Christina Hagemann loves that she gets to spend so much time with her kids! Her daughter Riya (age 12) and son Adrian (age 10) have been learning from home for years, and she’s grateful that this route has provided them with opportunities to explore the world on their own terms.

Last year, the Hagemann family discovered HomeLearners Network (HLN) and ever since, the platform’s fun and educational activities have provided Christina with the perfect solution for engaging her children at home, enriching their learning, and making their fruitful home learning experiences even more accessible!

 

Learning from home has opened doors for Riya and Adrian

The Hagemann family has explored multiple routes of education for Riya and Adrian. They’ve attended brick-and-mortar schools, done homeschooling, and recently enrolled in SelfDesign Learning Community’s K-12 home learning program.

“The kid’s learning styles are better suited to a home environment,” says Christina. “They’re very quiet, and they don’t like to be in large, noisy groups. They also pick things up quickly, so being in a brick-and-mortar school could get boring for them.”

Christina keeps an eye on their home learning curricula to ensure they’re on the right track, but she’s thrilled they can pursue their interests at a level best suited to them. “From an academic standpoint, I love that they can go where they want to go. If my son wants to learn a program in Python, there’s nobody there saying no,” says Christina. “My daughter wants to learn how to multiply fractions, she can do that. She doesn’t have to wait to be in the right grade.”

The kids love doing science experiments, taking field trips, and participating in anything that makes learning a hands-on experience. “They both learn better that way,” says Christina, thrilled with the hands-on approach of HLN’s activities.

 

Fun, personalized learning activities that give Christina a break

HLN is an online platform for interactive activities designed especially for homeschoolers and home learners. All activities are led by qualified and passionate Guides, and new activities are added every month in the form of Singles, Series or Camps.

For Christina, HLN makes planning her weeks effortless, and her kids are immersed in discovering new educational topics and hobbies. Adrian loves that he can take activities with the same Guides, and Riya’s favourite part is interacting with other kids!

“Probably one of the biggest things for me is that, because we live rurally, we don’t have a lot of options. For example, there are no coding classes that Adrian can sign up for and go to. That’s huge for me because I couldn’t teach him how to code, like, let’s be real,” Christina laughs. “So HLN has really broadened things up for us.”

Most HLN activities come with a basic materials list and don’t require parent or guardian supervision. “I throw everything from the list onto the table, and they just figure it all out,” says Christina. “I like to hang around just to make sure they’re off to a good start, but then I wander off and just have an ear in, in case they need anything. It’s something that I absolutely love – that they’re so engaged.”

HLN’s group sizes are small, so Guides have the unique opportunity to adjust activities to suit each participant. “The Guides always interact with the kids and make sure that everybody’s doing what they’re capable of doing. It’s important when some of the age groups for activities can be broad,” says Christina, who is confident in her kids working alongside other age groups enrolled in the activities. “They’ve never felt that an activity wasn’t speaking to them.”

“Compared to before, when I had to do everything, HLN just gives me a little bit of a break,” says Christina. “If the kids want to learn about something like bubble science, they can have at it! I don’t have to do it or learn about it. These activities have added so much positivity to our weeks. The kids look forward to them, and I feel like we’re in a really good place right now.”

If you are the parent or guardian of a homeschooler or home learner, check out HomeLearners Network and sign up for awesome hands-on, educational, and fun activities today!