Episode 40: Educational Gaps

How do I know if my child is learning what he is supposed to be learning? What if I don't teach him everything he needs to know for his grade level? Will he know what's he's supposed to know for success in life? Frankly speaking, gaps are in every educational approach, whether or not you use state standards for your child's grade level. We dive in to this pressure point to release you of any self-inflicted confinement to a standardized education. In our new segment, Coop Questions, we answer the question about quality educational shows for preschool and elementary-aged children.

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Show Notes

*some of our recommendations may include affiliate links, which means when you order them from Amazon, we will receive a small commission.

State Standards

California Common Core State Standards

California Department of Education

Your state’s standards and helpful teaching resources are available for free on your state’s department of education website. Also, most local school districts have state standards available on their website. Standards aren’t the only gauge to benchmark your child’s educational progress. Through curriculum, pursuit of interests, and deep dives into interesting studies, you can choose your child’s gaps based upon your child’s needs.

Curriculum

Math: Math-U-See

Typing: Clever Typing Program

For more about balancing what to expose your child to versus moving forward with a standard course of study, check out our podcast Episode 35: Balance of Exposure.

Educational Shows for Preschool Children:

  • Cat in the Hat

  • Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (a spin-off of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, animated)

  • Magic School Bus

  • Puffin Rock (character show, how to work with others and resolve conflict)

  • Super Why (superheros who jump into real books, animated)

  • Wild Kratts (all about animals and insects throughout the world, animated and live action)

Educational Shows for Elementary Children:

  • Molly of Denali (based in Alaska, with animated stories and live action activities on location)

  • Mr. DeMaio (on YouTube, live action, humorous learning experiences of all subjects for all ages)

  • Reality Shows:

    • Alone (a survival, nature-based show with some mature language and some blurred nudity)

    • LegoMasters (a reality competitive show where couples compete on Lego build challenges)

    • Master Chef Junior (children compete with their culinary skills)

    • The Final Table (chefs from all around the world work as a team, cooking a country’s signature dish),

  • Documentaries

    • Planet Earth (watch out for the predators episode depending on your child’s sensitivities)

    • Spellbound (children compete in the Spelling Bee on the national stage)

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