Author: M. Dickinson

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By now, as a parent, you appreciate teachers more than ever.  They know their stuff like the back of their hand, and even better, they handle most classroom situations pretty well.  It’s great if you have the time and patience to homeschool, hats off to you. 

The National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) estimates that there are 2.3 million children homeschooled as of 2020[1].  Yes, right there, at the kitchen table!  Little did they know when this article was published, a few weeks ago, that the percentage would skyrocket, be it temporary, to near one hundred percent, thanks to Covid-19.

For those of you who love sending off your kids to school, we thank teachers daily for their juggling efforts to give our kids the best education possible.  Here’s a partial list of the benefits your children enjoy in schools:

• Schools follow a planned, tried, and authentic curriculum.
• Teachers teach that’s why they have degrees in education and take continuing education courses that make them more than educators; they are listeners, referees, highly intuitive individuals, patient, caring, makeshift nurses, and so much more.
• Schools offer sports that include the equipment you don’t have. Okay, maybe you are an avid bowyer (I had to look that up), but are your bows and arrows made for students?
• Educational institutions also offer afterschool extracurricular activities such as chess tournaments, spelling word bees, etc.
• Breakfast and lunches, though in most cases not delicious, it’s nutritious.
• A structured setting.
• Opportunity to practice socializing with peers. [2]

Sticking to teacher’s recommendations

Do as your told and go the extra mile to share your experiences with videos and photos. Ask away, teachers are expecting a lot of questions, trust me. Share with other parents, and very important, have your child communicated with classmates.

Suggestions from the grandma

Provide your kids with as close to a structured setting as possible.  For instance, most schools don’t offer to view TV during break or playing video games for recess.  During this time of social distancing, make sure that your children log in to classes and follow through with teachers’ recommendations.  I know it’s hard, but it’s imperative to follow through and have a seamless transition from the school structure to the homeschool environment.  Yes, your kids should ask you for a break to get up from their worktable. 

Supplies and activities can get expensive, and keeping costs down are essential to being able to provide them with their necessary teaching and leisure supplies.  There are many places where you can purchase items reasonably priced.  Paper, crayons, coloring books, arts, and crafts supplies, and even snacks can be bought online from where you least expected.  So, make a list and place your order today.

After a couple of hours of parent/teacher-child interaction, it’s time to take a break.  What better time to do your exercises than during break! I am providing you here with a link to products that I use, my friends’ love, or have great reviews.  Check it out.

Sources

1. Research Facts on Homeschooling – National Home Education Research Institute. (2020). Retrieved March 29, 2020, from https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/

• Barrington, K. (2017, March 7).  What are the benefits of Public School Over Homeschooling? Retrieved from https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/what-are-the-benefits-of-public-school-over-homeschooling