300 million students worldwide stopped attending school thanks to the coronavirus this past spring, according to the Cato Institute. This back-to-school season, parents have been given one of three choices: send their child for in-class learning, set students up for full-time remote-learning, or a combination of both. Truth be told, none of these options are ideal. If you decide to scrap the school system altogether and opt to homeschool your child this fall, homeschooling tips and free resources are a must for getting through it all.
So, what's a working or stay-at-home parent to do now that they're also a teacher to one or more children? Richard Peterson, CFE and chief academic officer at Kiddie Academy Educational Childcare, recommends the following in an interview with Romper:
Make sure you set everyone up for success by having supplies, meals and an activity schedule ready for the day.
Have lunch time outside if it’s nice out! It’s a great opportunity for fresh air for both of you before jumping back into work mode.
Set up “office space” adjacent to your own, which would include similar supplies: glue, tape, safety scissors, markers, etc. Your child could then work alongside you on schoolwork and planned activities. By having their own “office space,” they would not be encroaching on yours.
Plan ahead the night before so you aren’t rushing in the morning trying to plan out activities between emails and calls. Similar to how things are run in an office, try mapping out the day to keep your little ones occupied during work hours.
But what to put on your student's school-day schedule? Fortunately, there are plenty of free educational resources available online.
15
Codecademy
While you're creating lesson plans, why not work in some coding? It's one of the most in-demand job skills today, and Codecademy offers free access to basic lessons in web development, data science, and design. You can purchase a paid version if your child really enjoys it and needs more advanced instruction.
16
TED-Ed
TED‐Ed is basically an online vault of talks by experts in all areas of science, language, history, math, and more. You can watch by video, see them in a series, or create a video-based lesson for the day. If your child is practicing their presentation skills, they can also create their own TED Talk.
17
Marginal Revolution University
Your high schooler may not love economics, but it's important nonetheless. Marginal Revolution University offers a more exciting version of your standard econ class thanks to dynamic videos and interesting ways of presenting economic concepts. You may even learn something, too!
18
Virtually Visit Zoos & Aquariums
Hoping to teach your kids some environmental science? Check the live feeds at some of the nation's largest zoos and aquariums to see what the animals there are up to. Watching the fish gather in the coral reef at Monterey Bay Aquarium could be a great starting point for a project on how coral affects the environment. Or, let your little one pick a favorite zoo animal and write an essay about their diet, habitat, and behaviors in the wild.
19
Teach Them Something About Life
While helping your kids keep up with their schooling is super important, you may also decide to make time for lessons they wouldn't normally get on a weekday. If you have a teen at home, maybe you could involve them in doing your taxes or monthly family budgeting. Littles might enjoy helping you prepare a meal in the kitchen, or learning to garden in the backyard. Let them practice iPhone photography with some simple online tutorials to guide them. Whatever you choose, as long as you're enriching your child's mind and spending time together, perhaps the mathematics can wait an hour.