Neurodivergent Homeschool Life

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The devastating Canadian wildfires have been all over the news lately. While we are thankful to live far away from the direct impact, we are still being impacted by hazardous air quality. As we watched the smoke drift into our area, I couldn’t help thinking about the communities much closer to the fires who have lost homes, livelihoods, or been forced to evacuate. Our few days inside were a small inconvenience by comparison.

Still, that unexpected time inside became an opportunity to slow down, answer questions, and follow my daughter’s curiosity in a direction I hadn’t planned. What started as a conversation about wildfire smoke became an unexpected homeschool lesson combining geography, science, math, and compassion.

Learning About Wildfire Smoke Through Science and Math

Naturally, my daughter’s ADHD hyperfocus kicked in (mine too!). One question led to another, and instead of redirecting it, we leaned into it. We pulled up the Air Quality Index (AQI) and discussed what the numbers actually mean. I even worked in a little math by asking, “Which air quality reading is worse—298 or 506?” It became a natural way to practice comparing numbers, talking about greater than and less than, and figuring out the difference between them.

Mapping the Wildfires and Following the Smoke

We found the fires on her globe. (This is the globe we use for homeschool — affiliate link.). This naturally led to conversations about country borders, estimating distances on the map, and how far smoke can travel. My daughter couldn’t believe that fires so far away could still affect the air we were breathing. That opened the door to learning about upper-level winds and pressure systems that carry smoke across long distances.

A Quick and Simple Smoke Experiment

We couldn’t stop there, and we decided to carry our discussion over into an experiment by lighting a candle, blowing it out, and seeing how far she could blow the smoke. There were lots of giggles as she tried again and again to beat her previous “record.” It was a simple way to make an abstract concept feel a little more tangible.

Protecting Our Indoor Air

After our experiment, the learning continued in a practical way. We learned more about protecting our indoor air quality from wildfire smoke and found a few simple things we could do around the house together. Our house is fairly airtight, but we still have a few draftier areas where smoke and odors can sneak in, like the laundry room and bathrooms. We rolled up towels and placed them along the bottoms of a few doors to help reduce drafts.

We also talked about why we try to avoid running the dryer when the outdoor air quality is poor. I learned that because a dryer exhausts air outside, it can create negative pressure inside the house, which may pull smoky outdoor air in through small gaps and cracks. That was new information for me too, and I love when we get to learn alongside each other.

When the Lesson Changes the Plan

I previously wrote about allowing yourself to change the plan when your homeschool day goes off track. This week, we didn’t just change it—we let my daughter’s curiosity lead it. Sometimes the best lessons aren’t the ones we schedule. They’re the ones we discover together.

My heart is with everyone whose lives have been impacted by these wildfires. I’m wishing safety, healing, and strength to all of the families and communities affected.