Tips for Supporting Families through Pandemic Homeschooling

November 21, 2020
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This short article summarizes feedback from panelists at our webinar by the same name held on November 13.

Many of the families we support are suddenly homeschooling at home this year as we deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are homeschooling instead of using national or international schools; others are doing some sort of virtual schooling at home with their children.

What should be our starting point in supporting families suddenly homeschooling this year?

Begin with questions about the primary goals of the parents. For some, this may be to stay on track academically; for others, it may be maintaining some sort of social interaction or participating in activities. Some families may have different goals for different children. For other families, staying healthy mentally and emotionally is their primary goal.

As families prioritize the mental health of their children, they should be encouraged that they can “catch up” academically after this season has passed.

How do we help families create an environment conducive to homeschooling?

Issues include finding the right locations for each child to complete their schoolwork, building a schedule that gets everyone off to a strong start to the day, and determining the need for structure (of both homeschooling parents and their children). One panelist recommended implementing a schedule of flexible structure: setting an order to the day, while allowing flexibility in the schedule.

Another panelist recommended that scheduling is best considered according to the age of the students. Younger students may need assignments doled out one at a time, while older students may work up to a weekly checklist that they can manage independently.

What about designing a schedule for older children?

In this season, helping older students think through how they work best and what their academic goals might be can be very effective. If kids have been in school up until this point, they might not have had the opportunity to work through their own learning styles and preferences. Allowing older students to have some responsibility related to their education can be an effective motivator.

What screen time recommendations would you make?

This is a difficult topic for families because of how many entertainment and educational resources are found online. One recommendation is for parents to try to keep a conversation going about online relationships. Another was to encourage families to implement a digital Sabbath, or a day in which everyone puts aside their personal devices in order to give minds, bodies and relationships an opportunity to be offline. This can be especially critical if kids are online for all of their education and some entertainment every day. Gen Z research suggests that two hours might be a reasonable limit for free time online in order to minimize negative effects of screen time.

How can we support families who are unable to receive curriculum right now?

Consultants might encourage families to use historical novels as a main curriculum “spine” in a unit study.

If families can get online once, or periodically, other ideas include:

World Book typical course of study https://www.worldbook.com/typical-course-of-study.aspx
Prioritize only reading, writing, and math
Math Mammoth (downloadable PDF workbook) https://www.mathmammoth.com
Rooted in Reading (from Teachers Pay Teachers) https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Search:rooted%20in%20reading
Explode the Code https://www.explodethecode.com

How can we support parents in creating realistic expectations?

Help parents understand that they can’t “do it all.” They need rest and breaks. Kids may need to be taught life skills related to cooking and cleaning in order to help. Parents can’t let the pressure and stress take over a home. Help them understand that the first year of homeschooling can be very stressful for a family who has chosen to do so; help them realize that this is a heavy load. The most important consideration is their spiritual life and relationships.

Help parents realize that they may need to give up or exchange some of the responsibilities and roles they had before homeschooling. Additionally, encourage parents not to get caught in a “comparison trap” through what they find on the internet!

How can parents keep kids motivated?

Make sure that the kids have a reason to be motivated; a passion that they enjoy learning about, and opportunities to interact with parents and siblings can help. Parents can instill a joy of learning in their children. Remind parents that their children are taking their cues from them, their parents.

How do our expectations as consultants need to adjust?

Remember that it is very different to consult with families who have chosen to homeschool than to consult with families who are (possibly reluctantly) homeschooling suddenly in 2020.

One panelist reminded us that the issues we’re facing right now are huge; consultants can’t carry the weight of every family who is struggling right now. Ideal educational solutions may not be possible right now!

Great articles related to this topic:

https://worldfamilyeducation.com/temporary-home-education-for-international-families/

https://worldfamilyeducation.com/caring-for-your-family-in-an-ongoing-crisis/