How to Home School During Coronavirus

It’s not easy, even for professionals. Start with these sample lesson plans.

By Katharine Hill

As coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, we’re working to answer the questions on many parents’ minds. This is a fast-moving situation, so some information may be outdated. For the latest updates, read The New York Times’s live coronavirus coverage here.

Across the United States, parents are settling into the idea that the current coronavirus outbreak will require many to take over for teachers and child care providers into the foreseeable future. On March 16, President Trump raised the possibility that the coronavirus crisis might last until August.

With schools across the country closed and unlikely to reopen soon, families are gathering teaching materials, setting up schedules, and looking for ways to keep kids engaged beyond the limited hours of remote-learning school days. Parents who are pros at packing lunches and juggling sports practices may feel overwhelmed at the thought of managing students’ school days at home.

My own children started their school’s remote-learning on March 16 and, even as an educator with 20 years of experience and two master’s degrees in the education field, organizing their schedule consumed my morning. So, I decided to create a few resources to help families manage the sudden demand for at-home learning.

But first, take comfort in knowing that school-based lessons rarely go perfectly even for professional teachers. Kids struggle with instructions and get frustrated, no matter how well we prepare. Teachers spend much of their preparation time analyzing activities to improve the next lesson. As families step into teaching roles, it’s crucial to treat inevitable missteps as learning opportunities. Trust me, this has already been a week of trial and error at my house.

Consistency helps students focus, so start with a daily schedule. Skilled teachers often begin the school year with a great deal of structure, because kids learn most easily when they know what to expect. A schedule also allows parents and other caregivers to share duties. By building in breaks, choice and a range of activities, parents can tailor plans to meet children’s individual needs.

But be flexible and keep your child’s experience and personality in mind. A child who has attended a Montessori program may thrive with several work centers spread around the home, while one used to a more traditional setting may feel comfortable with a tighter schedule. Either way, be ready to set up daily plans while adapting to what works well.

If your child’s school offers remote learning, use the provided assignments to create a basic structure for each day, supplementing them as needed with activities that round out the curriculum. Even the most thorough remote-learning plans won’t occupy students all day and most families will need to find additional activities. I have compiled a list of resources below to help your search.

You can give older kids a sense of investment each day by asking them to help formulate their own schedule. But don’t get too caught in your lesson plan. Listen to your child. If they say, “I don’t get it,” or, “I’m tired and I can’t do this,” hear them out rather than telling them what to do next. Once you’ve heard how they’re feeling, ask them to read the directions aloud, or point you to the section that’s confusing. This will show them you are listening and let them make progress.

Parents with children of multiple ages have the extra challenge of balancing multiple remote-learning plans. Delegate tasks to older students — added responsibility can be inspiring for kids, even if they complain about it. Once in teacher mode, try staggering school start times, setting up multiple learning areas, and matching the noise level of different projects so everyone is loud at the same time.

When teaching, wait for eye contact before giving verbal instructions to kids. After you’re done, ask them to restate the main points of what you’ve said. Get to the child’s eye level to help communication, and limit verbal directions to two steps for preschoolers and three steps for older kids. The remote-learning situation will test everyone’s patience, so remember to take time for yourself.

Structure academic activities around kids’ attention spans. Most elementary-school kids can work on assignments for around 25 minutes before they need a break. Use a timer or time-management software to arrange breaks, which can also become transitions to new tasks. Or have kids do some jumping jacks, get a drink of water, take a short walk, climb stairs or play a game to help them refocus. Avoid online videos or graphic novels until the end of the day. These make good rewards, but can be distracting midday. For preschoolers, try a clean-up song or talking through the next activity to make transitions smoother.

A typical school day rewards students with opportunities to show independence, help friends and overcome challenges. The shift to learning from home still gives children the chance to develop autonomy, practice empathy and use their skills — particularly when parents set up structures, then stand back to let kids shine.

Finding high-quality educational materials can be overwhelming. Here are a few resources that I’ve used with success.

Paper-Based Materials
Writing by hand creates stronger memories and understanding, so try to include written assignments along with online options. Keep in mind that workbooks can cost more than online lessons, and delivery time could be slow during this current crisis. Evan-Moor‘s comprehensive line of student workbooks allows kids as young as preschool to follow instructions, formulate responses and build concept knowledge. The Math Learning Center offers free, printable materials that build a comfort with numbers in preschoolers through fifth graders.

Reading
Storyline Online is a fun website where professional actors read popular picture books aloud. Children can build phonological awareness with the games and materials at Education.com. Elementary readers can follow along with the text of stories at Storynory and practice skills from alphabetic awareness to reading fluency at Raz-Kids, which provides evidence-based structured literacy resources.

Writing
Storybird is a short story creation website with a beautiful interface and engaging prompts. Older kids can accept writing challenges created by experienced teachers or write their own tales, while preschoolers and kindergarteners can dictate stories to adults to type.