5 Homeschooling Tips for Keeping Your Child’s Education on Track While Out of School

Wearing the hat of a teacher in addition to being a parent can be overwhelming, especially during these uncertain times. Those of us who haven’t taught or homeschooled before are left with hundreds of questions about how to homeschool their kids, like:

• What do I need to homeschool my child?
• How do I keep education on track for next year?
• How do I homeschool my child without him getting bored?
• What do I do when homeschool isn’t working for my child?
• How to homeschool when I also work from home?
• How many hours a day should I devote to homeschooling?

These are valid questions that, quite honestly, there aren’t a lot of answers for. That’s because homeschooling your child may look different from homeschooling in other families.

The truth is, we’ve all been thrown into this together. There’s no right or wrong way to learn how to homeschool your child. And there’s no “Homeschooling How-To” manual that will teach us everything we need to know. But I love that homeschooling parents, teachers, and education experts aren’t leaving us in the dust. There’s an array of homeschooling tips filling up Twitter and Facebook feeds, Pinterest pins, and blog posts all over the web (thank you all!).

Here, I’m sharing some of those expert homeschooling tips with you to help your transition to the new normal.

5 Homeschooling Tips to Keep Your Child’s Education on Track

These homeschooling tips have been graciously provided by Jessica Parnell. Jessica is the President and CEO of Bridgeway Academy, a flexible, individualized, supportive homeschool academy that couples the freedom of homeschooling with a passion for encouraging students to pursue their personal excellence.

1. Be Present

It’s important to be there for your kids, involving yourself with their new normal. Not just physically–but mentally and spiritually. If you can make it work, create a routine that allows you to start the day connected. This can be as simple as a family breakfast, reading aloud a chapter a day, or an early morning walk.

When it comes to academics, help your child process their learnings by giving them an opportunity to summarize what they are seeing and doing. Invite them to sit down with you, ask them questions about what they are learning, and support them. To children, that’s the most reassuring thing you can do.

2. Create a Classroom

It’s crucial to provide a dedicated space in your home that is conducive to learning and free of unwanted distractions. For families going stir crazy during this time, consider incorporating natural light into your learning space to create a connection to the outdoors.

It is important to keep in mind there is no set answer – children find comfort in different things, so what works for one child may not for another.

3. Remain Calm and Offer Support

One of the biggest triggers for anxiety is lack of certainty. At the same time, the biggest triggers for the inability to learn are emotional flares.

Parents can ensure they aren’t feeding into this anxiety by providing their children with an opportunity for structure, simplicity, and consistency. If you’re panicking over news headlines, your children will as well. Instead, keep them focused on developing a healthy routine and getting creative.

4. Break up Learning

One of the biggest hurdles in homeschooling is finding a balance when structuring your day. Parents can do this easily by defining the time they will homeschool their children and taking frequent breaks – especially between subjects. Allowing children to get up and move around will help them prepare for the next phase of learning.

Consider incorporating physical activity and brain-boosting foods into your child’s daily schedule. Something as simple as a household chore list can get kids on their feet to do something productive throughout the day. Avocados, seeds, blueberries, and oats are all great brain-boosting snacks for children.

5. Utilize Resources and Consider a Homeschooling Partner

Shifting gears to homeschooling might seem overwhelming. In reality, the daily hours needed to dedicate to homeschooling is 2-3 hours for elementary school and 3-4 hours for middle to high school.

When homeschooling with an organization like Bridgeway Academy, parents are given specialized resources and advisors to kick start their child’s individualized learning program as well as guides that provide clarity and tools all year long. Consider tapping into online resources that help you understand and accommodate your child’s learning style and successfully navigate the new normal.

Share Your Homeschooling Tips!

First, I’d like to thank Jessica Parnell of Bridgeway Academy for these incredible tips. It’s so important for us to remain connected and collaborative during this time to help our little ones succeed.

Readers: What’s worked for you so far on your homeschooling journey? I’d love for you to share your best homeschooling tips down in the comments below. You can also contact me or connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram if you’d prefer to leave an anonymous tip for me to post. There’s never been a better time for us to help and support each other ♥.

Amy Boyington

Amy is a mom of two, freelance writer, and blog manager who works with family-focused businesses to improve their content strategies. You can find her published work on Reader’s Digest Online, MSN, Niche, Frugal For Less, and other lifestyle publications.

amyboyington.com