The coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic has created havoc around the world. Scores of people are dying, and there is still no vaccine. Countries do not have any option but to flatten the curve, and to do so, people have to stay indoors. Staying at home with kids and family can be fun initially, but after a few weeks, it does get monotonous. Schools in the United States will not reopen until September, and handling kids for that duration is a problem. The best way to keep kids occupied is to homeschool them. It is not difficult at all, and most people are doing it anyway.
Create a schedule
You need to create a daily schedule or timetable for the kids to take homeschooling seriously. You have to make them understand that the schedule must be followed, come what may. Creating a schedule is very easy; you can just mimic the one that the kid's school uses, or you can find many online resources available that provide templates that you can download and print. Do not be too rigid with the schedules because children can concentrate on one subject for only a limited amount of time.
Create a learning area
Anywhere is fine as long as the kids learn. They can sit on the ground and study or sit on a table, but you need to earmark an area where the learning would happen. Also, make sure that there are no distractions nearby such as a television.
Resources for learning
Technology has ensured that we have information at our fingertips. There are thousands of resources for homeschooling kids, such as the following:
Khan Academy - This website has been around for years and has been helping children learn most subjects with video lessons. The website has study material for all subjects.
edHelper - This website is a great resource for math worksheets. If you want your kids to practice math, all you need to do is print the many math worksheets on offer here: https://www.edhelper.com/math_worksheets.htm. Addition, division, geometry, fractions, multiplication, subtraction, math facts - you name it, and you have it here.
BrainPop - They have classes on a lot of subjects ranging from science to health.
EasyPeasy - This Christian-based resource offers a lot of courses and study material online. You can find course material for high schoolers too.
Outschool - This is not a free resource. You need to pay $5 per class. They cater to students right from the age of 3 till the age of 18. You can find classes on robotics, video game coding, and so on.
Acellus Homeschool - Again, a paid resource like Outschool, though you have the option of paying on a monthly basis. The courses on offer are for all classes from kindergarten to high school.
Tynker - Coding can be fun when learned at an early age. Tynker is a resource where kids from the age of 5 can learn coding.
Creative bug - Teach your kids knitting, crocheting, cooking, making toys, and so on.
Be Creative
When you start home-schooling, you will find that the kids do not take you seriously. They will try to take advantage of you; after all, you are the parent, and they have been doing that for years. However, if you are strict and if you make them understand that there is no other option but to study, they will start learning. You also need to make the learning process fun and enjoyable for the children, and to do that, you can be creative. For example, little kids have very short attention spans: they cannot concentrate on a task for more than 15 to 20 minutes. You can play with them, sing a song after 15 or 20 minutes and then make them refocus on the lessons. The kids will enjoy it. Promise them a treat if they put in the effort, and at the end of the day, you can treat them to their favorite cake or cookie. These are just some examples; creativity has no bounds, and you can come up with some exciting ones if you put your mind to it.
Do not be harsh on yourself
It takes time to learn to home-school. Face it: You are learning the ropes of teaching. So do not be harsh on yourself if your kid is not listening to you or if you are not able to make them understand a math problem. You will learn. Plus, the kids are also in a situation that they did not ask for. They never wanted to be home-schooled. The crisis in the world has created this. The children would rather go to school and learn from their teachers and have fun with friends. So take it slowly; the children will understand. You will become better at teaching, and in a few months, the COVID-19 crisis will also go away.
