Teaching your child at home

8 Tips From an Elementary School Teacher on Teaching Your Kids at Home

US Markets Loading... H M S In the news

Strategy

Rachel Beaton

2020-03-31T13:15:00Z

Download the app

• Rachel Beaton is a third grade elementary school teacher, and after having her third child in June 2019, she began a full year of maternity leave.
• The coronavirus outbreak has caused schools across the country to shut down, and Beaton has developed tips to be productive and have fun while teaching her kids at home.
• As a teacher, Beaton stresses the importance of having a schedule, setting daily expectations, and being understanding to your children's emotions.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Thanks for signing up!

Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.

Thanks for signing up!

Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.

My husband and I had our third child last June.  The wonderful school where I teach third grade granted me a full year of maternity leave. Our two older children are 7 and 5, so they had been at school while I was enjoying a leisurely home stay with the baby.  People had been saying to me all year, "Three kids! I don't know how you do it." Every time I replied, "I'm very lucky; there's no way I could do this if they were all home."

Cue: Foreboding music. Enter stage left: COVID-19.

To be clear, we're privileged even in the current circumstances. My husband has a secure job, we're all currently healthy, we have food and a place to live. Sure, we have to take care of three children in our apartment for an undetermined amount of time, but who's here to take care of them? Their parent, who has two education degrees, an impressive history of being able to corral children in various situations, and just happens to be on maternity leave. Not to mention, her sister (a beloved librarian) is also staying with them. Windfall!

Since we have the luxury of not having to worry about necessities, I've had more time to think (stress) about other things. When it became apparent that I was really going to be caring for three children within a confined space for possibly months, I went with my first instinct honed from years of teaching: I made a schedule.

I've been planning, prepping, and instructing. We've read books, written letters, and played math games. We've had socially distant morning walks and drawn with chalk on the roof. We've had video chats with family, and ample amounts of screen time. This has all been possible because I'm not currently working, and we just started distance learning with their teachers, which means we have even more support.

This all sounds pretty rosy, and, in many ways, it is. I've gotten to know my kids as learners. I've been able to spend some much needed quality time with them, and they have had more time with each other. We have yet to have more than three major quarrels in a day, thanks to bribery! So you may be surprised that the other day when a friend asked how I was doing, I said, "It's like I've been training my whole life for this. And then someone asked me to do it while holding a baby."

I am sure that there are people who are reading this thinking, "Why doesn't she just let it go? Just relax without worrying about a schedule!" I wish that I could do that — I wish that it worked for me and for my kids. But it doesn't. It is better for our family to have an imperfect day attempting to follow a schedule than no schedule at all, and that's okay.

Flexibility and differentiation are key in the classroom, and they're also key at home. There's room for us all to parent the way that works for our nuclear unit to prevent things from going … well … nuclear.

These are my top tips for how to manage your kids at home.

1. Make a schedule

It doesn't matter if your schedule is all academics all the time or barely glances at a book. Kids benefit from knowing what to expect throughout the day.

2. Have a morning meeting

Morning meeting is a staple of classrooms across the country and is a great time to go over the schedule of the day, discuss the weather, talk about how the day before went, and remind kids of any behavior management plan you've created. Which brings me to my next point ...

3. Create a behavior management plan

It can be logical consequences that enforce themselves, positive praise, a points system, or really any system that allows kids to reflect on positive and negative behaviors.

4. Provide a model

Whether or not your kids are working on math or working on sharing the couch while watching a movie, I have found that success is much more likely if you show kids what you expect from them.  Show them how to play a board game without arguing. Write an example of what a paragraph should look like. 

5. Reach out to teacher friends or use the internet

If you need help understanding the academics that your kid is working on, reach out to their school or find online resources. 

6.

Kids are infinitely better able to self regulate when their blood sugar is level and they are hydrated.  We're keeping water within reach at all times and granola bars on standby.

7. Honor kids' feelings

This is a time of immense change and they are going to struggle. We instituted a new family rule — anyone can ask for a hug at any time and it will be delivered post-haste by as many people as are in the vicinity.

8. Be kind to yourself

There is no other job besides teaching where you receive performance feedback on a constant basis. It's okay to decamp to the bathroom for phone time or to plop the kids in front of the TV for however long you need to reboot.  Are the kids relatively happy, safe, and fed? You're doing a great job, and they're lucky to have you!

This has been an incredibly difficult time for so many. I'm worried about our healthcare system and what this means for the national economy and the  individuals who've lost their jobs. I mourn for the people who have gotten sick and those who have lost their lives. I worry about my family members who are high risk.  I am fortunate to have someplace productive to channel my energy into — nurturing my children's academic and emotional growth — and the time to do this. It is an opportunity for me, both as a teacher and as a parent.  How can I strengthen my bond with my kids while also practicing self-care? How can I use my knowledge as an educator to continue to foster my kids' love of learning during this challenging time? How can I find time to go to the bathroom and eat lunch without all three children winding up in a pileup with the baby on the bottom? I don't know the answers to these questions, but I do know snack time is at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. 

Read next

More. ..

Teaching your kids from home offers opportunities

May 05, 2020

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. — As a parent you likely never planned to be a teacher, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, you are teaching your children at home. And even with the help and materials provided by teachers and schools, homeschooling can sometimes seem overwhelming.

Christie McIntyre, associate professor in Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s School of Education wants to reassure parents to relax and know you’re probably doing a lot better job than you think.

 “Enjoy this time with your children,” she said. “Often, we take the time we spend with our children for granted. Just by being engaged in life and talking to your children and explaining things to them, you’re teaching them. ”

McIntyre offers some tips to help finish out the school year and for summer months, too.

Learning doesn’t always mean pen and paper

“Use your everyday moments as teachable moments,” McIntyre said. “Why not take the opportunity to point out the sounds, colors, shapes and sights around us and engage about them? There are learning opportunities all around us if we look for them. Be intentional.”

She offers a few ideas:

• Have a home scavenger hunt, asking the kids to find items of different shapes or colors.
• Let them help with the cooking or cook as is age appropriate. As they do, talk with them about measuring, nutrition, chemical reactions involved in the cooking process and other things that are happening right then. Even seeing cubes of ice melting in a glass offers the chance to discuss the three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas.
• Get the kids involved in everyday life. Have them help make the shopping list. They can learn about cooking, work on their reading and math skills and maybe even do some price comparison shopping, too.
• With all that’s happening now, kids are hearing at least bits and pieces about the virus, so make their learning experience relevant and meaningful. It’s a great time to find age-appropriate ways to teach them about germs and the respiratory system and how to stay healthy without making them fearful. For instance, they can create a model of working lungs with straws and balloons. Even young children can have fun and learn by making a human body with cotton swab bones and felt or playdough body parts. Older kids can recreate a DNA model with licorice, mini-marshmallows and toothpicks. Pinterest is a great resource for educational models and ideas.

Keep a routine

Even with the world being upside down now, structure is still important, McIntyre said. Set up a schedule for each day’s “home school.”

Research has shown people tend to be more focused and productive in the morning hours, so if possible, plan more sit-down school work during the morning hours. And remember to keep in mind the attention spans that children based on their ages. Even adults have a hard time staying focused and attentive for more than 45 minutes at a time, she notes. The younger the child, the shorter the attention span.

McIntyre has been having online learning sessions with her nephew, age 4, and niece, age 7, in Ireland. After a few minutes, they take a fun break; it assures everyone stays engaged and challenged.

While a schedule and consistency is important, so is flexibility, she said.

Take advantage of resources

There are a multitude of resources available to help, McIntyre said. She said the Library of Congress is a virtual treasure trove of information, and the Smithsonian Institution offers online podcasts, events, exhibitions, tours, animal webcams and other things. SIU’s Morris Library provides access to help and resources through Ask a Librarian, too.

Numerous other companies are offering free online educational activities and resources, as well, especially at this time.

McIntyre also said she finds the Khan Academy helpful, particularly for those who need assistance or a refresher when assisting older children with math and science.

“Don’t be embarrassed to reach out to teachers and ask for help, too,” McIntyre said. “They have resources and information to help.”

Involve your circle

If you can, get other people – grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and other relatives – involved in your children’s learning circle. McIntyre has two young grandchildren in Denver, and she and her husband are part of a group of family and friends who take turns reading stories to them. Some of the readers even get in character and dress up for their roles.

It’s easy to let children grab their computer, tablet or phone and while the day away but McIntyre suggests that parents limit screen time and be aware of what their children are seeing and doing.

“Not everything they are reading or seeing is educational,” she said. “Be a consumer with your child.”

Making learning fun

Children are used to active learning, even in the classroom, McIntyre said, so asking them to sit still for hours simply isn’t natural. Don’t fight their attention spans. Make learning fun. Build in songs and games. She offers other tips:

• Be aware of the language you use with kids and use plenty of adjectives, especially with younger children.
• Children love the unexpected. It doesn’t have to be huge and exciting. Read to them or listen to them read. Wear a different hat every day. Walk like an animal. Create free cycle/recycled art. Take a nature walk.
• Be sure to build in time for children to play within the day, too. Schedule Zoom, Skype or Facetime with their friends.

How to organize home schooling for a child

How to teach a child at home

Home schooling or family education is one of the forms of education in the Russian Federation established by law, in which a student receives knowledge in a family and is attached to a school only for the period of certification .

Homeschooling should not be confused with homeschooling, a way of organizing the learning process for children who cannot attend school for health reasons.

How to start homeschooling

To start teaching your child at home instead of school, you need:

1. Notify the local education authorities. You can apply to transfer to homeschooling in person, by mail, or online.
2. Drop out of school. Bring an application to the school about the transition to a family form of education and pick up the child's documents: a personal file, certificates of education and certification. They will be needed to attach to another school for passing intermediate certifications.
3. Select a school for assessments. She must have a license for educational activities and state accreditation, and the charter necessarily fixes the possibility of enrolling external students. For your convenience, it would be better to choose a school with the possibility of remote certification. It is also recommended to conclude an attestation agreement with the school that regulates the dates, form and procedure for passing attestations in each subject.
   

For a detailed guide to transitioning to family education with samples of required documents, see here

<>

How to organize homeschooling

After all the formalities are settled, the most important thing remains: to decide how to organize the learning process at home. There are several models of organizing family education, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, which can be combined with each other:

• Parent-teacher. Teaching a child on your own, you are free to choose any program and teaching method, besides, you do not have to pay for the work of specialists. However, teaching a child at home requires a lot of time from parents, competence in all school subjects and developed pedagogical skills.
• Tutoring services. Qualified teachers in individual lessons are able to give the child a quality education. The downside is that the services of good tutors are not cheap.
• Online school. Distance learning allows you to solve a whole range of problems. Studying in an online school, the child receives systematic school knowledge in all school subjects with minimal participation of parents. In addition, you can study on the Web at any time and from anywhere in the world - you only need access to the Internet. Education in online schools is paid, but it is cheaper than hiring tutors for each subject.
  

Whichever way you choose to teach your child at home, try to adhere to the following guidelines.

Tip 1. Keep your child's interest

Home education requires parents to be responsible for their children's knowledge. Mom and dad should be ready to answer questions and understand complex topics. You can’t blame tutors or send your child to Google. At the same time, to teach a child at home, it is not necessary to be an expert in all areas. All that is needed is a broad outlook and a willingness to deepen knowledge as necessary.

Try to stimulate your child's natural curiosity.

Refresh your school curriculum as you transition to homeschooling. To do this, you may have to leave your comfort zone, overcome boredom and fear of unloved objects. To make it easier, refer not to textbooks, but to popular science books and films.

Sergei Didyk, father of two children in family education, shares his experience: “You can adjust the educational process to the abilities, opportunities, interests of the child, and even the current situation in the family. You can adjust the depth and speed of mastering the subject: what the child is most interested in is studied in detail;

Tip 2. Don't try to be a multi-subject

The thought of teaching a child at home causes some adults to panic. Sophia Pascal, the mother of a student at Foxford Home School, admitted this in an interview: “Despite the fact that I had a living example of homeschooling before my eyes (the children of my friend were at family school), I was still scared. What if I can’t explain something, and my daughter will have a gap in knowledge?

But a parent who decides to organize homeschooling does not have to turn into a multi-subject teacher. Professionals should explain and work out new material. For example, at the Foxford home online school, classes according to the school curriculum are taught by strong teachers, and the courses are aimed at obtaining systemic knowledge.

<