Tips for Homeschooling Young Children During the Coronavirus Pandemic

If you are like me, you have found yourself to be your children’s primary education specialist for the time being because of the Coronavirus Pandemic!

Once it was announced that our school district would not return until the end of March, I, as an elementary teacher, sprung into action and made a daily learning schedule for both of my kids and rounded up the activities, resources, supplies, and workbooks that I had stored in our drawers, cabinets, and shelves.

Once I shared with my followers by plan of action for my own kids, I quickly realized that so many of my followers, who are also parents needed guidance and tips on how to temporarily homeschool their own children.

Below are three easy steps to get started!

1. Set Up a Daily Schedule

Since consistency and routines are so important to help children feel safe and successful, creating an age-appropriate schedule is essential for your child to learn at home. Children 5 and younger need short increments of time for each activity, while older children have built up stamina and can focus on certain subjects for longer periods of time. Here are the schedules that I made for my two kids who are a second grader and pre-kinder.

2. Include Some Digital Learning and Provide Choices

Having your child continue to read books, write on paper and do math from packets or workbooks are completely encouraged! Yes, students still need to master their fine motor skills, write legibly with correct grammar, spelling, and sentence structure, and solve math problems on paper. However, mix some 21st Century learning into your schedule! There are many coding apps out there for little ones to explore and learn! Below are the my favorite FREE Coding Apps!

It’s also so important to give your child choices on how he/she wants to learn. The more involved they are in crafting their learning, the more they are going to gain from this experience with you!

3. Set Up a Space for Learning at Home

Having a designated space for kids to learn at home where they know is dedicated for their supplies, learning materials, and work space is a must-have. May it be right off the breakfast nook, like ours, or in a separate room, this helps the kids know that when they are in this space during school hours, they can continue to learn and grow.