BeyondWalls User Guide v2
Complete guide to all BeyondWalls features and workflows
Welcome to BeyondWalls — your AI-powered homeschooling companion designed specifically for Australian families. This comprehensive guide covers all features, workflows, and best practices to help you make the most of the platform.
BeyondWalls aligns with the Australian curriculum and helps you track your child's learning journey with minimal effort while maintaining comprehensive records.
Quick Navigation
Getting Started
First-Time Setup
- Sign Up: Create your account with email and password
- Add Your First Child:
- Enter their full name
- Select their learning stage (Early Stage 1, Stage 1, Stage 2, or Stage 3)
- Upload a profile photo (optional but recommended)
- Set date of birth for age-appropriate content
- Configure Learning Settings:
- Select which NESA subjects to track
- Choose if using Christian Studies outcomes
- Enable/disable HSIE electives (History vs Geography)
- Set Your Postcode: For location-based excursion suggestions
Understanding Learning Stages
- Early Stage 1: Kindergarten (5-6 years)
- Stage 1: Years 1-2 (6-8 years)
- Stage 2: Years 3-4 (8-10 years)
- Stage 3: Years 5-6 (10-12 years)
Note: You can enable multiple stages if your child is working at different levels across subjects (e.g., Stage 1 English but Stage 2 Mathematics).
Adding Multiple Children
- Go to Settings → Manage Children
- Tap "Add Another Child"
- Each child has separate:
- Learning history and activity logs
- Calendar and scheduled activities
- Outcomes progress tracking
- Star balance and rewards
- Book Passport reading log
Calendar & Scheduling
Planning Activities
Three ways to plan activities:
- Manual Planning:
- Click "Plan Activity" button
- Enter title, date, time, and duration
- Select main subject
- Add notes and manually tag Learning Outcomes
- Toggle "Mark as Excursion" for field trips
- AI Topic Generator:
- Enter a topic (e.g., "volcanoes", "fractions")
- Choose subject filter (optional)
- AI generates: activity title, lesson plan, outcomes, duration
- Review and edit before saving
- AI Outcome-Based Generator:
- Browse NESA outcomes for child's stage
- Select 1-5 outcomes to target
- AI creates activity specifically addressing those outcomes
- Ensures curriculum alignment
Scheduling Features
- Time Conflict Prevention: System alerts if child already scheduled at that time
- Drag & Drop Rescheduling: Long-press and drag activities to new dates/times (3-day view)
- Duration Calculator: Select start time + duration, end time auto-calculates
- 15-Minute Increments: Flexible scheduling from 15 minutes to 24 hours
Calendar Views
- Month View: Traditional calendar grid, coloured dots for subjects, tap date for details
- 3-Day View: Google Calendar-style timeline, hourly slots, drag-and-drop enabled
- Today View: Focus on current day, morning/afternoon/evening sections, quick checkboxes
Copying Activities
Copy to Other Children:
- Perfect for group activities (excursions, family outings)
- Each child gets separate copy (independent tracking)
- Completing for one child doesn't affect others
- Edit button → "Copy to Another Child's Calendar"
Copy to Multiple Dates:
- Recurring lessons (e.g., weekly piano, swimming)
- Select multiple dates from calendar picker
- Optional: Override time for all copies
Recurring Activities (Series)
New Feature! Create activities that automatically repeat on selected days of the week or monthly, with full control over recurrence patterns and end conditions.
Creating a Recurring Activity
- Plan activity normally (title, time, subject, etc.)
- Toggle "Make this a recurring activity"
- Choose recurrence pattern:
- Weekly: Select specific days (Mon, Tue, Wed, etc.)
- Monthly: Repeats on same day each month
- Set end condition:
- After X occurrences: (e.g., 8 swimming lessons)
- Until date: (e.g., end of school term)
- Save — all occurrences created instantly
Editing a Series
When you edit a recurring activity, you'll see the recurrence information displayed:
- Repeat Days: Which days it occurs (Mon, Wed, Fri)
- End Type: After X times or until date
- Occurrence Count: Total number of repeats
Important: Editing activity details (title, time, notes) updates ALL future uncompleted occurrences. Completed occurrences remain unchanged.
Deleting a Series
- Delete This Occurrence: Removes only the selected instance
- Delete Entire Series: Removes all future uncompleted occurrences
- Completed activities: Never auto-deleted (preserved in learning history)
Common Use Cases
Weekly Lessons
Piano every Monday & Thursday, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, for 12 weeks
Sports Practice
Swimming every Tuesday & Friday, 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM, for 8 sessions
Monthly Events
Library visit first Monday each month, until end of year
Daily Routines
Reading time every weekday morning, for entire school term
Learning History & Activity Logs
What is Learning History?
Your complete digital portfolio of all homeschooling activities. Automatically organised by date, subject, and child. Each activity includes photos, descriptions, time spent, Learning Outcomes covered, and parent feedback.
Creating Activity Logs
Method 1: Complete Scheduled Activity
- Go to Calendar and select scheduled activity
- Tap "Mark as Complete"
- Activity automatically moves to Learning History
- Add reflection, photos, and outcomes
Method 2: Log Past Activity
- Learning History → "Log Activity" button
- Select child and date
- Enter activity details manually or use AI photo analysis
- Tag outcomes and save
Method 3: Quick Log from Dashboard
- Dashboard → "Log Today's Activity" button
- Fastest way to record what you just did
Activity Details
Each activity log can include:
- Photos: Multiple images of child's work (supports galleries)
- Activity Description: What was done, written by you or AI
- Time Spent: Duration logged (manually entered or from scheduled time)
- Subject Badge: Main subject area (colour-coded)
- Learning Outcomes: Tagged curriculum outcomes covered
- Parent Feedback: Your observations and notes
- Next Steps: Follow-up ideas or extensions
Editing & Deleting
Edit Activity:
- Tap activity card to expand
- Click "Edit Activity" button
- All fields are editable (title, description, photos, outcomes, feedback)
- Changes save instantly
Delete Activity:
- Tap "Delete" button (red)
- Confirmation dialog appears
- Warning: This cannot be undone
- Stars earned from activity are NOT removed (already counted)
Viewing Options
- Calendar View: See activities plotted on calendar dates
- List View: Chronological list grouped by date (most recent first)
- Filter by Subject: Show only Math, English, Science, etc.
- Multi-Child View: Select multiple children to see combined or separate logs
AI Photo Analysis
Time-Saving Feature! Upload a photo of your child's work and let AI generate the activity description and suggest relevant Learning Outcomes. You review, accept, edit, or reject.
How It Works
- Create new activity or edit existing one
- Upload photo of child's work (drawing, writing, project, etc.)
- Tap "Analyse Photo with AI"
- AI examines image and generates:
- Activity description (what the child did)
- Suggested Learning Outcomes based on visible work
- Review AI Assessment (shown in purple box with detailed feedback)
Three Options After Analysis
✅ Accept
AI text is kept and becomes editable. You can now refine or personalise it before saving.
❌ Reject
AI text is discarded. You write description manually. Photo remains attached.
🔄 Regenerate
Don't like the result? Try again for a different analysis using the same photo.
Status Badges
- PendingAI Assessment with grading and feedback
- AcceptedApproved — now editable in textarea
- RejectedDiscarded — write manually
Best Practices
- Good Photos: Clear, well-lit images of written work, art, or projects
- What AI Can Detect: Handwriting, drawings, calculations, creative work, science experiments
- Edit Before Finalising: Always review and personalise AI text to match your child's context
- Multiple Photos: Upload several images, AI analyses the first one by default
- Works Best For: Stage 1-3 students with visible work samples
Learning Outcomes Tracking
What are Learning Outcomes?
Specific skills and knowledge from the Australian curriculum that your child should achieve at each stage. BeyondWalls automatically tracks progress across all Key Learning Areas.
Example Outcomes:
- EN1-RECOM-01: Reading - Comprehends texts
- MA1-FRC-01: Represents and models halves, quarters, eighths
- ST1-8PW-S: Identifies forms of energy
- VAS1.3: Realises what artists do
8 Subject Areas
1. English
Reading, writing, comprehension, vocabulary
2. Mathematics
Number, measurement, geometry, statistics
3. Science & Technology
Living things, physical world, design thinking
4. HSIE (History + Geography)
Exploring people, places, past and present
5. Creative Arts
Visual arts, music, drama, dance
6. PDHPE
Personal development, health, physical education
7. Languages (Optional)
Second language outcomes
8. Christian Studies (Optional)
Religious education outcomes
Progress Display
Dashboard shows:
- Progress Bars: Visual percentage for each subject
- Fraction Display: Achieved / Total (e.g., 3 / 9 = 33%)
- Colour Coding: Each subject has unique colour for easy identification
- Tap Subject: View detailed list of covered and uncovered outcomes
Automatic Tagging
When you create activity logs, outcomes are tagged:
- Auto-Tag Button: AI suggests relevant outcomes based on activity description
- Manual Selection: Browse and select outcomes yourself
- Photo Analysis: AI detects outcomes from uploaded work samples
- Cross-Subject Detection: Automatically tags secondary subjects when evident
Example: Activity "Painted landscape using watercolours" might tag:
• VAS1.1 (Creative Arts - Makes artworks)
• VAS1.2 (Creative Arts - Uses forms and techniques)
• MA1-2DS-01 (Mathematics - 2D shapes) if discussing composition
Learning Settings
Customise outcomes tracking for each child:
- Select Stages: Enable multiple if child works across levels
- Choose Key Learning Areas: Hide subjects you don't teach
- HSIE Electives: Focus on History, Geography, or both
- Christian Studies: Enable if using religious education curriculum
Book Passport (Reading Log)
What is Book Passport?
A visual reading journal that tracks every book your child reads. Log start/finish dates, upload photos of book summaries, and build a beautiful library of their reading journey with AI-generated insights.
Adding a Book
- Go to Book Passport tab
- Tap "Add New Book"
- Enter book details:
- Title and author
- Genre (fiction, non-fiction, picture book, chapter book, etc.)
- Start date (when child began reading)
- Finish date (optional - leave blank if still reading)
- Upload photo (book cover, child reading, or book summary)
- Save
Reading Status
- ReadingCurrently in progress (no finish date)
- FinishedCompleted (has finish date)
AI Photo Analysis for Books
Upload photo of written book summary or review:
- Add book with photo of child's written summary
- Tap "Analyse Photo with AI"
- AI reads handwriting and generates:
- Book review text
- Key themes and takeaways
- Suggested English Learning Outcomes covered
- Click "Add as Parent Feedback" to include AI assessment in activity description
Viewing Reading History
- Grid View: Book covers displayed in gallery (8 most recent on dashboard)
- Full List: Chronological list with all details
- Filter by Status: Show only finished books or currently reading
- Search: Find books by title or author
Why Use Book Passport?
- Visual record of reading progress over time
- Automatically tags English reading outcomes
- Encourages reading consistency and goal-setting
- Beautiful portfolio to share with educators or family
- Child sees their growing "library" as motivation
Awards & Star System
Three Types of Stars
⭐ Gold Learning Stars
Earned from completing learning activities (1 star per activity)
⚪ Silver Stars
Earned from completing regular chores
⭐ Gold Chore Stars
Earned from completing special/high-value chores
How Stars are Earned
- Learning Activities: 1 gold star per activity completed
- Chores: Stars awarded when marked complete (1-10 stars configurable per chore)
- Task Goals: Stars awarded when goal is completed
- One-Time Tasks: Earn reward stars upon completion
Two Types of Goals
🎁 Set up a Reward (Star-Based)
Child needs to accumulate stars to unlock a reward:
- Set "Stars Needed" (e.g., 50 stars)
- Toggle "Include Learning Stars" on/off
- System shows "X / Y stars available"
- When ready, "Generate Reward" button appears
- Stars are deducted in priority: Learning → Silver → Gold Chore
✅ Create a Task (Task/List-Based)
Child completes tasks to earn stars:
- One-Time Task: Earn stars after completing X goals all-time
- List-Based Task: Complete X items in a list to earn stars
- Set "Reward Stars" (how many earned upon completion)
- Choose "Star Type Reward": Gold or Silver
Chores System
- Chore Types: Silver (regular) or Gold (special/high-value)
- Frequency: Daily, Weekly, or One-Time
- Stars Reward: 1-10 stars per chore completion (configurable)
- Completion Tracking: Mark complete to earn stars instantly
All Time Tasks Quick Stat
Dashboard shows All Time Tasks = Completed Goals + Completed Chores (not learning activities). Tracks total number of tasks/chores child has finished ever.
System Badges (Automatic)
- Task Master: 5+ tasks/goals in a month
- Helper: 10-19 chores in a month
- Chore Champ: 20+ chores in a month
- Reward Champion: 3+ rewards claimed all-time
- Week Warrior: 7-day learning streak
- Month Master: 30-day learning streak
Reports & Documentation
Generating Reports
BeyondWalls automatically generates professional PDF reports for your records:
- Go to Reports section
- Select child and date range
- Choose report type:
- Subject-Based: All activities for specific subject
- Quarterly: 3-month comprehensive report
- Tap "Generate PDF Report"
What's Included in Reports
- Student Demographics: Name, ID, profile photo, stage
- Date Range: Reporting period covered
- All Activities: Complete activity history within date range
- Photo Evidence: Full-size image previews embedded
- Activity Descriptions: Parent feedback and next steps
- Learning Outcomes: Codes and descriptions for all tagged outcomes
- Progress Summary: Visual breakdown by Key Learning Area
Homeschool Documentation
Comprehensive record-keeping includes:
- Evidence of teaching aligned with curriculum outcomes
- Regular reports on child's progress
- Documentation of learning activities
- Photos/samples of student work
BeyondWalls automatically maintains comprehensive documentation as you log activities throughout the year.
Best Practices
- Log Regularly: Add activities weekly to keep records up-to-date
- Upload Photos: Visual evidence strengthens documentation
- Tag Outcomes: Demonstrates curriculum alignment
- Add Parent Feedback: Shows your observations and assessment
- Generate Quarterly: Create reports every 3 months for comprehensive records
Need Help?
If you have questions or need support with any feature, please reach out:
📧 Email: hello@beyondwalls.app
🌐 Website: www.beyondwalls.app
We're here to support your homeschooling journey every step of the way. 💜