If writing is a pain point in your homeschool, grab a cup of coffee and keep reading because I have a story (and a resource) for you!
My oldest two kiddos breezed through writing without any trouble. They were naturally strong spellers, and the actual mechanics of writing seemed to come easily for them.
But children have a way of keeping us humble, don’t they?
Enter my youngest son:
Loves games. Hates writing.
My youngest is a curious and joyful learner who used to hate to write.
My youngest is a super creative and imaginative person. He has always enjoyed creating characters and stories. Our family and friends love his stories! But, while he has oodles of ideas and heaps of creativity, the physical act of writing was always his kryptonite.
(If you can relate, keep reading because I’m going to share an incredible resource and a special offer!)
Learning To Read And Write With Night Zookeeper: Creative and Fun!
*Disclosure: I received Night Zookeeper at no cost and was compensated for the time I spent writing a review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I only share products and resources I would use with my family and those I believe other families will enjoy.
A Strength-Based Approach to Learning to Read and Write in Your Homeschool
As a school psychologist and homeschool mom, I know that when a kiddo cries over an assignment, they aren’t learning anything.
But the thing is, writing is an essential skill our children will use for the rest of their lives. So how, exactly, do you turn a kid’s kryptonite into something palatable?
First, we have to think outside of the box. We often feel we need to teach writing like it was taught to us. Shaking that public school mindset can be challenging, but there is a better way.
The magic happens when you incorporate play- and interest-based learning, capture a child’s strengths, and use them to work on weaker areas.
My youngest might not be a natural writer, but he loves gameschooling!
The Incredible Value Of Learning Through Play
In my almost 16 years of parenting, I have witnessed the power of play time and time again. My tween and teens have learned many skills through play and gameschooling, from how to tell time to WWII battles to poetry, astronomy, botany, mythology, and probability… I could go on and on!
The best type of learning is learning that feels like play. When a child is joyfully engaged in an activity, they naturally learn and retain more.
Play and interest-based learning benefits all children and teens, but this type of learning can be especially impactful when a kiddo struggles in a particular area.
Are you wondering why? Here are just a few reasons:
- Play and gameschooling make writing less intimidating
- When kiddos are enjoying themselves, they are more likely to make (and remember!) connections
- Children learn as they play, and there is abundant research to back this up
If you’re struggling with writing in your homeschool, please know you aren’t alone. There is another way to teach writing that won’t result in power struggles and tears.
I want to introduce you to Night Zookeeper:
Learning To Read And Write With Night Zookeeper
Night Zookeeper is an award-winning online creative writing program for children ages 5-12+. Night Zookeeper is a narrative-based online creative writing program based on a chapter book series. The program is highly engaging and incorporates oodles of gamification.
Night Zookeeper is designed to improve children’s reading and writing skills. The online platform features an engaging storyline, games, and many dynamic activities.
Night Zookeeper captivates the imagination of creative children while sneaking in oodles of stealth learning opportunities.
The activities and games are designed to work on skills such as:
- reading comprehension
- spelling
- vocabulary
- grammar
- typing skills
Do you want to know when I knew it was a perfect match for my youngest? When he would ask, “Mum? Is it okay if I play Night Zookeeper?”
Play Night Zookeeper? Be still my gameschoolin’ heart. OF COURSE you can “play” Night Zookeeper!
Try Night Zookeeper In Your Homeschool
My youngest “played” Night Zookeeper for years, and I saw a marked improvement in his writing skills and confidence when it came to tasks involving written language.
If you’d like to try Night Zookeeper in your homeschool, check out this special offer:
Click here for 50% off an annual Night Zookeeper subscription.
The annual price is $59.99 for a single-child subscription and $77.99 for 2-3 children. More children can be added at a bespoke price. When you sign up for an annual membership using this link, you will get a free 7-day trial and then get 50% off on the yearly subscription.
