Cardle Kidz

The initial months were incredibly tough, but we held onto the hope that it would be a temporary situation. We thought we could endure a few more months and then return to a sense of normalcy. However, as time passed, those few months stretched into many, and the school year began anew, bringing with it the requirement for our kids to attend online classes from 9 AM to 3 PM, Monday - Friday.

With our demanding work schedules, there was no way we could manage that kind of commitment for our children.  For the school year 2021-2022, we made the decision to homeschool our kids after completing our work obligations at 5 PM each day.  

In this new homeschooling adventure, my husband took on the role of teaching our little Z, while I accepted the task of educating M. At four years old, M might have been considered too young for formal schooling, but I was determined to be a "Tiger Mom" and I was confident in my ability to make it work.

With a rough lesson plan in hand, I set out to teach M the fundamentals. Trying to be "generous" with her learning journey, I allotted two weeks for her to master the ABCs and counting up to 10 – after all, she was just four years old. As for the ambitious end-of-year goals, I aimed high, thinking that by the school year's close, she would confidently tackle two-digit additions and subtractions and effortlessly recognize all the sight words up to the 1st-grade level.

In hindsight, I must admit I was perhaps a tad delusional. As the weeks passed and M struggled to remember her ABCs, I couldn't help but feel a sense of failure, triggering my tendency towards OCD-like perfectionism. In response, I delved into late-night research, watched countless YouTube videos on teaching techniques, and ordered stacks of workbooks from Amazon. I was determined to find the best approach to help M succeed.

Throughout my research, the prevailing advice seemed to emphasize the importance of making learning fun. While this concept resonated with many, I found myself hesitant to fully embrace it. I couldn't help but question whether making everything fun was truly effective, especially for someone as young and unfamiliar with learning concepts as M. Watching her randomly click through ABC games and math challenges left me wondering if this approach was truly helping her grasp the fundamentals.

In the midst of my doubts, I longed for a simpler approach. Why couldn't we just focus on learning the fundamentals first? Was it necessary for every lesson to be entertaining? I believed that mastering the basics would provide a solid foundation for her educational journey, and fun could naturally follow once the core concepts were solidified.

Repetition, as I discovered, is a fantastic way to help absorb facts, and those sight word flashcards I used were undeniably helpful. However, I realized they had a slight limitation – while M could memorize the words, she lacked the context to fully understand their usage. For example, grasping the difference between "to," "too," and "two" was essential, and I wanted a simple sentence to accompany each word.

Introducing Cardle Kidz! This innovative flashcard app was designed with M in mind, aiming to elevate her sight word learning to a whole new level. By incorporating context-rich sentences, she can now grasp the meaning of each word with greater depth and understanding. To further support her progress, I added a spelling feature to prepare her for the next step in her learning journey.

But that's not all – Cardle Kidz doesn't limit itself to just sight words. It also embraces the world of math! With fundamental flashcards for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, M can now enjoy a comprehensive learning experience all in one place.

No more worries about carrying around a bundle of flashcards or losing them amidst busy cleaning sessions. Thanks to Cardle Kidz, we now have a convenient and user-friendly tool that enhances M's learning journey and brings joy to our shared educational adventures. It's a true game-changer, making learning an exciting and rewarding experience for both of us.

M and I are still ironing out the final details of the app, but we are filled with hope that it will soon prove to be incredibly valuable for young learners. We can't wait to share it with the world and see how it positively impacts the educational journey of children everywhere. Stay tuned for the exciting launch, and we look forward to helping young minds thrive and grow with Cardle Kidz!