Home School in the Midst of COVID-19

Spring break is over and back to school has a totally different meaning now that COVID - 19 has quarantined us to our homes. If you have children, in addition to being their parent you have also been recruited to become their teacher. This may be somewhat new for some of you or it maybe just an extension of homework duty, whatever the case, take a deep breath, remain calm and know that it’s going to be okay. You can do this!

As you plan to spend more time with your kids as their teacher remember to keep it simple. Go with the normal flow of your day or should I say the “new norm.” If you are a morning person let the kids sleep in and try to get as much of your work during the time when they are asleep. If you are a night owl, use that late night time to get as much of your work done as possible. If you are more productive at following a schedule then make one for yourself but be flexible. Teaching and learning does not have to be dull or boring. Remember to make it fun.

Schools focus on reading, math, science and social development. The family setting is a great place to reinforce all of these skills. Read to your children and let them read to you. If your child is older, you might want to read the same book and explore a different point of view. This is a great way to increase respect for another’s perspective and at the same time help each of you to understand each other better. You can even develop vocabulary efficiency by extracting unfamiliar words from the text. Make games to increase their knowledge of the words. (Word Bingo, Concentration, Spelling Test, Cross word Puzzles etc.) Math can be a natural process as well. Cooking is an excellent way to teach math. Math facts can also be good practice for the kids. Have the older children quiz the young ones. Science is everywhere. Take a fieldtrip in the backyard or in the kitchen. Have your child verify the science of nature, animals, weather, (etc.). To keep their motivation level high you might want to let your child choose their topic of interest.

Remember to take a break and that Rome wasn’t built in a day. You may learn something new yourself.