Ten Quick and Easy Homeschooling Tips

So you’ve recently been compelled to homeschool by Corona virus? Wondering how to go about it? How to keep your sanity? Don’t want a thousand detailed instructions, but a quick and easy big picture take? You’ve come to the right place! (You can even skip to the list if you want!)

I didn’t intend to homeschool, either. I went to private schools from the age of four to college, and I figured my kids could do the same. But when I actually had a bright-eyed little girl ready for school, the options weren’t there. I found homeschooling, and with much trepidation, I dipped my toes in the water with my four-year-old.

I made a ton of mistakes at first, and really, homeschooling is something that is only starting to feel more natural (most days) now that I’ve been a homeschooling mom for over twelve years. But I was able to start slowly, so I feel for you that have been thrown into this so unexpectedly.

What I want you to know today is that you CAN do this. I’m not saying it won’t be hard, even downright terrible some days, especially in the adjustment, but you CAN do this. And you will see it as a good thing, eventually, when you are able to gain some perspective.

What I won’t do is sit here and tell you I’m the best homeschooling mom ever, who does all the things and the co-ops and spends hours a day actively teaching and planning and doing cool projects and outings. That vision of homeschooling families you may have – some are truly that good at it – that’s not me.

I like for things to “coast.” I like to spend the initial time setting things up like a wind-up toy, and then letting them go and move around of their own accord. So, yes, you need a plan and a schedule, but the biggest things you need in your new classroom are HABITS and FLEXIBILITY.

Whether you’re starting out on your own, or you’re following your child’s teacher’s guidelines and plans, here are a few tips to success. I hope you’ll find them helpful!

1.  Start with a positive attitude. Whatever you have to do at the beginning of the day to get your head in a good place, do it. Pray, read, drink coffee, sit and stare out the window, but come at it from a place of calm motivation. Your kids probably won’t. You have to lead in this, and persist in it when they ruin all your plans and ignore your sacrifices and efforts.
2.  Don’t be a slave to the schedule. Have a rough outline of what the day will look like, but be open to allowing your imaginations and interests to throw you off course. If something catches your attention, go with it. Research, discuss, play. We’ve had some of our most memorable learning times this way. The work will get done. Use the moments you have for whatever will spark learning.
3.  Let them do their workbooks on their own. And be open to them doing it their own way. If they decide the only way they’ll get through that math is hanging upside down on the couch with classical music blasting on their headphones while eating raisins, let them. If they want to go out in the sunshine and take frequent breaks to run around the field or visit the neighborhood goats, let it be. The work will be there (unless it blows away in the wind!) when they get back.
4. Don’t allow non-educational electronics until after work is done. This is a good motivator for them to finish in a timely manner. Don’t be afraid to completely take away non-educational electronics for tantrums, either. I don’t include Bible videos or educational websites in the ban, so I still have some leverage during their groundings. Find out what your child’s motivation is and use it.
5. Make it fun, and enjoy learning along with them. I’ve enjoyed school much more as I’ve gone through it again (four times!) with my kids. All the things I missed as a kid! Enjoy the chance to marvel at the world and all of its intricacies. This will help your kids have better attitudes, too, as you mirror a childlike wonder at creation and everything there is to learn within it.
6. Don’t fret. I was so worried at the beginning that I would miss something, that I would do something wrong, that I would mess up their entire lives through my big-picture, non-detailed personality. Surely I would forget things they needed to know. And you know what? I have. So does everybody. I just think about all the stuff I didn’t get the first time around. Education is not as linear as we think it is. It can’t be boiled down to a list of subjects. If you miss something this year, catch it next year. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
7. Combine subjects. This is advice if you decide to go it on your own and pick your own curriculum. It’s not for everyone, but if this sounds more appealing to you, a great time and sanity saver is combining the subjects they need into one. For instance, my two youngers have handwriting that doubles as geography. They write about the states. And it’s easy to combine writing with any other subject – just have them write about whatever they’re learning. We combine art and reading with history (Check out Draw and Write through History and Story of the World.)
8. Make use of the white board. If you have a child who will not sit and do that math on their paper, have them do it on the white board. If you want them to memorize things, write it on the white board. If you are trying to teach a difficult concept, a white board is a handy tool.
9. Make a weekly list of their assignments. This only works for students who can read well, but it’s important for them to have accountability to do everything they are supposed to do for the day. I’ve tried just having them “do the next lesson.” It doesn’t work out well. You both need to know the expectations for every single day. I like this template for younger kids and this one for my high schoolers.
10. Look for ideas online. I’ve got several homeschooling Pinterest boards I use to collect ideas for art projects, online classes, places we’d like to visit, etc. The vastness of resources available, many for free, is staggering. It can be overwhelming, but once you have a vision in your head, keep your ideas in one place and implement them a few at a time.

Don’t sweat the bad days. They’ll come. Some days all you can do is get through it. Other days are easy. That’s just life as you educate your own children. Use your time together to grow closer as a family. Have important discussions, ask those questions you’ve been putting off. See this as a blessing, and use up every last second of it for good. I hope you’ll look back on this time as an unexpected treasure.

What about you? How are you feeling about the schools being closed and kids being home? Have any ideas to add to this list? Feel free to comment and let us know!