Hello to homeschooling 2020!
Have you survived homeschooling? Is 2020 over yet? In the beginning of this year I would have never thought, I would be homeschooling two kids. My son Oliver started preschool last year and we continued his virtual learning until the summer started. If you have 3 kids under 4, then you understand that having 1 kid in a virtual class can be difficult. Trying to coordinate with the teacher and other parents when everyone was available, was just exhausting on itself. Oliver really missed his teacher and his friends but our family made the decision to homeschool. I got him this little wooden sailboat, which he loves. I started an everyday homeschool “schedule”. I realized I had to be more flexible once the baby came into the picture. Through many many many trial and errors I began to get the hang of things. I did a ton of research on some of the best resources and implemented into my everyday learning.
curriculum
My curriculum is centered around Reggio Emilia inspired developmental and a combination of Montessori. Since Oliver preschool was Reggio Emilia learning I continued with the same approached.
We started with Kumon books for preschool and the kids loved them. You can find these books on amazon. I also found Monica J Sutton on YouTube, she provides free daily videos on Early Childhood Education. Her lessons are about 20 minutes which are perfect for your little preschooler. We also love Duo ABC a fun App, and a hands-on way for your child to learn to read! I customize the app for each child my 2 and 3 1/2 year old and they can do 10 minute sections. It’s very important for me to incorporate play, exploration, laughter and movement. That they learn about kindness and compassion. I also have days where we do yoga, hike and ride bikes.
Flexibility
There is a lot of flexibility in my homeschooling routine. I’ve learned from being stuck at home during these unprecedented times is to remember to give myself some GRACE. Check out my post on simple and mindful morning routine. I think it’s one of the things we forget when we have small children and have to homeschool. I’m glad my sister constantly reminds me of this. It has been an adjustment for all of us as a family of 5. Whether you are a single parent or are having to manage a lot of the workload at home by yourself. Don’t forget to take it virtual learning day by day. There are a lot of us in the same position and we are all trying to figure it out. You are NOT alone.
What are some of the ways you’re staying sane homeschooling during this pandemic with kids? Share some of your tips and tricks in the comment below. I would love to hear how you are handling schooling this year or just balancing life itself.
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