How to Homeschool During Coronavirus

As most learning institutions plan to reopen in the fall, many parents and guardians are exploring online learning and homeschooling options.

Back-to-school season is here, and districts in most states have come up with plans for attempting to reopen schools safely amid Covid-19 spikes. Whereas some research shows that younger teens are less susceptible to the Coronavirus, it is still possible that they can infect relatives and instructors. This fear makes most parents explore homeschooling for the first time.

According to the Center for Education Statistics, around 3 percent of the United States learners were homeschooled in the 2011/2012 school calendar year. A survey conducted in May 2020 of over 2,100 parents established that 40 percent said that they were more likely to virtual school or homeschool their students after lockdowns. States are reporting increases also. Homeschool filings with the Nebraska Department of Education have increased greatly compared to previous years. Most parents are accessing portals for enrolling new homeschool learners amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Homeschooling is not similar to shifting of public schools to online, as most of them did in March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Homeschool means that you have turned in a notice of intent to your learner’s school district, which states that you are no longer a part of the public school system, and you are in control of the education of your child.

Additionally, parents who work full-time might find ways of homeschooling. Thus, they must connect with local support cooperatives and groups or relatives involved to assist.

Whether you have already made a decision to homeschool your teenager this school calendar year, or if you are still exploring your options, here are tips for getting started with homeschooling.

Find Out Your State Homeschool Needs

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states of the United States. Nevertheless, each state has dissimilar homeschooling requirements and laws, which can be found on the website of your state department of education. Notably, this may include testing, subjects, and hours.

Look for Homeschool Groups

You will locate both local and national groups on social media platforms such as Facebook – simply look for “homeschooling” and your city. In the event you already know an individual in your location who homeschools, ask him or her for assistance as well. Additionally, most locations have homeschool co-ops and pods where you may pair up with other families for classes. Notably, this can seem different because of Coronavirus, but can still exist in some form – possibly outdoor, socially distanced classrooms.

Getting a homeschool community in your location can assist you with everything – figuring out what you are doing, setting a schedule, and exploring curriculum options. Also, it potentially provides you with an opportunity to share the education burden with other people and offer your children some time for socialization.

Set Space and Time for Studies

As a parent, you should decide where the homeschool space of your children will be – typically, where every learner may sit comfortably and concentrate. This can mean putting desks in the basement or using the kitchen table. Ensure that your children pack up their learning materials into a bag so that they may put them aside when they are done.

Homeschool learning has many benefits, such as flexibility compared to face-to-face classrooms. Parents can make schedules to be more flexible. In the case, your children are earlier rises, begin the day earlier. Based on their learning styles, you can move faster in some classes and set-up time for activities such as playing football, riding, or visiting a park. Also, it is okay to allow your children to sleep more than usual. Studies show that most of our teenagers and children are usually sleep-deprived.

Consider Curriculum Choices

Looking for homeschool programs online might be overwhelming – numerous choices are available. You might get boxes that offer curriculum materials or books throughout the year for a particular course of fully virtual courses. What you select ought to depend on the learning style of your child and what you are comfortable with as a parent instructor.

Add Life Skills to the Curriculum of Your Students

As you spend a lot of time with your children at home, do not forget the value of teaching your teens some basic skills in life. This is a great chance for teenagers and older children to assist with daily tasks like cooking, laundry, and cleaning. Younger children can assist in tidying up, or they can use this time to practice personal care skills such as tying shoes and fastening buttons. These forms of learning are valuable, like skills that students learn in classrooms.

Set Reasonable Expectations and Goals

Setting reasonable expectations and goals is the most crucial homeschooling tip. If your teen gets frustrated when doing course work or struggles to stay focused, take time to assess expectations set for them. Note that every student learns differently, and the present Covid-19 pandemic may add a layer of loneliness, uneasiness, and fear. Talk to your teen and instructor and come up with a plan that works best for all.

Consider Giving Rewards

Many parents do not give out incentives when their children finish their normal school assignments – but these are not ordinary days. You should consider giving rewards so as to motivate them to participate in learning and complete their assignments as suggested by K-12. Incentives like family game night and at-home movie night are great choices.

Know Your Child

Strong students usually do better independently, while weaker students who usually struggle. Independent and online education is certainly challenging for many people. It needs more self-regulated study skills.

Various teens will do better in various learning settings. In case your teen studies better in groups, attempt a Zoom learning session with colleagues. Notably, the older the children are, the longer they can work alone. Resources will be available to the learners slowly; thus, you will not have to do it by yourself.

Let Learners do Passion Projects

Homeschooling during the Covid-19 is the best time to allow learners to pursue interests that they have not had an opportunity to focus on in the past. It may be drawing, cooking, and building in Minecraft. In case it is something that they really have interest in, then you would not have to bug the learners to do it.

Free Virtual Learning Resources are Incredible

Free virtual learning resources do not equal free learning. Do not get perturbed by many lesson plans and downloadable PDFs that are available online. If you are working from remote yourself, they might be overwhelming. Look for many resources that work and build them from there. You should give priority to the greatest needs and interests of your children. Search for resources that can connect them to the real-life community – local dance classrooms, Sunday school, and piano lessons are all going virtual.

Forgive Yourself and Your Child

Homeschooling is very challenging during this Covid-19 period. In case you want to watch a movie throughout the day, that’s fine. You should not homeschool if it is going to result in severe psychological stress for every person involved. Also, it is important for you as a parent to forgive your children whenever they go wrong.

Challenges of Homeschooling During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Most parents are now getting themselves juggling homeschooling and full-time employment. They are monitoring school emails and work emails, including balancing schedules of their homeschooled children with their job schedules. Notably, adding parents with the role of instructors might be easy for some by extremely challenging and devastating to some. As a result, it may become a source of anxiety and distress at home.

Parents are not the only ones feeling this kind of pressure. Students are now out to learn how to communicate with their instructors through video-conferencing and email instead of talking to educators directly in classrooms like they usually do. Also, there are drastic changes in the routine of learners. They do not have a bell to remind them that it is time to change to another lesson, take a lunch break, or go to recess.

Notably, stress can be extremely high for children with learning, physical disabilities, and chronic medical needs since they are an exceptional group of students. These children are used to getting additional help through the 504 plan and Individualized Education Program at a learning institution.

Putting into practice these homeschooling tips is the first step in finding balance in your new routine. Also, credit yourself for your hard work and remember that we are all in the same situation. With creativity and little patience, we are sure that you will learn how to homeschool in the best way that works for you and your family.

Resources and References:

• What is a Homeschool Co-op
• Differences Between an IEP and a 504 Plan
• Homeschooling Tips for Parents