Homeschool is not for the faint of heart. And just because something works with one little doesn’t mean it will work with them all. When Hops parents decided she would be homeschooled, we figured it would be easy peasy. She’s with me most weekdays. JustaBXgirl has been homeschooled since Hops was a baby. It should have been an easy transition into her homeschool journey. Ha! Think again.
“Auntie, your house is for playing, not for learning!” Those were Hops words when I first started sitting her down for “school time.” She knew that JustaBXgirl did school at home, but she wasn’t here for it. We had to get imaginative when it came to Hops Homeschool curriculum for pre-k. It was a whole heap of Toy Schooling and Game Schooling. Kindergarten rolled around, and she started working with a tutor so that Auntie’s house could stay the fun house. She didn’t realize that learning was happening through the toys we played with or the games she loved. She had “tutor time” and Auntie time and didn’t see that all of the time was learning time.
When Smile Zemi reached out to work with us, I was hesitant because Hops doesn’t get a lot of screen time. One of the things that sold me on the Smile Zemi Home Learning Service is that it helps limit the time that littles spend playing online. Here are eight things we love about using Smile Zemi to complement what Hops is learning offline:
- Closed system – This is a learning tool. It is not a tablet for busy work or to endlessly scroll mindlessly on. Smile Zemi is a closed system with no additional distractions. There is no downloading games, video sharing sites, or opening web browsers. When littles pick up their tablet, they are being productive and getting their learning done.
- Independent Learning – This system allows littles to self-direct their learning without allowing them to get lost in too many options. They follow their learning path and get to decide which of their current lessons they will start with. There are hints for them when they are feeling stuck. And they can rewatch video lessons if they are not ready to move on.
- Travel Friendly – As long as you have a Wi-Fi connection, you can use the tablet.
- Durability – This is a quality system. It comes with everything you need in the box, and everything is sturdy. The table cover can handle being in the mommest of bags or getting carried around by the clumsiest little.
- Creativity – It allows littles to not only build the educational parts of their brains, but also to use their imaginations. They include stickers in the box so that littles can decorate their tablet cover. And, once they get started using the system they can design their avatars.
- Earning Ability – As littles complete lessons they earn stars. Those stars can be traded in to make “purchases.” Hops saves her stars and customizes her avatar using the “gifts” she receives for jobs well done. Yup, everything doesn’t cost stars. Littles will earn prizes along side stars.
- Events – Littles get to earn tickets to participate in events. Hops looks forward to the events a lot.
- Parent Portal – There is so much to do in the portal. You can set how many lessons your little does. You can set time limits on usage time. You can track the stars earned, time spent, and progress made.
Hops has been enjoying using the Smile Zemi Learning Service and has even been open to doing more offline work while with me. This service is an investment. It is much like bringing a learning center or private tutor into your home. They currently offer monthly, 6-month, and annual plans. You get the best bang for your buck with the annual plan. This isn’t just for homeschoolers either. Consider this a supplement to make sure that your littles are getting what they’re teaching in class. The program is currently designed for grades 1 – 5, with Pre-K and Kindergarten starting in the 2026-27 school year. I would love to see them expand to include junior high grades, as I feel like JustaBXgirl would do well with this type of service.
