When you are Given No Choice – How to Make Homeschooling Work for You

Now that we have begun and fallen into a routine with the homeschooling due to the canceling of their local schools, I thought I would share some things that are easy to implement with little effort for parents. Not everything needs to be time consuming while parents are pulling double efforts to continue working as they teach their children.

Reading and Writing

The best things that your child can work on while away from school is reading! If you have stocks of books for your child, that is awesome! However, if not, most libraries have free access to online books that you can read through your tablets, phones or computers. In addition, many school districts also have access to RazKids, Epic, and your child’s literature textbook online. These are awesome places to give your child reading material.

Couple reading with their writing. Ask your child to write a summary of what they read (or even create a video if they aren’t good writers yet). Further, they can draw a picture and label things too. Summaries won’t interest them long, so have them write a list of new words, questions they have, or even predictions. A few sentences a day really goes a long way to keeping them interested. IF you have any time, feel free to respond to their writing and ask questions that they can answer the next day.

Additionally, writing articles, opinion pieces, and stories can be fun too. Child can type or handwrite their stories. They can even use their google docs to share stories with their friends and write together, which can be lots of fun!

Math

If you have access to technology, math can be easy. My kids use both their online textbook and khan academy for math. These have an easy set up that can be followed to see what your child should learn next. It really is just a matter of your child logging in and getting started.

If technology is not available or you need something low tech for your child, try cards and dice. We love making our own math problems to solve. Challenge your kids to write their own word problems and solve them or create a problem for a friend. Text or video chat the problems between friends.

Easy Skills to Practice with Cards and Dice

Most 1st graders – add and subtract up to 100 (7 + 8 or 15 – 9)

For 2nd graders – add and subtract numbers up to 1000 (55 + 69 or 287 – 45)

Most 3rd graders – basic multiplication and division facts

For 4th graders – multiple and divide larger numbers (55 x 12 or 416/4)

Most 5th graders – add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions and decimals

Most 6th graders – fractions, decimals, and whole number operations plus ratios and percents

Science and Social Studies

Try a genius hour. Let your kids create their own questions to research for answers. Most love this and researching is a great skill that they need. Afterwards, they can create their own presentation of their information to share with their friends or family. Who doesn’t want to socialize still!

Brainpop is always great for a free resource full of videos on science and social studies topics with free quizzes too!

There are also so many videos on youtube, discovery channel, national geographic that can be fun to watch as a family.

Low tech options can include learning about the world around them. Have them interview their family members by writing letters (or video chat). Similarly, let them explore nature outdoors. What are the trees doing? How is the world changing? What questions do they have?

Letter to Parents

Please know that you are doing the best for your child! Try not to over think things or put forth more than you can while still keeping yourself healthy and able to do your essential functions. If your child misses something this year, it will be reviewed in the years to come. That is to say, teachers cover the same skills in reading and writing from year to year, just increasing the reading level or length of writing pieces. We all remember the quarter long math review! And science and social studies concepts continue to cycle through the grade levels (even college).

The most important skills you can help your children to develop is reading, communicating through speech and writing, the ability to think for themselves, problem solve and learn new things. Consequently, specific skills are less important than becoming a resilient learner.

For more tips and tricks, be sure to check out my Quick Schedule and Schools Closed, Now What? posts. We’d love to hear about what you’re doing during this crazy time. Drop us a comment below.

Hi, I’m Nicole.

Here at Creatingbutterflies we provide families with practical solutions to real life problems for everything parenting, scouting, dual language, and enjoying time outdoors. We are a family of 6 with 4 wonderful becoming bilingual children who loves scouting, camping, and hiking with their family. Mom is an educator and dad is a firefighter/paramedic.