How to homeschool with your television.
You’re probably already doing it but don’t realize it because you didn’t think about it. If you’re like me, you’re already curating what your kids (especially the younger ones) are watching on television. “TV-Schooling” is simply putting a little more intentionality behind what you’re already doing. In our home we have Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix … and cable tv. Over the summer, I noticed that our cable provide added collections of shows and movies and called it “summer camp” or had “free weeks” of educational programming. I read that in other countries also affected by the pandemic that they were intentionally adding educational programing to their broadcast networks as an alternative to kids gathering in schools.
To help you get started planning what your kids will watch when their virtual school or homeschool day is done, I’ve listed some shows or movies on Netflix, Amazon, and Disney Plus. I’ve also included a few screen shots of what our cable provider is offering because I think it’s worth checking out what your cable provider might have available, too. And don’t forget, you always have the History Channel and Discovery Channel, PBS or search for on-demand documentaries.
Netflix
- “Brainchild”
- “Magic School Bus”
- “Our Planet”
- Any movie based on a book… watch the movie, read the book and ask your child to make a poster comparing the two
- “The Speed Cubers” – a documentary on rubik’s cube
- “Veggie Tales”
- “When They See Us” – your teenager should watch this
- “Justin Time”
- “Kevin Hart’s Black History”
- “Sid the Science Kid”
- “Leap Frog” – learning series
Disney Plus
- National Geographic
- Disney Jr Shows
- Musicals Collection
- Documentaries
- “School House Rock”
Amazon Prime Video
- PBS Documentaries and PBS Kids Shows (“Wild Kratts”, “Word Girl”, “Odd Squad”)
- “Kids Animated History with Pipo” – this is my favorite history show!
Spending about 30 minutes a week scrolling through your streaming services will help you to develop a list of pre-approved shows and movies your kids can watch while you’re working. I make a similar list for what my kids are allowed to watch on YouTube during the school year. I’ll share in another post our favorite channels to subscribe to later. It’s so much easier to say “yes” to watching tv when you know that what they are watching is educational. Have fun!