If you're like me, and you don't have cable or satellite tv, and you also live in a town with a less-than-satisfactory library, finding videos and DVD's to supplement curriculum can be difficult.
But we don't have that problem anymore.
Netflix is now as much a part of our homeschool curriculum as math and science.
What do we watch? Just about anything. From documentaries on Rome and dramatizations of great literature to Discovery Channel series like Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs. It's awesome how much we've all been learning though the wide variety of programs we've been able to watch.
I'd previously been hesitant about spending the $10 a month on the Netflix subscription. But then I remembered how much I've spent in overdue fines at the library — and the cost didn't seem like that much after all. Plus, we have so much more to choose from now than was ever available at any library. Netflix has been entirely worth it for us.
What about you? Have you ever considered using Netflix for homeschooling?
We love Netflix. We especially love the streaming through the Wii. I haven't used it a tremendous amount specifically for homeschool yet, but I do intend to.
We LOVE Netflix. We're getting a great BBC documentary about King Tut's Tomb tomorrow, and we love being able to watch through our Wii.
I'm so with you on that. Another show to check out: How'd That Get on My Plate from Food Network.
Yes, we are big fans of Netflix. In fact we have the four out at a time subscription and we watch Netflix streaming on our tvs. Our homeschool schedule has one educational video a week (Monday mornings) and we often sneak another one in later in the week. It is a great resource!
We use netflix in our homeschool as well. They have shows for my Kindergartner and stuff to use for history as well. We also watch Mythbusters and DirtyJobs on Netflix. It certainly beats the cost of cable.
We use Netflix every week for our homeschool. Right now, I have a documentary about Stonehenge and Ancient Mesopotamia. Love Netflix and it's even a greater value now with the instant streaming. I purchased a Roku box quite a while ago and love it. Instant streaming is also available throug a Wii – you just request a free disc from Netflix to use it.
Samantha
Love Netflix for the selection and the ability to stream some selections through the Wii. My only limitation is the cost of internet service. Streaming videos eat up our allocated bandwidth quickly if we've not careful!
I'm totally in the same situation. Netflix has been wonderful. Over the summer, when it was just too hot to go outside and play, my girls watched the entire Little House on the Prairie show… like every episode. They fell in love with that time period. Now, as we start US History with my 5th grader, she immediately asks if things were before or after the Little House time period. Can't wait to use Little House for other areas. Maybe we'll watch the Waltons next, LOL.
DH and I have been considering going with Netflicks and canceling our Blockbuster account. One of the reasons is for HS-ing. The biggest con right now is that captioning/subtitles are not available through the streaming option and that was one feature I see us using a lot (we have a Wii). My daughters and I are all hard-of-hearing and need subtitles! 🙁
We used to have Netflix, but we have an excellent church library a couple blocks away, so for us it was $10 more we could put into savings. 😀
BTW, since you do have Netflix: check out Cranford. LOVE it!! Jane Austen-ish.
@Ginger, Cranford was suggested to us on Netflix, and I pointed it out to my husband just the other day! But now it's settled, we'll DEFINITELY check it out. 🙂
We love viewing Netflix through our ROKU…. my daughter has been watching the old PBS kids series "Liberty Kids" as we study the Revoluntionary War. I just love what we can get! I'm trying to convince my husband to cancel the satellite because we don't need more than this in my opinion! 🙂
I've never used Netflix but my little brother suggested it too. I was talking to him about possibly getting cable again but still being worried about content. I can't supervise what they watch all the time. So, he suggested Netflix. However, I have NO clue on how to hook it up through the Wii and he's not around enough to help out. Can someone give me some directions??
Ashlyn
@Ashlyn, According to my husband, Netflix will send you a Wii DVD. You put it in your Wii, and there will be instructions on the screen. There will be a code show up that you'll need to enter into your Netflix.com account. It couldn't be easier, he said 🙂
@Joy, It really is that easy! We have the Netflix on the wii too and it has been fabulous!
@Dawn,
We just got a Wii, and you can now just go to the Wii Shop Channel and download Netflix through the internet connection to the Wii. Then you enter a code the Wii gives you into your Netflix account, and you're ready to go!
I have been using Netflix as a homeschooling resource ever since we started. I love it! I scour the movie lists once I know what we'll be studying, put anything relevant in my queue, and then bump it up to #1 when we're ready for it. I do wish they had some Bill Nye available, though.
We love using Netflix! It gives the kids lots of choices of things to watch. Especially now that we can watch instantly through the Wii, we use it all the time. It helps us to give them more choices of family friendly television also.
We love using media to enrich our homeschooling, but because we are on an open ended world tour as a family with no fixed address, we have never tried Netflix. I will have to check it out and see if the streaming mode would work for us.
We use Netflix for Homeschooling resource. It Great now that video can be streamed via the Wii.
We love Netflix! It worked out especially well when my husband was working a rare night shift last week. We had to keep the house quiet during school hours so he could get some rest. I popped the Netflix DVD in the Wii and watched a documentary on Yellowstone. It was absolutely beautiful! I sometimes wonder how much the kids learn from such things. But today, my five-year-old was telling me today that elk cannot see the color orange. I asked where he learned that and he told me, "Yellowstone!"
Yes! We love Netflix, too! We're currently going through the Torchlighters series thanks to Netflix. =)
We too are Netflix lovers! Our family has been members for three years now. We purchased a Roku box and got rid of cable. Haven't missed it a bit.
Blessings
Diane
Just now added lots of instant watch titles to our queue on Netflix!! Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, Liberty's Kids, documentaries on Egypt, etc. I also put some "fun" ones on there for when I want to be in control of what they're watching, but they need entertaining – shows like Martha Speaks and yes, I'll admit to Tom and Jerry being on there. 🙂
Thought I'd add this even though it doesn't have to do with hschooling – we pooled our gift money together with relatives and got my grandma a subscription to Netflix for Christmas. She can't get out as much anymore and doesn't have cable. We control the list for her (because she likes being surprised at what shows up!): we add classics, newer movies we know she'd enjoy, and some TV shows (like "Wind at My Back" – wonderful series).
Anyway – just another idea for Netflix!
@kelliw, What a neat idea! I gave my mom a subscription last Christmas and she took over paying for it when the time ran out. I really like the idea of controlling it for someone so they get surprised.
Having Netflix allows me to entice the kids into a topic – without them suspecting a thing. Then they are the ones asking to check books out on the topic and learn more. It all started when I wanted to study the Early American History, and my son balked. But we watched Johnny Tremaine, and he was begging to know more.
Thank you so much for this idea! We have had Netflix for quite a while now but I had never thought about using it for school. I see some School House Rock in our future!!!