Parents, you might want to pay attention: Google Assistant just gained a handful of home-schooling commands that could make teaching your kid at home easier this fall.
With traditional in-person schooling in limbo throughout the U.S. and beyond, Google Assistant has added some features to help you keep your child (or children) on track with their virtual education. Now on Google Assistant-enabled speakers and smart displays, you can say, "Hey Google, start the school day," to motivate your little learners in the morning.
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On smart Displays like Google Nest Hub Max or Google Nest Hub, your child will see a school-themed visual and hear classroom sounds like kids ruffling through papers.
And, if you have any of the best smart lights stationed in your home, the 'Start the school day' command will make them flash fun red, orange and yellow colors.
Family bell
Google Assistant's "Family bell" skill gives you the power to create announcements for your kids throughout the day. Like students would have breaks for lunch, recess and reading in a traditional classroom setting, Google Assistant can now act as the timekeeper or school bell for a weekday schedule.
You can assign different bells to chime simultaneously on different devices, which could be a major help for parents working from home with multiple kids to keep tabs on.
Animal of the day
Geared towards younger learners, Google Assistant's new "Animal of the day" command offers a simple way to hear fun facts about a different animal every day. Your Google Assistant speaker will play the sound each animal makes, and even pitch daily challenges, like drawing the animal.
Of course, if you know how to use Google Assistant, you know it can be used to answer math questions, translate languages and recall history facts, too. So if you don't already have the smart assistant in your home, the back-to-school season could be the right time to pick up some new smart home devices.
Check out our round-up of the best back to school sales for deals on tech products you can score right now.
