Schools all over the world are shutting down or “taking a break” because of the spread of Covid-19.
For now Charlie’s school is on a two week closure but that could extend for even longer if things continue to get worse.
When I first heard that the school was closing I took to Amazon to find ways to continue Charlie’s learning while he is out of school.
In Kindergarten, they are learning so many new concepts and repetition is so important.
A two week break can really put him back in his learning, making it hard to transition back in two + weeks.
Jason and I also talked about maintaining some sort of “homeschool” schedule for these two weeks and I wanted to share what we are doing in case any of you are looking for ideas or resources!
Here are some resources that I purchased from Amazon:
We got workbooks, coloring books with activities like word search and number games, markers and paint supplies, some math books, and some education floor puzzles.
I love the puzzles we got with all 50 states and another one with the planets.
We can learn about the states and planets while making the puzzles.
A few weeks ago we ordered a complete set of BOB Books for reading time:
These books have been a game changer! In only a few weeks I have seen such a huge improvement in Charlie’s reading!
If you have a child that is struggling with reading, I highly recommend these books!
Scholastic is also offering a free “Learn at Home” website where you can watch free classes and get curiculum for free while school is out.
I looked through some of the materials and they have some really good stuff Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade and higher.
I plan on doing a combination of the materials from Amazon and online resources like “Learn at Home.”
National Geographic Kids also has great learning material as well as short videos that are entertaining and education.
For 20+ More Online Learning Resources, checkout this website here! They list so many awesome learning websites to visit, many of which are free!
Worksheetfun.com has hundreds of downloadable worksheets for reading, writing and math for all ages! I downloaded and printed a bunch of free worksheets to do with Charlie.
Also, if you want to incorporate some Sunday School type lessons into your day (many churches are also closed), this is a great website that offers free Sunday School Learning materials.
Keeping the kids home with no schedule or structure is a recipe for disaster.
Especially since I don’t want to take them out to public places like the grocery store, gym, or a coffee shop.
Usually we get out of the house every day and run errands but we have chosen not to do that for now with the virus outbreak.
I hope many of you will consider doing the same so we can stop the rapid spread of the virus!
School wasn’t cancelled so that we can take our kids all over town with us.
It was cancelled in hopes that people will stay home more and prevent the risk of spreading the virus to at risk groups.
You may be healthy and young and statistically at a much lower risk of complications from the virus but, lets not be selfish.
You could spread the virus to someones grandma or grandpa, someone with a weakened immune system, etc.
Coronavirus is deadly for the high risk groups and we should all consider this when deciding whether or not to leave the house.
Just a thought 🙂
Ok, now back to the topic of homeschooling during this time!
If I don’t plan activities and some sort of structure to our day, they will end up in front of the television and I refuse to let that be how we spend the next two weeks.
It’s nice to have some structure so that we can be sure to fit homework in and also keep the days flowing and moving along.
I’m trying to make this time purposeful and something positive for us all.
7:00am – 7:30am: Wake up
- Make our beds and tidy up upstairs
- Change out of PJ’s
8:00 – 9:30 am: Breakfast and Play Time (give them time to fully wake up)
9:30am – Academics
- Practice writing/spelling
- Math skills
- Activity books
10:30am:More play time and a small snack (no electronics)
12:00pm – 1:00pm: Lunch and chores (clean up toys, etc).
1:00pm – 2:00pm: Outside walk, backyard play
2:00pm – 3:00pm: Academics
- Read Bob Books
- Creative play – puzzles, coloring, crafts
- iPad learning games
3:00pm: Kids choice – Go outside, play with toys, etc. (no electronics)
5:00pm: Dinner, Dishes, Tidy up
6:00pm: Showers and pajamas
6:30pm: Combination of books or their favorite movie or shows (we don’t let them watch tv every day so we alternate)
7:30 – 8:00pm: Bedtime
Everyone’s day and schedule’s will look different but this is a great start for us!
I really want to use this time that we are choosing to stay indoors more as a time to focus on playing with the kids, teaching them new things, and really being close to them.
I am aware that some of you work and are not stay-at-home moms so what you can do is print or write out a daily schedule and leave it on the fridge for your babysitter.
Pre-plan homework assignments for them to do with the kids and review them with your kids when you get home.
Let the babysitter know that there needs to be a structure to the day and not a lot of screen time.
When I worked, I used to leave schedules like this for my sitters too and it’s a great way to make sure your kids are not wasting the days away while you are at work.
My mom worked full-time and I remember she used to do the same thing for us!
Mama’s this is a chance for us to have more one on one time with our kids.
I often hear moms complain that they can’t wait for “Spring break to be over,” “summer break to be over,” or they are disappointed that school was cancelled because now they have more kids to watch at home.
Yes, it is more work and it is hard work.
But let’s seize this opportunity to get closer to our kids, love them a little more, and grow a little closer with our families.
Don’t complain because before we know it, the kids will be all grown and we will have all the time in the world on our hands.
We may just find that we will be longing for days like these where we spend hours together doing homework, playing games and loving on each other, but they will be gone.
The days are long, but the years are short. So true.
Stay healthy everyone!
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