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Using Yoto players in a classical Charlotte Mason education? I know…it may have most of us tech-leery moms questioning if we should add them to our home.

Obviously, they do not take the place of books or family read-aloud time. But they are a helpful screen-free tool that will create balance and aid us in our children’s education.

Yoto players can be a wonderful tool in a homeschool environment, especially for families following a Charlotte Mason, Classical, or literature-rich approach.

In this post I’m sharing a few ways that we use them in our homeschool. And a few benefits + loads of resources for adding quality literature to your own cards.

children sitting at a dining table with tea cups and listening to a lesson.

Benefits of Yotos in the Classical Homeschool

In our modern world filled with screens and noise, it can be hard to find tools that support a peaceful, beautiful homeschool. That’s why the Yoto Player has become a quiet favorite in our home—and why so many homeschoolers are loving this screen-free device.

Whether you’re following a Charlotte Mason education, a Classical approach, or simply seeking more beauty and independence in your homeschool days, Yoto might be just the thing your family needs.

We use Yoto players as a helpful tool but there are also limits to their use in the home. We need to ensure that we are making time for quiet contemplation and it is important for our children to have limits set on too much input.

Yoto players can help busy homeschool families find balance when teaching multiple students without the use of screens or other devices.

Here are a few more helpful benefits that we’ve found with using these tools…

Encourages Independent Learning (Without Screens)

One of the greatest joys of homeschooling is watching our children grow in independence. As a busy homeschooling mom with multiple children at different Form levels and a special needs child, it makes it easier for me to have a student listen to an audio book while I’m working with another child on their lessons.

It gives me a little bit of balance from reading aloud for every lesson. As the children advance in ages and stages, they become better independent readers. However, sometimes I will also assign a more challenging book for them and will have them read along in the book while listening to the audio. Of course, they will still check in with me and narrate either orally or in writing.

The children feel empowered to manage their own quiet time or free play, while you gain a few focused moments for one-on-one lessons or tending to the needs of the household.

girl reading on a bed while holding a Yoto Player.

In a household with many children, it can be a challenge to meet everyone’s needs at once. Yoto is a wonderful tool for engaging younger children with wholesome stories while you work with older siblings—or vice versa.

“What we digest we assimilate, take into ourselves, so that it is part and parcel of us, and no longer separable.”

Charlotte Mason, Ourselves

Supports a Literature-Rich Education

If you follow a Charlotte Mason or Classical method, you know the importance of living books— and spreading the feast too. With Yoto, your children can access a library of high-quality audiobooks—ranging from fairy tales and folk tales to full-length classics.

This supports your read-aloud efforts and allows children to revisit stories again and again. Because that is also important!

Repeated listening builds familiarity with rich language and literary structure, and it helps those not yet reading independently to still enjoy deep, meaningful content. Again, not taking away from read-aloud time, but giving a little balance and independence.

Our favorite way to add good audiobooks to Yoto is to make our own cards. I source quality audio books from Audible and even find free options from LibriVox. I’ll share tips for doing this below.

You can create “Make Your Own” Yoto cards to include:

  • Family memory work
  • Poetry recitations
  • Catechism + Latin prayers
  • Modern language lessons
  • Hymns + folk songs
  • Shakespeare plays
  • and more!

This adds a deeply personal touch to your homeschool and allows you to tailor content to your family’s values.

Yoto cards and vintage books stacked on a table.

Can Help Build Comprehension Skills

The habit of attention and listening is a learned skill, and it’s foundational to narration—the heart of the Charlotte Mason method. The more the children are exposed to rich literature, the more they will improve in these skills.

With Yoto, children practice attention and comprehension in a gentle and natural way. Audiobooks, music, and poetry help them absorb new vocabulary and strengthen their memory, focus, and listening stamina.

You might even find that narrations improve after a child listens to a well-told story in their own time and space.

The Yoto Mini also makes a great companion in the car for road trips or headed out to co-op. It’s sturdy, portable, and doesn’t require Wi-Fi once cards are downloaded. You can continue learning on the go—without relying on screens or distractions.

Long drive? Pop in a favorite tale or some composer study music and turn it into a mini road-schooling moment.

Favorite Ways to Use the Yoto Player in the Homeschool

Here are some great homeschool uses:

  • Morning time hymns & Latin prayers
  • Latin chants or Scripture memory
  • Poetry recitation & read-aloud recordings
  • Audiobook chapters you’ve recorded yourself
  • Composer studies or nature lore
  • Seasonal playlists (Advent, Lent, feast days)

Where to Find Living Books + Content for Yotos

I mostly source good books through Audible and LibriVox. File formats you can use for Yoto are: MP3 and AAC/M4A.

Other favorite places to source MP3 files:

I also purchase other files of hymns, composer study, and folk songs for download to allow the children to enjoy in their leisure time.

Basically if you can find an MP3 file, you can add it to your own cards.

Yoto player with cards and a stack of literature on a table.

Which Yoto Should You Get?

That entirely depends on your needs. We have the full size and it is used as a “school Yoto only”. We will use it mostly for morning time and tea time. And also each child has their own Yoto Mini with the protective cover in their choice of color.

I also made their own cards with their names on them that they can swap out stories or music as they desire during afternoon free time or for about 15 minutes before bed.

No matter which option you choose, I highly recommend purchasing the protective Adventure Jacket to go along with it. Yotos will get dropped, often!

variety of Yoto player and minis with cards and stack of books on a table.

How to Make Your Own Yoto Cards (step by step instructions)

So, now that I shared some of my favorite uses of Yotos, let’s dive in to making your own Yoto cards for use in your homeschool. First thing, you’ll need to gather supplies…

What You’ll Need:

  • A Yoto Player or Yoto Mini
  • A Make Your Own (MYO) card (available from Yoto in multi-packs)
  • The Yoto App (iOS or Android) — this can also be done on desktop (which is what I usually do)
  • Your own audio files (MP3 or M4A formats work best)

💡 Tip: if you’re downloading a file that is longer than 1 hour, you’ll need a third party tool to convert the file and/or to split chapters if the content is too long for a single playlist.

Step 1: Record or Gather Your Audio

You can use:

  • Voice memos for poetry, catechism, Scripture memory, or family read-alouds
  • Downloaded MP3s from public domain sources (e.g., LibriVox)
  • Custom music or content you’ve created

💡 Tip: Keep each audio track under 1 hour for best playback compatibility (otherwise, you’ll need to split chapters).

Step 2: Open the Yoto App & Go to ‘Make Your Own’

  1. Open the Yoto app on your phone.
  2. Tap the “Make Your Own” section from the home screen.
  3. Create a new playlist by uploading your files or recording directly in the app.

Step 3: Assign Audio to a MYO Card

  1. Once your playlist is created, select “Link to a Card.”
  2. Insert your blank MYO card into the Yoto Player.
  3. The app will recognize the card and link your playlist to it via Wi-Fi.

💡Tip: You can re-link or change the content on MYO cards at any time

Step 4: Customize the Card in the App (Optional)

You can:

  • Add a custom image to your playlist (for easy identification)
  • Reorder tracks
  • Rename the playlist

The blank MYO cards come with sticker labels, but I don’t like the design. So, I print my own labels. Here’s how I make my own labels and the supplies that I use.

First, gather these supplies:

stack of blank make your own Yoto cards and book covers on sticker sheet.

How to Organize + Store Yoto Cards

I use a couple of options for storing Yoto cards in our homeschool. I have used a variety of books for the children’s free read. And this option has been our favorite…they are stored in this storage case.

Yoto cards stored in a case.
Narnia Yoto Cards in a storage case.

For ‘school’ Yoto cards, I keep them stored in my “Term Plans” binder inside of a basic business card organizer and I sorted them by Form level.

business card organizer used to store Yoto cards in a binder.

Favorite Resources for the Mother-Teacher

What stands out to you from these ideas? 

I hope that you found this post helpful. And I’d love to hear what resonates most! What questions do you have about using a Yoto in the homeschool? Tell me what you’d add to this list and/or share your favorite Yoto resources are with us!

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