I don’t even know how long it’s been since we’ve posted but the world has pretty much been turned upside down since March. There are a lot of things we could discuss but, for now, I’m going to stick with talking about homeschooling.
For those who don’t know, our family has home-schooled our kids from the beginning. We had wanted to try it, it fit our family’s lifestyle, and the kids seemed to be doing great, so we just kept on trucking along. When the schools closed mid-Spring, I didn’t think that our lives would change all that much. After all, we were prepared to be at home and educating our kids. And, truly, our day-to-day activities didn’t change THAT significantly, although it did make me realize how much our outside interactions provided structure for our day.
All across the US, in the news and on social media, conversations started popping up around homeschooling. Friends called me asking for help, worried that they weren’t doing enough or that their kids were going to fall behind. Others were incredulous wondering how on earth do we manage to homeschool if THIS is what it is like?!?!!? I was excited to see all the new online resources being shared by museums and zoos and astronauts and celebrities and….and… and… and……..and, then I – and, I think, the collective “we” – became completely overwhelmed. It was too much.
All that said, with the uncertainty of Covid-19 and what it means for our world, it appears that homeschooling – or some version of education at home – might become the new norm for many people, at least for a while. If this is you, then…
WELCOME!
Now, I am not any kind of expert nor did we get thrown or forced into homeschooling (like it feels for so many of you!) but I have spent A LOT of time thinking and learning about it, and doing it, so I’m going to start posting some encouragement for you along with *hopefully* helpful information on getting started. Our kids are still elementary age, so that’s what I am most familiar with. If your kids are older, I would highly recommend these articles & websites for facilitating the older grades. Keep in mind that everyone is still trying to adjust to this Covid lifestyle, so some things here may not be 100% applicable to the current situation or may be older articles (that still are very useful!):
Creative Homeschooling with Mary Hanna Wilson (she posts for all ages, but her kids are 9yrs and up)
Happy Homeschool Nest (link goes to a guide for tips on middle-school)
The Homeschool Mom (link goes to middle-school specific page but lots of great info for anyone)
Tips for Homeschooling High Schoolers
Beginner’s Guide to Homeschooling High School
Annie & Everything – How to Homeschool High School
Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers
Education Possible (link goes to resources for homeschooling middle school)
Cathy Duffy Curriculum Reviews (use the Advanced Search function to search for curriculum recommendations by grade/subject)
The Homeschool Sisters Podcast (light-hearted podcast & blog about all things homeschooling)
