Editor's note: 'Real Homeschool' is a series of blog posts by different families in our homeschool community. They reflect an honest, 'in-the-trenches' view of homeschool life for families with different demographics and situations. Because homeschooling is as much about everyday life as it is about academics, we hope they reassure and encourage you. We can indeed give thanks in all circumstances, because God is good. To read other posts in the series, click here.
This letter is from homeschooling mom 'K' who has two elementary- aged children and lives in San Mateo.
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March 14, 2020
Hi mamas!
I hope everyone is staying well emotionally as well as physically while we grapple with the changes caused by this unprecedented coronavirus landscape. I was asked to share some insights as a homeschool family to those of you who have suddenly found yourselves living the homeschool lifestyle. It is my hope that this message can be of some help and encouragement to you!
Just so you know, there are different ways to homeschool, and I don’t represent them all, but I am happy to share from our perspective as private home educators (which means we are like a small private school) with elementary-age kids. I am far from a perfect homeschool teacher, but I hope to encourage you with ways to make the most of this time.
I want to first acknowledge the variety of emotions I imagine are represented among you right now as well as perhaps some mixed emotions you might have as you look ahead to schooling at home. Perhaps for some of you, the prospect of educating your kids at home has you feeling curious or even excited. Or perhaps you are at a loss and feel daunted about how to go about it as you await guidance from the schools. Some of you may even honestly feel some dread or frustration at the idea of this prolonged period at home. And others are having to navigate the world of being a stay-at-home parent when you are normally working. I acknowledge all those possibilities, the challenges, and the sacrifices you need to make. It will be an adjustment for sure, but I want to offer some encouragement, tips, and resources to help you survive and hopefully thrive during this time. “My times are in Your hand.” – Psalm 31:15
Hands-free hugs and grace and peace,
K
My Humble Pep Talk to You
1. First, I really believe this time can be a special gift to you and your family. Your kids are only this
age once, and these weeks won’t last forever. This can be a really sweet time of family bonding.
2. You can do it – it doesn’t take someone special or specially trained, just an open mind and willing
heart. People always tell me they aren’t cut out for it, but as a parent, you already do lots of things
that are an aspect of educating your children, just without the title of homeschooling. You teach
manners, read to your kids, help with homework, play with your kids, help them navigate
interpersonal challenges, answer the big and little questions of life, etc.
3. Embrace the freedom and flexibility – It’s not the same as the normal freedom and flexibility you
get to experience when the kids are in school, but you have a lot of say in what the school day will
look like (unless your school has very specific instructions). You can choose what time you start and
end. You can snuggle up to read on the couch, do schoolwork in the backyard, or sit at the kitchen
table. You can schedule most schoolwork Monday-Thursday so that Friday is a light day to have
more family time or safe excursions. You can schedule breaks when you want.
4. Go easy on yourself and your kids – homeschool parents don’t have perfect patience as much as
people imagine they might; it’s just constantly fine-tuned by the on-the-job training, and you’ll be
fine too. Anticipate challenges and ask for God’s help to apologize and forgive as the need arises.
Tips & Tricks that Work for Us
1. Create a schedule/plan for the day – no need to stick to it strictly but let it shape your day and
free your mind to focus on other things; let your kids be a part of this if you like. If you make the
most of the morning, more of the afternoon is free for other activities and for chores (for you
and your kids). I like to have my kids do a brief daily journal (you can pick any prompt you want
– what they are looking forward to or thankful for, etc.). These days I ask them to also make a
plan for their day so they can remind themselves to practice piano, read, etc.
2. If you have more than one child, some subjects can be learned together to save time (science,
PE, art)
3. Allow for independent work time, which lends itself well to subjects such as math & language
arts, so that you can get some housework, meal prep, or other things done. This kind of multitasking will help you manage your time. You won’t need separate class time and “homework”
time since that’s all wrapped up together. Check in with your kids and help as needed.
4. Make room for unstructured independent free time when work is done. Offer some options
for how to fill this time (crafts, reading, games, outside play, writing letters). We happen to be
more low-tech and keep the kids off TV and devices. We find it lends itself to more creativity
and learning how to manage boredom. Feel free to be creative.
5. Make the most of this time to build special memories and make it fun. You’ll have extra time
outside of academics. You can make special snacks, have tea time on your favorite china, cook
and bake together, work in the garden, do special science and art/crafts projects, do a home
project, organize the house, and play games together. One of our favorite bonding activities isread-aloud time, which I think works well even for older kids. It’s a great shared experience,
like going on an outing together. A great chapter book draws everyone in, and we often talk
about or refer to these stories long after we’ve read them. And great books infuse our hearts
with inspiring ideas as well.
6. Ask for help from your kids with meal planning and simple chores to make it a team effort.
7. Take breaks and get outside for fresh air, even just walking around the block.
8. Create a simple system to keep track of workbooks/papers – I’ve found that an inbox and
outbox work great. Inbox for the work your kids turn in to you, and an outbox for what you
give back. (My kids’ advice is to make sure to check it and return it in a timely manner!)
9. Create a conducive atmosphere and watch your distractions – you can play music in the
background and have a clear space to work. Although distractions abound (piles of laundry and
dishes, devices galore, emails, phone calls, etc.), you can try to set parameters around when
you will take care of these. It’s easier said than done, but awareness will help!
10. Rewards and incentives – someone asked me about how we do this. I’m not great at making
room for rewards (hey kids, isn’t education a reward in itself?!), but one idea is to have a reward
jar and fill it with marbles or the like as kids do well and complete their work. When the jar is
filled, have an ice cream celebration or something like it that they would enjoy.
RESOURCES I CAN RECOMMEND (FREE)
There are millions of resources out there for homeschooling. Here are just a few that are easy and trusted.(We try to mostly use actual books, but these are really great resources that are easy to access and free.)
1. Faith – devotionals
Keys for Kids Devotional (online, app, or paper version)
Teen Devotional (online or paper version)
2. Faith – music
A specially curated Spotify playlist for hope and peace in these times (from a friend/worship
pastor)
3. Math
Khan Academy (tailored info regarding how to use it during school closures)
4. Science:
Mystery Science (my girls love this! This link is tailored to current school closures)
5. Language Arts
Hammermill: Printable resources for elementary, middle, and high school
6. PE
Go Noodle
7. Multi-subject
Easy Peasy All-in-One-Homeschool
FUN BOOKS I CAN RECOMMEND
1. Math
If you want to use some traditional books, I love Life of Fred as an easy math supplement.
It’s a quirky chapter book format that focuses on concepts and how to think. You can figure out
which book to start with here
2. Fun science experiment books:
Smithsonian Maker Lab
Edible Science
Cool Chemistry Activities for Girls (there’s also a physics and engineering book in the series)
OTHER RESOURCES (NOT VETTED BUT SHARED BY OTHER HOMESCHOOLERS – ALL FREE):
1. Virtual museum tours
2. Free online educational resources:
3. More free online educational resources
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