Tablets and smartphones have proven to be significantly helpful in aiding homeschoolers of every age. What’s more, this shift in technology is helping parents to streamline work and activities, track behavioral issues, and ultimately decrease stress.

For those homeschooling parents currently integrating tablets into their lessons, here are five apps for homeschooling parents that will not only help your children but you as well.

1. Homeschool Helper

Homeschool Helper is a unanimous favorite among homeschooling parents, and should almost be considered a prerequisite for those preparing to make use of the iPad as an organization homeschooling tool. While it’s not the most creative of tools, it’s a powerful educational organizer, allowing you to track everything from lessons to student progress and field trips. If you’re a newcomer to homeschooling or the integration of tablets in learning, consider this step 1. (Android, iOS)

2. Stack the States

Winning numerous app awards, Stack the States will have your children learning about all 50 states and their capitals, shapes, geographic location, nicknames, history, and more.

Stack the States presents its information with great sound effects, an interactive map, state flash cards, and hundreds of unique questions. For each set of questions your child answers correctly, he or she earns a random state. The more correct answers, the closer they are to stacking the states and making it to the finish line.

Once Stack the States has been mastered, consider moving on to Stack the Countries for an even tougher—but equally entertaining—challenge. (Android, iOS, Windows)

3. MathBoard

Math is the one subject that has always seemed the most difficult to master, much less teach. Whether or not this is true, MathBoard takes some of the weight off your shoulders by assisting your child in learning the basics of math—no matter his or her age.

A highly configurable program, it is appropriate for all ages, and doesn’t simply provide problems and answers. Instead, it takes children through the process of answering each equation step by step with concise, easy to understand instruction. For those who consider math a weakness, MathBoard is an undeniable strength. (Android, iOS, Windows)

4. ClassDojo

A classroom tool meant to help teachers track, provide feedback on, and improve behavior in their classrooms quickly and easily, ClassDojo’s app is a perfect fit for the homeschooling parent. Touted by NPR, Wired, The Wall Street Journal, and more, this app allows you to choose the behavior(s) you want to track for your children, each of whom get to pick their own “monster.”

Desired behaviors are represented by green monsters while undesired behaviors are represented in red, and each child receives visual feedback in real time, with overall performance appearing in a pie graph-like visual. A unique, fun, and useful behavior management tool for every homeschooling parent.

5. Cozi Family Organizer

When you pile everything together—homeschooling, your family’s calendar, to-do lists, grocery lists, notes, and so on—family life can seem overwhelming. What Cozi’s mobile app provides is a way to streamline all of these facets of your daily life into clear, manageable, and structured calendars and lists so that you can stop spending time stressing and start spending it on what’s most important. (Android, iOS, Blackberry)

Author Bio: Andrea Fisher is a writer, blogger, and content specialist for 4tv. She has been published in a variety of publications, including the Chicago Tribune and Business Insider. Check out more of her tips on Google+.

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The Big Book of Homeschooling

To get tons of great advice, and move beyond the basics of academics, pick up a copy of The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas. Some topics included are things like active learning, learning with video games, helping teens/tween become independent learners (one of my chapters), teaching on the road, learning with movies, high school literature (one of my chapters), and gardening.

This book can carry you through all your years of homeschooling, covering the stages your children will mature through: preschoolers, elementary grades, middle school, and high school. As your life situation changes, you will find new chapters that apply to you. You can view the full table of contents to see all 103 topics!

If you would like to purchase a PRINT Copy that option is now available via Amazon!! The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas – Print Copy