finding these small, lightweight journals are a better option than large, heavy spirals. We use these for assignments that don’t require ruled lines, and for drawing/coloring brain breaks.
Have you tried actually using the erasers on top of the novelty pencils your kids love? Or worse yet, novelty erasers themselves? Maybe it’s the Enneagram 1 in me, but it makes my skin crawls not to be able to completely erase mistakes. But these classic pink erasers are as good as you remember! They’re saving my sanity.
My iPad has been taken over by a kid, which means my pretty, slim, subtle iPad case is no longer cutting it. It’s very important for my student to be able to prop the iPad up for our 4+ Zoom meetings a day. This specific case (linked) is the most versatile we’ve found and still provides extra protection when the iPad gets dropped. Repeatedly.
Anyone else trying to wrangle anywhere from 4 to 11 Zoom meetings a day? With multiple kids on calls at the same time, you will definitely need a few pairs of comfortable headphones. We prefer over-the-ear headphones, and I prefer corded rather than cordless because it keeps those little angles in their seats.
Watching a kindergartener try to draw letters with a finger on an iPad is quite painful. But a stylus with a pointed tip is the cure! Plus it helps develop those pencil-holding muscles and motor skills. (Be sure the stylus you choose is compatible with your device before ordering.)
What about you? What are the most helpful at-home school supplies and gadgets that are saving your life right now. Let me know in the comments!