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Your Step by Step Guide to Using Google Classroom for Homeschool Parents

I still remember the first faculty meeting I was in where Google Classroom was introduced. I immediately started trying it out in my own classroom.

I loved it! Back then, it was a little clunky, but I feel like, over time, it has really improved. Using Google Classroom for homeschool is a great idea! It is a fantastic tool for you to organize school subjects, deliver, grade, and provide feedback on assignments and overall keep you and your kids organized.

So here is your step-by-step guide for using Google Classroom for homeschool parents!

Homeschool parents using Google Classroom for step by step guide to google classroom for homeschool parents

What is Google Classroom?

Google Classroom is an online tool that allows users to create online classrooms in which they can assign, grade, and give feedback on assignments. 

Anyone with a G Suite account can use Google Classroom to either create classes or join an existing class. It integrates with all other G Suite services such as Docs, Sheets, Forms, and Slides.

Why should I use Google Classroom for homeschool?

Google Classroom is a great resource for homeschool! It’s free to all G Suite users, meaning if you have a Gmail account you already have access to it! 

It is paperless! You can use any digital file with Google Classroom. Your kids can complete the work on the computer and then you can grade and leave feedback without needing to print anything, saving you both time and money. (Though if you do want to worksheets but don’t have a printer at home, check out this post.)

It makes it easy to distribute & track assignments. One of my favorite Google Classroom features is that you can choose which kids in your classroom you assign an assignment to, which makes things easier for me to differentiate.

Having everything in one place helps me to stay organized, which is another positive!

How to set up your Google Classroom for homeschool 

Open up Google Classroom. I like to access it through my Gmail account but you can also access it by going to classroom.google.com

Click on “I’m a teacher”

Click on the + and create class

Fill out the information. Organize your Google Classroom however is best for you and your kids! 

  • Create one classroom for your homeschool that you have all your kids and their subjects and assignments in one place.
  • Create a classroom for each of your kids then all of their work is in one place. 
  • Create a classroom for each subject math, ELA, history, science, art, etc. and have your kids join each one. 

Click “Create.” Repeat for as many classrooms as you would like to create.

How to invite “students”

Once you have set up your classroom(s) the next step is to invite your kids to join the classroom. There are 2 ways you can do this. 

First,  you can share the invite code, there is a distinct invite code for every classroom created. Your kids will navigate to Google Classroom. Then they will choose, “I’m a student.” After clicking on the plus sign they will select “Join a class” then type in the invite code. 

The second way is to send an invitation to their email. You will click on “people” then “add student.” Type in the email address you want to send the invitation to. Your kids will receive an email and they can click on the link and follow the steps to join.

How to assign work in Google Classroom 

At the top of the screen navigate to “Classwork.” 

Click on the “+ Create.” While creating the assignment you can assign a point amount, due dates, add a rubric for grading, and a topic (for extra organizational help). There is also a place where you can choose to assign the assignment to all students in the class OR you can individually select which kids you want to complete the assignment. 

Another awesome feature is the “Check Plagiarism.” According to Google Support, “You and your students can use originality reports to check work for authenticity. When you run a report, it compares a student’s Google Docs file against webpages and books on the internet. The report links to detected sources and flags uncited text. “

What types of work can I assign in Google Classroom for homeschool? 

There are 5 types of work that you can assign in Google Classroom:

  • Assignment- This is your typical classwork (and the type I use the most). You assign the assignment by uploading or linking a document for your kids to complete. They will submit their final work and you can grade, provide feedback and send the completed assignment back to them. 
  • Quiz Assignment- This automatically creates a Google Form quiz for you that you can then add in your questions and answers. If you set it up as a graded quiz, Google can automatically import your kids’ grades from the Form quiz into the classroom.
  • Question- I like to use this for small check-in-type questions. They can be either a short answer or a multiple choice.
  • Material- Use this to assign reading material or the like for your students to read. 
  • Reuse Post- This feature saves time! If you’ve created the assignment once you can reuse the post! Say you have divided your classrooms so that there is one for each of your kids. You want all of them to complete the same science assignment. You can create it in one Google Classroom then “reuse” it in each of the others so you don’t have to keep re-creating it every time. 
  • Topic- This is an extra organizational feature. You can use it to create smaller topics within the classroom. It makes it easier to find things and to keep your assignments organized. Say you create a math class for your homeschool, you can then create topics such as math fluency, time, fact families, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, etc.

You can assign work that you have in digital form. Since it is a Google product, it integrates seamlessly with other Google Docs, Slides, Forms, or Spreadsheets. If you purchase any Wife Teacher Mommy Digital Google Slides resource, they will integrate perfectly into your Google Classroom! 

When assigning a Google Doc, I always make sure to select “Make a Copy for  Each Student.” By doing so each kid automatically gets their own copy and you don’t have to worry about them messing with the original document.

 

Now you are all set up to get started! Check out these awesome Wife Teacher Mommy resources that will be perfect for Google Classroom for homeschool parents:

2 Responses

  1. I am teaching a homeschool group this year and want to use Classroom. I’ve set up my teacher account and a dummy student account. I know students are supposed to be able to submit their work through classroom, but can’t see how that is done. Can you help with that?
    Thanks

    1. Nancy, Thanks so much for reaching out! First, you need to create an assignment for the students. The created assignment will show up in the home feed. Then, once the students complete the assignment, there should be a submit button for them to turn it in. After that, the teacher should be able to see completed assignments under the “Classwork” tab.
      Please reach out here or at hello@wifeteachermommy.com with any additional questions. Wishing you all the best!

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