We’re almost a week into school closures across a lot of the U.S. as a result of the new Coronavirus, and so many parents are suddenly navigating new territory of homeschooling their kids with zero preparation. Kids aren’t used to being at home all day, and they’re not used to home being the place where schoolwork happens. Parents aren’t used to being teachers, and its especially challenging if they’re also trying to work from home. It’s a pretty overwhelming situation for everyone, but it doesn’t have to be. As a former public school teacher and now homeschooling parent, one small way I can help others in this unprecedented crisis is to share some simple tips and resources to support parents who have no idea where to begin and just want to do the best for their kiddos in a challenging situation.
There are tons of cute, colorful daily schedules and massive lists of internet resources flying around on social media right now intended to help parents. The idea is wonderful, but it can be confusing to keep track of so much information in your Facebook or Insta feed. That’s what led me here, to create a simple post with some tips and resources to help you teach your kids for however long schools remain closed in your area.
I’ve been a certified teacher for 15 years. I’ve taught middle school, high school, and preK-4th grade at home with my own girls. I’ve used all of my experience in those different areas of teaching to put together this simple guide to homeschooling on the fly!
Before we jump into the tips and resources, I just want to say that the single most important thing all parents need to know right now is that children learn constantly, in MANY different ways. It’s almost impossible for them NOT to learn just in going about their daily lives. If you carefully watch and listen to kids at play, you’ll find that they’re problem solving, using math skills to divide things up fairly, building things, finding creative solutions, making up stories and playing them out, sometimes re-enacting parts from their favorite books and movies. These are ALL different forms of learning. I just want you to know that it’s okay to relax during this time and let your kids enjoy it. You don’t need to stress out that your kids will fall behind while they’re home from school just because they aren’t drilling math facts or reading history books. Kids are always learning, even if they’re not sitting at a a desk! So with that, here are some tips to help YOU help them keep learning over the coming weeks…
TIP #1 – BE FLEXIBLE
It’s best for everyone’s sanity. You’ve probably seen some of the daily schedules circulating on social media for parents to follow, or maybe some of your mom friends have created and shared theirs. It’s great to have a routine and a plan. I highly recommend both. Just know that things won’t always go according to the colorful schedule, or the routine, or the plan. Additionally, a schedule that works for one family might not work for yours. And what worked for your family yesterday might not be working today. That’s perfectly okay! Go with the flow and settle into what works for your family. It may take some trial and error.
TIP #2 – IT WILL BE ENOUGH
I mean it. Whatever you do will be enough. It is not necessary to become a certified public school teacher in order to help your children through this time. You do not need to deliver the level of instruction and academic rigor that public schools provide. Teachers and the school system understand that learning is not going to continue uninterrupted during this quarantine. In all honesty, you don’t even need to become homeschoolers for this {other than the fact that learning is now happening at home}. There is no need for you to research curriculum or homeschooling methods. Think of yourself more as a “learning facilitator!” Let the kids lead. What are they interested in learning about? Insects, volcanoes, outer space, how cars work, World War II, viruses? Let them dive in and explore. It may not be what they were learning at school, but school will pick up where they left off. Teachers do not expect parents to continue their lesson plans for them. Any efforts you make with your child to maintain some academic skills will be enough. Look into my eyes- it. will. be. enough.
TIP #3 – PLANNING YOUR DAY
While you’re still looking into my eyes, please know- you DO NOT have to recreate the school day at home. Your kids don’t need to spend 8am-3pm on school work at home just because that’s how long they’re at school. Kids accomplish much more in less time at home when they’re the only student {or one of just a few} versus one of 28 kids. Keep your daily schedule simple. For elementary and lower middle school students, 2 hours of academics per day is PLENTY. Break it up into short lessons of 20-30 minutes per subject, and maybe 30-40 per subject for older students or those who thrive with more of a challenge. Take breaks when kids get fidgety. Forcing them to sit too long and get cranky isn’t going to help anyone.
It’s also not necessary to cover every single subject every day. You’ll drive yourself crazy trying to keep up with that. Two to four subjects per day is outstanding. Alternating subjects every other day can keep things from feeling monotonous. While a plan is great, don’t beat yourself up if you get down a rabbit hole after reading a fascinating book all morning or you get elbow-deep into a cool project that takes up more time than expected. If you read or watch a documentary in the morning and bake something in the afternoon {a.k.a. kitchen science!}, A+ you’re doing awesome! Trust me.
TIP #4 – FOCUS ON THE ESSENTIALS
Trying to teach your kids at home is going to present challenges for both of you. Take it easy on yourselves and stick to the essentials. Make sure they’re reading and practicing some math daily. Social Studies and Science can be discussed a few times per week, and they’re especially easy subjects to work into play activities. Outside of the 4 core subjects, let them work on something of their choosing. I know a lot of kids will just choose video games or Barbies if it’s left entirely up to them, so you can provide a list of acceptable options if you’d like. Some ideas….
-art tutorials on YouTube
-kitchen science experiments {tons available on YouTube or Pinterest}
-build something out of household items such as paper towel rolls, toothpicks, paper cups, playing cards, rocks, etc.
-take a yoga class on YouTube
-learn to type
-learn a new language {we use the DuoLingo app}
-learn to code, or knit, or whittle, or play chess
The Internet/YouTube/Pinterest are filled with free lessons and how-tos. It may not seem super educational not he surface, I get it. But in reality, things like this are expanding your kids’ brains in way s we don’t often think about. Learning occurs in SO many more ways than pencil + paper!
TIP #5 – COMBINE SUBJECTS
This saves you time if you’re trying to create activities or assignments for all of your child’s academic subjects yourself {and especially if you have multiple children!}. Instead of separate assignments, try creating one that overlaps 3-4 subjects. This happens organically more often than we realize. For example, my daughters enjoy creating comic books and do so regularly for fun. An assignment could be to take a topic from a science or history lesson and create a comic based on what you learned. This assignment includes reading, writing, science/history, and art! It may take a while to complete the whole project, but in the end we’ve covered some big subjects in an activity that my kids love to do anyway {BONUS: no fighting to get them to do it!}. For older students, there are many options for similar cross-curricular projects. This approach is usually more engaging, effective and efficient than trying to think of many different assignments daily. Instead, assign a project that will involve some reading, research, documentary watching, etc. Then have them design a travel brochure, create a timeline, draw a a map, make a diagram/chart/graph, design an info-graphic, write a persuasive essay, come up with a solution to a problem and present it, etc. There are tons of possibilities here that are far more engaging and interesting to kids than reading a textbook and answering questions.
TIP #6 – THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX {OR TEXTBOOK}
Like I briefly mentioned in #4, this is a great time to let your kids explore beyond the pages of a textbook. Consider some of the many ways they can dig into subjects besides just reading about them. Some suggestions…
-browse documentaries on Disney+ or Netflix {parent supervision/approval is important here}
-take virtual tours of cities, museums, famous landmarks, etc.
-listen to a podcast or TEDtalk that they find relevant or interesting
-challenge them to watch the news and pick out a current event they think is interesting or important and do more digging on it
-encourage them to practice or learn a valuable skill
-have them watch a YouTube tutorial and help you tackle a home project
-give them a recipe and let them make a dish for dinner
The possibilities for learning are nearly endless!
TIP #7 – DON’T PANIC
Finally, you CAN do this. Your children will be fine. IT’s okay to not spend hours a day on academic study. They will not be “behind” when schools re-open. Try to relax and enjoy the extra time with your kids, and let them enjoy it, too. I know that’s easier said than done. But I promise the more you can relax, the smoother it will all go. Make it fun and you can both learn a lot!
Okay. Hopefully you’re starting to feel a little better about this new arrangement and your new role as learning facilitator! Here’s a list of some solid resources and ideas you can use to help your learners keep on learning!
RESOURCES
If you want core subjects totally covered for you, check out:
Khan Academy – khanacademy.com
Free, complete online curriculum, highly recommended in the homeschooling community! All ages, all subjects. There’s also a handy app!
All-In-One Homeschool – allinonehomeschool.com
Free, complete online curriculum that is Christian-based, if you’re looking for that! Also very highly recommended among homeschoolers.
If you want to branch out a little, check out:
MUSEUMS, LANDMARKS & ZOOS
Many are offering free virtual tours and experiences while the world is stuck at home. Try these:
NATIONAL PARKS
Google is offering 360-degree virtual tours of several U.S. national parks! Take a tour, read more about the park, draw a map, build a diorama, write a paragraph or essay about it, creat a travel guide, plan and price a hypothetical {or actual} trip to the park… so many possibilities here!
Yellowstone National Park tour-
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/vi
ONLINE LESSONS
Outschool – outschool.com
Outschool offers a huge variety of lessons for children ages 3-18 on lots of different subjects and topics!
DuoLingo
This is a free language-immersion app for all ages with options to learn dozens of different languages. My kids use it to learn French and love it!
Hour of Code – code.org
A super fun way to learn computer coding for all ages & levels!
Learn to Type – typingclub.com
Easy and fun online typing lessons for any age!
SUBSCRIPTION BOXES
Who doesn’t love a bundle of awesomeness that arrives on your doorstep each month filled with supplies, instructions, info and adventures for your kids?! They feel like toys but they’re education in disguise! If you need a break from book work, these are a great educational experience that your kids will have no complaints about and can likely do on their own! Some cool options:
Let’s Make Art {look for the kids’ subscriptions}
For other out-of-the-box educational experiences that will keep your kids excited about learning, check out:
We Are Teachers
A great list of educational activities that are easy to do with ordinary household items, or just your imagination!
Disney+ has National Geographic documentaries!
Netflix has great documentaries and other educational content!
YouTube has tons of educational channels, lessons, and how-to videos for all ages!
PBS Kids has an awesome app with great educational shows!
National Geographic Kids is full of interesting science and social studies content kids love!
So many brilliant minds have shared their ideas with the world through the. Magic of the Internet. It would be a shame not to use them, especially at a time like this when your children have a surprise break from the usual grind of school and textbooks, and an actual opportunity to direct their own learning and imagination.
The bottom line is that it might end up being a long time before kids go back to school, but you do NOT have to be afraid your kids/ brains are going to turn to mush in the meantime. There are countless valuable ways to keep their brains active and engaged that don’t involve hours of paper + pencil schoolwork. You might even consider allowing them to get bored now and then and see what their creative minds come up with! Regardless of the approach and resources you decide to use during this time, know that you’re doing a great job and your kids will be just fine when it’s time to return to school. You’ve got this!
Go ahead and follow me on social media where I’ll be posting and sharing additional wisdom and ideas as I come up with or come across them!
HAPPY HOMESCHOOLING!
