Home-schooling 101: Educators, parents offer tips to keep kids learning during down time

Get some down time, go outside, use educational tools, keep a routine and read books together.

These are a few tips from educators and home-school leaders to encourage caregivers and parents who suddenly are setting up residential headquarters that ensure children keep up with their academics.

We’re only a few days into what likely will be several weeks of kids out of public and private schools because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many parents have shifted to working from home, as well.

Teachers have sent home lesson plans and links to online learning, but what are ways to keep children on track without losing academic ground and patience?

Decompress, ease into it

Spokane Valley resident Jessica Jensen, who has home-schooled her kids for 11 years, is seeing many new resources online for parents to support them in sudden home-based learning.

But what she hopes families do first is to decompress instead of feeling stressed about a strict academic schedule.

“The first thing I’d probably recommend is just take some time to make some space,” Jensen said. “There is so much going on emotionally for both the adults and the kids as they’re out of school, out of their routine, and there’s this big scary virus going around.

“Don’t worry about diving too quickly into academics, allow some time to decompress from the school routine and time to deal with your emotions.”

Playing games that use math is one way for a family to wind down but still mix in learning. So is a group reading of a book. Brenda Dillon of Spokane, who home-schools four children ages 1 to 8, suggests families find books to read out loud together.

She follows a Charlotte Mason home-school style that emphasizes reading “living books.”

“A living book is a book that makes the subject come alive for the reader,” Dillon said. “A book like ‘The Wind in the Willows’ can have a broad appeal, so everyone in the family can read it and enjoy it.”

Ray Ricks, Northwest Christian Schools executive director of education, has students logging into virtual subjects, but generally he’s noticed more families coping with the current situation in what might be older, traditional ways.

“I’ve seen that families are playing little baseball games together or getting into books together,” Ricks said. “To create some of those traditional modes of reading and playing games together are good, yet we still need to keep our kids engaged in academics.”

“It’s important really to promote some type of literacy where kids will actually get into the books. Reading is essential.”

He suggested checking online with libraries to download books, and some podcasts can help with listening skills. Parents also could build in service projects to help neighbors or the family, he said. Additional writing can be encouraged by asking children to write a letter to a grandparent or senior who is self-isolating.

Set a routine

Some schools and individual teachers might have required times for students to log into a lesson or complete assignments. Whether there’s that regimen or not, families can benefit from a schedule for the day or at least an expectation of a routine.

Some parents might want to post a schedule chart to help adults and children. Dillon said home-schooling parents often have different approaches toward creating a schedule – and often flexibility.

“I personally think a schedule is essential because it helps kids have a sense of consistency,” she said. “It helps keep the parent on track, and it helps with behavior. I’m not the bad guy if the schedule says time for math comes next.

“I’d suggest keeping the subject short and giving kids breaks with lots of exercise in between. I’m a fan of being outside if that works, but we’ll do a 15-minute lesson and then do jumping jacks or pick up toys just to give the brain a break.”

She believes in creating enjoyment. “We’re trying to give them an academic feast that they will enjoy. That includes books they’ll enjoy, art they’ll enjoy, but also not lecturing, not drawing it out too long, giving them a chance to enjoy what they’re learning and digest it.”

Jensen said academic time slots don’t have to be strict as they might be at school, but consider general categories.

“I’d say a routine rather than a schedule,” Jensen said. “We have a set routine, but we don’t set it to a time clock. It is a home, so it is different than an institution. There is a family. There is love and relationship, and let’s face it, some bickering.”

“Set some sort of routine. Maybe in the morning have breakfast and do some chores, then you can say, ‘OK for this hour or about an hour, we’ll do some sort of academic thing.’ ”

The pattern should have predictability. Short segments could focus on math, then perhaps language studies, followed by a reading hour, she said. Families could designate time for a board game or being on screens.

Keep a record

In Montessori, kids track learning in work journals and write about the lessons. That could work at home to keep records of learning.

A literary journal is another idea, with kids writing about a book. During this difficult time, Jensen said keeping a journal in general could help kids process what they’re feeling.

“Right now, it’s so out of the norm, and a lot of scary things are going on, so younger kids might have trouble expressing what they’re feeling,” she said.

“Some great books might help them identify something they’re going through and be able to communicate it in a way they weren’t able to before.”

Dillon said her home-schooling method asks kids to do narrations after they read, so that means children in a sense tell the story back to the adult. For younger kids, that could be verbal, but starting around age 10, children can write that narrative.

“It’s really trying to get beyond a summary to help kids hear information, learn information and also tell it back,” she said. “It also helps model for them how to compose a sentence, paragraph, a chapter.

“For the younger kids, often while I’m reading, I’m letting them play with Legos or color about what they’re hearing. It helps with the wiggles, then they can tell the story back.”

Get outside

As we move through long hours at home, any day’s routine also should have movement and exercise, either indoor or outdoors, Dillon said.

Time outdoors can build in learning. Maybe count how many cars you see parked in the neighborhood, or focus on identifying nature such as the types of birds or plants you come across.

“They are kids, and they still need to move around and be kids,” Jensen said. “Luckily, spring is coming, and we can all get outdoors more. It will help us all to get outside because it helps us emotionally and physically.”

And she added that this is an opportunity to build even more connections with children because, previously, many parents and kids had to spend parts of the day apart.

“Now they are together more, which is challenging but also beneficial in many ways.”