If you follow me on Instagram you know that we have been preparing for Addy’s first year of homeschool starting in September! Although she is only three years old, she literally BEGS to do schooling daily and so we decided to create custom curriculum that teaches through play. Our idea of homeschool isn’t sitting in a classroom doing worksheets all day. Instead we want to foster her creativity, listening skills (not listening to US but listening to others/being able to follow along on stories) and imagination.
The first item I had on my homeschool list was Storypod. We first saw Storypod when we were having a play date with our friends and her oldest (5 years old) and youngest (3 years old) were loving Storypod and utilizing it in their own unique ways for their specific needs and skillsets.
I fell in love and added it to my wishlist because it was everything I was looking for! Screen-free learning that encourages independence, story telling, and imagination!!! It’s almost too good to be true.
Spoiler alert: it’s not too good to be true, it’s even better than I thought it would be!
If you haven’t heard of Storypod you’re probably wondering what the heck it is?!
Storypod is an award winning system designed by educators that offers a screen-free pathway to learning.
I wish I found Storypod sooner because it is great for kids of all ages literally starting at birth! So pregnant mamas, listen up, you will want to add this to your registry. This is something that will grow with your little one, instead of them growing out of it.
HOW STORYPOD WORKS:
The reason I wanted Storypod so bad for homeschooling is because it is so versatile. It can play games, have read-alongs, trivia cards, play music, and you can even purchase an iCraftie where you can record your own message! Because Storypod has so many ways to use it, it is a tool that can be utilized all day long in our everyday life and in our homeschool routine.
The iCraftie where you can record your own message is perfect for recording affirmations. I can start Addy’s day the best way by her grabbing her iCraftie, putting it on her Storypod, and us repeating the affirmations I pre-recorded for that week. Or I can record her favorite book (or book we are focusing on that week) and use it as another storytelling or lesson tool.
The Stage-Based Audio Device That Makes Learning Fun
The Crafties I mentioned are the little characters you set ontop of the Storypod and each provide a different activity! When we take breaks from workbooks or lessons, we use Uma Unicorn which features a variety of fun and interactive body movement songs intended to engage your little ones attention and help develop their fine motor skills. There are 33 minutes of songs Uma provides and is a great dance break. We break it up into three 10 minute sessions throughout the day so it is always something new and exciting for Addy to move to!
For reading time, we utilize Rapunzel which features a refreshing take on some of your favorite timeless tales. Introduce your kids to the Shoemaker and the Ugly Duckling, among many other beloved characters in this special series of stories. There are 5 tales on Rapunzel so we do one a day Monday-Friday! I love the option of being able to utilize so many different Crafties and circle in the same ones with their many different features. It really allows us to get our moneys worth out of each one.
Then as Addy starts advancing in school and her skillsets, the Crafties grow with her as shown above. We can get books for her to follow along with while learning to read. This is a way for her to foster independence while developing her reading and listening skills. As she is listening to the book through her Storypod, she can follow along with the hardcopy and correlate words with its pronunciation.
Recommended for ages 0-3
Total Runtime: 33 minutes
And as she enters grade school (see what I mean about getting your moneys worth?!) there are grade level based trivia cards you can utilize with Storypod such as: Early Readers Deck for 1st Graders.
This Early Readers Deck is designed with curriculum standards found in 1st grade classrooms and help your little brainiac master necessary skills in record time!
Categories Include:
Rhyming
Fill In The Blank
Starts With
Big Letter, Small Letter
Syllables
Alphabet Line
Word Families
Fill In The Action
Fill In The Noun
Phonemic Awareness
I am so grateful to have Storypod as a companion and teammate through our homeschooling journey. I am excited to have a tool that grows with us and offers so many ways to make learning fun and interactive for Addy no matter what stage she is at!
Right now Storypod has a limited offer that when you purchase Storypod you will also get a FREE Craftie Fox audio character that has 90min of songs & stories! This is in addition to the iCraftie Owl yarn character where you can make your own recordings using the Storypod app, a blue interchangeable sleeve, a carrying strap, and a charging cable! (It is mobile so you are not stuck using it plugged into the wall!!)
Head over to their website to learn more and browse the dozens of options available for all age ranges! And then make sure to keep an eye out on Instagram as I share how we use Storypod in our daily life and homeschool routine!
Xoxo,
Mariah
