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Recommendations from a K-12 Educator
Recommendations from a K-12 Educator
As schools close across the country, many teachers and parents are scrambling to figure out how to best tackle this crisis with our students/children. Below are some resources, tips, and suggestions to help families weather this storm and keep their children engaged in academic activities and balanced behaviors.
1) Set a Schedule ⏰
1) Set a Schedule ⏰
Children and young adults need structure. The structure of school days typically provides this. It doesn't matter what the structure of your day is, but Monday - Friday should follow a consistent pattern, hour by hour. Keep wake-up and bed times intact. Set aside specific times for academic activities and others for play/free time. Lastly, purposefully deviate from these on weekends to maintain a sense of normalcy.
2) Engage in Academic Activities 🎓
2) Engage in Academic Activities 🎓
Your child's teacher/school/district may provide at-home enrichment activities. If so, set up daily time for these to be completed (not just at the end of the week). Stick to your plan. If you are short on enough activities to fill the time, take a look at some of the others linked here.
3) Read đź“š
3) Read đź“š
When in doubt, have your child read. What should they read? Whatever you have access to! It doesn't matter, as long as they're reading regularly. To kick this up a notch, have them summarize their reading/learning with you afterward or write a reflection. Intermix both fiction and nonfiction books as part of your routine.
Example Schedule
Feel free to craft your own that works for your family.Example Schedule
At-Home Learning Activities
At-Home Learning Activities
General Purpose
General Purpose
SAT/ACT/SBAC Prep (middle/high school)
Science
Science
Social Studies, Art, & Culture
Social Studies, Art, & Culture
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I best help my child at home?
Don't feel pressure to replace the learning that would normally take place in school or be a substitute for your child's teacher. Anything you do that provides an academic activity/focus for your child at home each day will be beneficial for them. If possible, try to find activities you can do together so you can ask questions along the way and interact with them as much as possible. There are TONS of ideas available in the links on this website.
Will we be able to shift K-12 education to online learning during the pandemic?
The development of successful fully-online classes takes months of planning, if not more. It is impractical to think that the transition to remote/distance/online learning without that amount of lead time will be able to replicate the normal educational experiences our students receive in school each day. If your child's teacher, school, or district is able to provide recommended learning activities at home, that will be great and hugely beneficial, but will not be able to serve as anything close to a replacement for the face-to-face experience.
My child's school said the at-home activities are optional. Should we still do them?
YES! They're optional because it may not be possible for all students to complete the activities at home, and your child's school does not want any student to be penalized for not completing assignments while schools are closed. You should make every attempt, though, to complete each lesson/activity/assignment that is sent home, if you have the means and ability to do so. Specific activities from your child's teacher will be better than many general purposes resources you might be able to find online.
Is it okay to continue with play dates or other out-of-the-house activities right now? Should my children be leaving the house?
Most experts recommend suspending all those types of activities for the time being. Parents should consider refraining from taking their children out for any non-essential activity, having friends come over, or allowing their children to play at a friend's house or in public places. However, in some instances this may be unavoidable. Neighborhood walks, playing in the backyard, and other low-exposure activities are fine to continue, and perhaps even increase during this time.
Should I talk with my child about COVID-19? What do they need know?
Yes. Don't leave your child in the dark. Everyone has a role to play in decreasing the spread of this virus, including our children. Having that talk can be tough, though. Here are two resources that may help:
Additional Ideas?
Additional Ideas?
If you have additional resources you'd like to see added here, please feel free to contact me at the links below.
Educational email: mrrothe@gmail.com
Educational Twitter: @mrrothe
Personal Twitter: @calebrothe
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