Homeschooling May Happen Unexpectedly
Due to school closures, many parents find themselves suddenly homeschooling. When this happens without much warning, parents can feel a bit unsure about how to proceed. So, today I’m going to give some pointers for parents who find themselves wondering how they will manage. Although suddenly homeschooling seems daunting at first, it’s not as hard as you might think.
From Totally Scheduled to No Schedule
The biggest adjustment a family makes when suddenly homeschooling involves the disorientation students and parents face without a schedule. Schools necessarily impose a rigid schedule each day. Without that outside force, when do you get up? When do you study math? And when do you eat? When do you play? While it may be tempting to try to recreate the school schedule at home, I recommend not doing that.
Homeschooling is very different than classroom education and needs to be approached differently to work well. First, consider the parental needs surrounding work, appointments, etc. Next, consider the student’s needs regarding optimum sleep time, outdoor exercise time, academics, and social time. Finally, work with each student to write down a weekly schedule that makes sense for them as an individual student. Most homeschoolers average about two hours a day on sit-down academic work, so don’t overdo the bookwork. At home you aren’t losing time to classroom management or distractions, so you don’t need as much desk time.
What If We Fall Behind While Suddenly Homeschooling?
Parents may worry that their students will fall behind the class while out of school. Remember that if the school has been closed for health reasons, all the students are in the same situation. So, avoid pushing your child. Rather, allow the child a few days to decompress, explore feelings about the school closure, and spend time outdoors. Then discuss what needs to be covered, and take this opportunity to explore areas of interest that a regular school day might make impossible. If the student feels confused about a subject, this is a great chance to spend relaxed time figuring it out.
What Should We Study?
What your student studies may be assigned by the school in the case of temporary closure. In that case, remember that it’s all homework, not tests. The student needs to understand the material and perhaps turn in some work. Feel free to help, as this encourages discussion about the material, and that’s a great way to send it to long-term memory. If the school does not send work for the closure period, then your homeschool can be even more fun!
Inventing Your Own Curriculum
If you are completely on your own for curriculum, don’t panic! This is actually the best situation, as it allows maximum creativity and fun. Just remember that education consists of reading, writing, and math. Sure, there are other subjects like history and science. But they all depend on reading, writing, and math. With a solid foundation in those, a student can self-educate in everything else. With that in mind, I suggest starting with those three subjects and allowing the student plenty of time to explore personal interests that arise. Maybe they want to try art, music, or dance, and have never had time for it before. For a few ideas check out free classes offered on YouTube.
Reading
Help the students pick books they like and just let them read. If you have bookworms, they’ll be delirious with joy over this. But if you have struggling readers, read aloud while they follow along. If you have a dyslexic reader, get the paper book along with the audiobook so he or she can listen while tracking along with the text.
Writing
The amount of writing will vary by child. Your goal, hopefully, is not to make the student hate writing, so avoid heavy-handedness. Instead, give the student a beautiful journal (best if they pick it themselves) and have them write something in it every day. A minimum assignment might be one perfect sentence. Encourage illustrations. If you have a very dyslexic or dysgraphic student, they may need to tell you a journal entry, have you write it down lightly, and let them trace it.
Mathematics
Math is the one subject where a student might suffer upon return to school if the class moves on beyond them. Since math is sequential and has to be learned in the right order to make sense, it’s important not to leave holes. I recommend Khan Academy, a free online math program. Let your students make their own accounts, and be sure each person uses only his or her own account. The student first takes a placement quiz so that Khan can suggest the best place to start. Khan also offers math by grade level, so if you’re pretty sure where your student is in math, that’s a great option. The Khan program covers every concept in detail, so your student may pick up things they’ve missed in school. Khan keeps track of each student’s responses and adjusts the material based on whether the student has mastered the concept or needs more practice. I recommend opening an account for yourself, and exploring Khan Academy so you understand what your student is doing and can help if he or she wants help. Otherwise, just stay out of the way and let the program help the student self-correct.
What if the Kids Never Want to Go Back to School?
This is a win-win scenario. If you and the kids get on each other’s nerves and make each other crazy, everyone will rejoice when the school re-opens. You both win. If, on the other hand, you find that you and the students are both relaxed and happy in this new way of learning, you can decide if this is something you want to continue beyond the required time, maybe even for a few years! After all, you can decide at any time to change the way you are providing your children’s education. Having been forced into suddenly homeschooling for a while provides an experience everyone in the family can learn from!
by Yvonna Graham, M.Ed.
www.dyslexiakit.net
@GrahamYvonna
Audiobooks are a terrific resource for homeschooling. You can download free classic from Librivox. You can find newer title read professionally at Audible for $15/mo. Learning Ally provides audio textbooks to students with a dyslexia diagnosis. Best of all, your public library will lend audiobooks!