Homeschooling during the Virus Outbreak and Quarantine

During this trying time, we all are in unfamiliar situations and taking on different roles throughout the day. Besides keeping a positive attitude and a sense of humor, here are a few thoughts to help parents—who are now also schoolteachers—effectively support their children intellectually and emotionally.

Keep the big picture in mind.

Fostering a joy of learning, encouraging curiosity, promoting problem-solving skills, and nurturing imagination and creativity are appropriate goals for students of any age—and more important than getting into a power struggle over completing a particular worksheet or getting through a not-so- smooth 20-minute mathematics or reading lesson. For example, engaging their minds with a task in the kitchen or around the home may be necessary as a break from a school assignment that is creating frustration and conflict.

Maintain a flexible routine.

Implementing some sort of structure to the day is important; kids, like adults, tend to thrive on routine. Children may be more likely to stick to the routine you’ve set if they have a say in developing it—when possible give them some options for what to do. Also, include breaks between activities—make time to move and breathe and laugh. Make time for silliness (aka recess)—bust out some wacky dance moves or make goofy faces at each other to release tension. Kids of all ages who feel relaxed and calm are going to have an easier time learning and maintaining focus.

Know your state’s learning standards.

Each state has standards that articulate the specific learning goals for each particular grade. Being familiar with these standards will help you ensure your child is prepared for the following year. Teachers and school administration should share these standards with you and be able to answer questions about them.

Stay in regular contact with the school.

Maintaining communication with your child’s teachers about goals and daily work is important. Let them know what lessons or assignments went well and which ones didn’t. They can help with specific struggles you are facing and will enjoy hearing about successes.

Be real.

It’s difficult enough to keep one child engaged in learning at home, however, many families have more than one child to keep on task. (If you have a baby or toddler and school-aged children, the youngest will often dictate the homeschooling schedule—and that’s okay!) Some parents have children with special needs. Many are struggling to juggle work responsibilities along with homeschooling. Nobody can do it all 100 percent of the time. Be open to adjusting expectations about what is realistic to accomplish on any given day. It’s more important to maintain the emotional well-being of your household than ensure a checklist of learning activities gets done. As daunting as it seems, this situation will pass and other challenges will arise as life continuously evolves. How we as adults deal with those changes will set the tone for our children and their ability to adapt to whatever comes their way.