Homeschooling Tips In A Pandemic

When the Wuhan coronavirus struck, life as we know it was altered. The government forced us to make decisions that could impact the health of our family. While certain things ceased to function, we can’t ignore a child’s education. Most people hadn’t considered all of the ramifications of staying at home, one of which was schooling children at home.

Public Schools

Depending on if schools reopen in the fall, you may be forced to send your child into the school. During a pandemic, this could be bad for the child and the family. We have heard over and over that wherever large groups congregate, germs thrive. This is why when one child gets sick in a daycare or school, the illness spreads so quickly. Over 55 million students in 124,000 public and private schools ^[1] had to deal with the shutdown. Some of these schools reacted by allowing the students to learn online at home, which is a form of homeschooling. Although parents felt unqualified, the public school system encouraged parents in their God-given abilities. Time made success or at least opened many eyes to the parents.

Deciding To Homeschool

Making the decision to homeschool is not an easy one to make. However, in a pandemic, it can turn out to be what’s best and safest for your family. Knowing when to homeschool should also depend on the outbreak numbers reported by the news and other media for your area. You, as a parent, need to stay informed of how many families have sick kids. Before the virus reaches outrageous proportions, you need to think of keeping your child at home and schooling there.

Beginning The Process

You can find out from your child’s school where your child is in the learning process of each subject. You can also do online placement tests. Just pick up where he left off to avoid learning gaps.

Preparing Now

You will want to prepare now for the fall and winter fears of growing viruses and closures. How? Start by purchasing books online at your child’s level. This includes teacher books, lesson plans, answer keys, tests, and quizzes. Look specifically at what subjects your child is taking right now. Find matching workbooks or make your own test from what he is reading. A plethora of science equipment for all ages is for sale online at places like Ebay and homesciencetools. Thrift stores or Amazon are more possibilities.

Anything you can buy that will give your child a hands-on education will help his education. Local book stores, like Book Nook in West Plains, have sell algebra, foreign language, science, psychology, and more. Start now by looking and printing, making a list of what you’ll need. Don’t forget about the no sales tax weekends for school supplies. That’s a great time to take advantage of sales. Some online sites, like Amazon, list some homeschooling digital books for free.

Continuing Education

Each state has varying laws regarding homeschooling, so get informed now. You will want to keep records of the day and hours your child works on schoolwork.

The main thing, no matter what anyone says, is the three r’s: reading, writing, and arithmetic. These are fundamental, no matter your child’s level of education. Comprehension of ideas across time through reading is moving forward. Socrates, Aristotle, Moses, Jesus, the Epistles, our founding documents like the Declaration of Independence; all speak to us through their writing. Arithmetic is the foundation of logic. If ideas do not add up through logical reason, we find something else to build on.

With the country in a turmoil now, and fears of a harsher virus in the fall, why submit our children to stress needlessly? Take charge now for the future.