We were so close. I was counting down the days until Christmas break was over when we got the dreaded announcement from Dr. Bonnie Henry. Yup, that’s right, the return to school has been delayed until January 10th! It looks like we will be starting 2022 homeschooling.
If you’re like me, and most others, work was not delayed until January 10th. My husband and I will be returning to our usual work routines tomorrow, but now with two youngins to “entertain/school” at home. So how are we going to make that work? How are we going to work full-time with the kids at home and not have them tied to screens the entire time?
The plan as it stands is the following:
- Pack lunches – We will be packing lunches as though the kids were going to school. We found this to be a great food solution during April 2020. The kids then have easy access to food and we don’t have to stop every 20minutes to feed them.
- Divide the day – We will be working on a few different “subjects” that the kids don’t need are constand supervision with. The youngest will be spelling some words, colouring, and using her newest educational toy “OSMO” to help build her numeracy. The eldest will be working on typing, French using Duolingo on my old phone, and reading.
- Add breaks – It’s not healthy for adults to be sedentary all day. We’ll schedule regular breaks, every 45min or so, to check-in with the kids and make sure they’re okay with their tasks. It’s also a great time to switch tasks.
- Lunch – Even with the packed lunches, we will still pause at lunchtime to eat together and go over some things.
- Relax – We’re going to need to be kind to ourselves. The expectation of getting what we normally get done this week is unrealistic. I hope to make a dent in the “To Do” list, but if it doesn’t happen I may just get up earlier on Wednesday or just deal with it when I can.
Here are a few homeschooling resources:
- Knowledge on the Go features video lessons across math, English language arts and science subjects provided by Great Minds.
- Scholastic Learn at Home – Arranged in interesting articles, students K-9 will learn about a particular subject that also includes elements of math, science, and social studies. Scholastic Store Online has pulled together a boutique of books for special learning journeys at home. They’ll be adding to this collection each week. There are also free worksheets.
- Khan Academy offers resources for ages 4-18. They are also offering Facebook Lives at 9am PST to help parents navigate the current challenges and have a recommended schedule for parents to follow, based on their child’s age.
- Downloadable Courses from Petit Architect
- Games with Typing.com
Additional Learning from Home Tips:
- Designate and/or set up a place for your child to work.
- Discuss with your child how they will handle schoolwork and limit distractions.
- Plan ways in which your child can exercise at home or get some type of physical activity.
For some great downtime and mindfulness development, why not get colouring! Kripalu Centre for Yoga and Health has offered a free book of Mandalas to work with. Mandalas help with relaxation of the body and mind, activation of creativity, improvement and enhancement of focus and clarity, centering and connectivity and it’s fun!
So there it is – a plan to get through the week and start a school routine that will, fingers-crossed, only last for one week.
If you have some ideas to with homeschooling, please share them in the comments or on our social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter, Intagram!
