I haven't written on my blog since December and that was just a year-in-review. It's been a long time, and, as always, I don't really know the reason why, but it is what it is.
We are in historical times. COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, has affected the entire world. Who would ever guess we would be dealing with a pandemic in 2020? Sadly, many are not taking the "stay home" recommendations seriously and I fear this will play out in much more scary ways in the coming weeks and months.
One of the biggest disruptions to our lives are how many people are now working from home, and the fact that schools are closed. Parents who have never even considered homeschooling their children are now their teachers. And many of them are scared and confused at the influx of resources that have circulated social media. I created a document of sites I vetted for usefulness, ease of use, and most importantly, are free! I have already personally emailed over 100 people who are interested in these resources and I decided it would be easier to share them here, so I can update and add blog posts in the coming days and weeks.
A little about me - I am a substitute teacher. I can teach K-12 but I mostly focus on K-2 because I just love that age! However, I have four kids I've raised to adulthood, and I've been through it all! My teaching style is gleaned from the fabulous teachers I've worked with (I ALWAYS learn something new from them) and my experience parenting and working with kids since age 15. I started my child-care career at 15 in a local day care center and moved on to summer camp counselor, YMCA after-school care provider, private nanny, in-home childcare, and I've been with my current school district since 2000, working as a paraeducator in dual-language, special ed, ELL and, finally, substitute teaching. I've worked with kids of all ages, from all walks of life, and from all types of families. I believe ALL kids have unique gifts and it is a privilege to be a small part of shaping their lives.
To start, I will share the document I created with links to resources, tips and ideas on how to survive homeschooling your kids in this sudden turn of events. Check back often for more content. In the coming days I will be sharing more resources, giving you some tried-and-true tips and projects, and talking about way to support yourself and your kids through this crisis.
Mrs.
Moore’s
Homeschool
Resources
And
Fabulous Ideas 😊
Don’t know where to start homeschooling your kids? I’ve put
together this list of resources and fun ideas from a variety of places and
condensed it into one document you can print and keep handy. I will include
some schedule suggestions, some checklists for kids, and other tools you can
use to make this time easy, stress-free and not crazy (ok, I can’t promise
that, but I can at least flatten the curve of stress…speaking in coronavirus
terms).
First, please practice safe social distancing. If your city
or state is on shelter-in-place or lockdown, please do not go out for anything
but the very essential items. Kids WILL survive without playdates. They can
talk to their friends via Zoom, FaceTime, other video calling and why not let
them practice good old-fashioned talk-on-the-phone skills?
Remember that during this time, it is NOT your job to teach
your child the next new concept in math or to keep them moving forward on a set
curriculum. When schools resume, teachers can pick up where we left off. The
important thing is to keep your kids busy and engaged and working their brain
muscles. Even a little bit of focused work each day helps them practice needed
skills for school. There should be a LOT of play time (we will talk about that
later) and a balanced activity/learning time in each day.
Workbooks are a life-saver! There are some really great
ones out there (more later) and this is the perfect time to employ them. The
great thing about workbooks is that they are varied and provide different
activities so your child will be doing some work in literacy, math, science and
social studies.
Even very young children can self-direct at times and I
will help you with some ideas for what they can do while you are working from
home (or just need a break). I like to strike a balance between hands-on work
and computer time. Chances are, screen time may increase at this time. If your
child becomes agitated when it’s time to turn off screens, you may want to
reduce screen time or stop it entirely for a day or two.
Talking a walk every day is a great way to get your child
out in the open air and get some exercise in. If the weather is bad, there are
some great resources, which I will share here, for staying active! Outside play
time is paramount, and experts recommend 60 minutes a day. During this
pandemic, your kids might become engaged in outdoor activities that take a lot
of time (i.e. games of tag, fort building, imaginative play) and if this
happens, it’s ALWAYS ok to suspend structured learning time for outdoor play. There
is SO MUCH learning going on when kids are left to their own devices and just
allowed to explore.
Online
Resources
There are so many online resources available it will make
your head spin. I’ve been trying to weed through them and vet some sites that
are actually valuable (some leave a lot to be desired). Here is a list of sites
I have found useful:
Freckle. Here you can set up your own
“classroom” with different-aged kids. It has content across the board. https://www.freckle.com/
iReady. This website offers reading
and math progressive learning that accelerates at the students’ pace. Most kids
have log-ins through school already. https://login.i-ready.com/
LabsLand. For high school or college
students – virtual labs. Free membership until June 2020. https://labsland.com/en
Libby. The Libby app by OverDrive
is a free app to read library books on your Kindle. Available on iPhone and
Android.
Scholastic. This site is a dream,
AND you can order very reasonably-priced books for your kiddos – always fun to
get mail during a pandemic! https://www.scholastic.com/home/
Workbooks:
There are tons of workbooks out there! They are taking a
little extra time coming from Amazon, but worth it.
Brain Quest – these are my
favorite! They come in grade-levels and you can adjust up or down per your
student’s needs. You can also order the summer Brain Quest books which are
designed to keep your student learning between grades.
Word Detective - books with games and puzzles to improve
spelling.
Math Skillbuilders. Good
math workbook.
Bear Fairy - Math workbooks (higher levels available)
Scholastic Workbooks –
these come in grade levels and various subjects.
Activities:
There are dozens of things kids can do at home to entertain
themselves, but it’s easier not to reinvent the wheel, so I will include some
links I liked.
Check out Pinterest for fun activities – there are so many
ideas there. I also have a list of science and art activities I created for the
first two weeks of homeschooling and I will copy that here:
Homeschool Art and Science activities
Science:
- Sharpie
solubility: What is solubility (the ability to dissolve)? What are some
example of things that are soluble (sugar and salt)? Not soluble (oil,
plastic)?
Need: Sharpie markers, coffee filters (one per kid), four
clear plastic cups, water, rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, Sprite
Hypothesis: Is Sharpie marker permanent? Will it dissolve
in any of the liquids? Kids write their predictions. (Need lab sheet)
Project: Fold coffee filters in half and half again. Draw
rainbow stripes on the coffee filters starting at the tips. Place one filter in
each liquid. Observe over a 15 min period to see if the Sharpie dissolves in
any of the liquids.
Lesson: Write your conclusions. Why did the Sharpie
dissolve in some liquids but not others? (The alcohol acts as a solvent)
Art:
- Sharpie tie-dye
t-shirts (or socks!)
Need: One white t-shirt (or pair of socks) per student,
Sharpie markers, spray bottles with alcohol (get minis at Dollar Tree).
Project: Draw designs on t-shirts, spray with alcohol –
watch the tie-dye happen! Dry overnight.
Science:
- Disappearing
eggshell. Can you dissolve the shell off of an egg with vinegar? Write
hypothesis.
Need: Mason jar with lid and ring, egg (one per student),
white vinegar
Project: Place egg gently in jar. Fill with white vinegar,
leaving at least ½ inch at top for gases to escape. Leave for two days and
observe. What happened? Why? (Eggs have calcium carbonate in their shells and
vinegar contains acetic acid. The acid breaks down the calcium carbonate. The
calcium floats away but the carbonate reacts with the acetic acid to create
carbon dioxide. That’s why you see the bubbles!)
Art:
- Egg paint. Did you
know you can paint with eggs? In fact, many years ago egg-tempered paint
was popular until oil paints were introduced. That is how today’s
“tempera” paints got their name. Egg was used to “temper” coloring agents
such as crushed rock or brick to create paint. We can make our own
egg-tempered paint!
Need: Eggs (dozen?), liquid food color, small bowls,
paintbrushes
Project: Separate eggs -whites from yolks (this can be
tricky so each student should have a few eggs to try). Add liquid food color to
desired shade. Paint!
Science:
- Rainbow Skittles –
watch candy make a swirled rainbow!
Need: Skittles (two packages per student), warm water,
white plate (not paper), clear plastic cups, pipette or syringes (per child)
Project: Hypothesize – why do Skittles dissolve in warm
water (solubility) and why do they swirl so perfectly? Line edge of plate with
Skittles using random pattern or rainbow. Pour warm water just to touch edges
of Skittles. Watch and wait!
Project: Fill five small plastic cups with 2 Tbs hot water.
Add 10 red skittles to one cup, 8 orange to another, 6 yellow to another, 4
green to another, 2 blue or purple to another. Hypothesize: which one has the
most sugar molecules? Which one will be more dense and why? After they have
dissolved use the pipette/syringe to transfer the liquid to another clear cup
in rainbow order and see what happens! Look at your rainbow – put it in the
window to observe through the light. Will it stay this way or will it muddle?
Why? Observe over a couple of days.
Art:
- Rainbow art
watercolor trees.
Need: Black Sharpie, watercolors, heavy paper
Project: Draw tree shapes with branches on heavy paper (demonstrate
this). Use watercolors to fill in trees and when dry, enhance with swirls that
match the colors (bring example).
Science:
- How do clouds make
rain? Simple experiment to show how clouds make rain.
Need: Clear plastic cup per student, shaving cream, blue
food color
Project: Hypothesize how clouds make rain? (Water vapor
gets too heavy and gravity makes it fall). Fill each cup with water ¾ of the
way. Add a blob of shaving cream on top and add drops of liquid food color.
Wait for the rain! Write your conclusions.
Art:
- Cloud dough – make
cloud dough with just two ingredients!
Need: Bottle of cheap conditioner (white), cornstarch.
Project: Mix two ingredients together to make cloud dough.
Should be non-sticky and pliable. Play!
Science:
- Shamrock crystals:
grow your own crystals using just two ingredients, borax and water. Add
food color for fun!
Need: Glass jar (per student), popsicle stick, pipe cleaner
(white), string
Project: Using a formula of 3 Tbs Borax to one cup boiling
water, fill jars about ¾ way. Bend the pipe cleaner into a shamrock shape, tie
one end of the string to the pipe cleaner and the other end to a popsicle
stick. Drop the shamrock shape into the jar, making sure not to touch the
sides. Let sit overnight and watch the crystals grow! Why does this happen?
Solubility! The hotter the water, the more soluble the borax. As it cools, the
borax separates from the water and forms crystals on the pipe cleaner, then
more crystals form on top of those crystals. Cool, huh?
Art:
Need: Scrapbook paper in shades of green. Shamrock shape
cut from heavy paper. Glue sticks.
Project: Using squares cut from scrapbook paper, fill in
your shamrock shape, filling all spaces. Trim edges if needed.
Science:
- Candle seesaw –
how does a candle move up and down like a seesaw with no legs to push it?
Need: Taper candle, paper clip, needle, two tall glasses,
tin foil, matches
Project: Expose the wick at the end of the candle so both
sides have an equal wick. Push a pilot hole with the needle through the candle,
then push the unbent paper clip through. Balance the candle on two tall
glasses, making sure the candle ends don’t touch the table when pushed down.
Place all on a piece of tin foil to catch drips. Light both ends of the candle.
See what happens! (The candle will at first burn balanced but as one side drips
off a drop of wax, it becomes lighter and moves up, then the other side drops
wax and moves up and so on until it moves back and forth like a seesaw.
Art:
- Wax seals –
explain how they used to be used to seal letters and that if the seal was
broken you would know the letter had been read. Can use stamps for this
(bring wax seal kit). How do you know how many drops of wax to use to make
the seal look good?
Need: paper, envelopes, wax seal kit, old rubber stamps.
Have kids experiment and then practice by writing a letter to parents and
sealing it.
Science:
Need: Heavy whipping cream, jar with lid (per student).
Toasted bread.
Project: Shake, shake, shake! Hypothesize how long you
think you will need to shake the jar to make butter. It happens quickly once
the fats begin to solidify. When you shake the cream, the fat molecules clump
together. The liquid they leave behind is the buttermilk. One your butter is
solidified, add a little salt and put it on toast.
Art:
- Magazine page
butterflies
Need: Magazine pages with pretty designs, stapler.
Project: teach the art of fan folding, and making
butterflies with the results. Make large and small butterflies.
Science:
- Can a blow dryer
melt crayons?
Need: broken crayons, hair dryer, heat gun/embosser, small
canvasses for each student
Project: have the kids glue broken bits of crayon to canvas
across the top. Using a hair dryer or heat gun/embosser, watch the crayons
melt. What is the melting temperature of a crayon? Hypothesize. (120-147
degrees).
Art:
- Embossed stamping.
Using embossing gun to melt powder. Make cards
Need: blank cards, stamps, embossing powder, embossing gun,
embossing pad, colored pencils to color in designs
Project: Using stamps and embossing powder, create cards
and color in.
Science:
- Candy Cane lab.
Using colorful candy canes and putting them in different liquids, observe
what happens. What happens if you add a substance to the water – salt,
sugar, cornstarch, baking soda? Write your hypotheses and record your
conclusions.
Need: Candy canes, different clear liquids (hot water, cold
water, vinegar, Sprite, oil). Clear plastic cups.
Project: put candy canes in different liquids. What
happens? What happens when you add different substances?
Art:
- Pointillism
rainbows – create pictures using pointillism with q-tips
Need: heavy art paper, paints, q-tips
Project: Create a rainbow scene using pointillism – q-tips
and paint.
Science:
- Rock lab – explore
and learn about different types of rocks and crystals.
Need: Magnifying glasses, classifying sheet, scale for
weighing, ruler for measuring
Project: Explore and classify different types of rocks,
weighing and measuring them.
Art:
- Painted rocks.
Paint rocks for hiding – perhaps combine this with a field trip to hide
rocks in a local park?
Need: Rocks of all shapes and sizes to decorate, paint
pens, spray sealer, cardboard or old cookie sheet for spraying.
Schedules:
A lot of people like to have some sort of schedule for
their kids. I recommend doing school work in the morning when their brains are
ready to learn, and knocking off at lunchtime for unscheduled afternoon play.
You will be able to get in a good three hours of learning and if you count in
all the transitions, specialists, recess, and lunch at school, this will be
about the same amount of time spent doing core subjects. I am using this
schedule with my kiddos:
9-9:15 Arrive, discuss day’s plans, get ready for work
9:15-10 Math – try to do a combination of paper and pencil
work and computer work
10-10:15 Snack and stretch break
10:15-11 Literacy – do work work, writing, reading
comprehension, journaling
11-11:45 Social Studies, Science or Art – rotate through
these each day. Some days we’ve been able to do both science and art because
the lessons were short.
11:45-12 Put any work done into binders/notebooks (good to
hang on to some of their work to track progress)
12:00 Lunch and outdoor play
The rest of the afternoon can be spent reading, finishing
up work from morning, playing outside, doing some creative play inside, baking,
cooking, making art, and doing independent reading.
Kids can help make dinner and it will save your sanity to
stick to a normal evening/bedtime routine M-F. Even though they are home every
day, it’s NOT the weekend every day, so treat the weekdays as normal as much as
possible. This also applies to getting dressed, having a healthy breakfast and
keeping things as normal as possible at home.
Ongoing projects are good at this time: puzzles,
scrapbooks, building a giant fort, an extensive Lego project – just something
you all can work on during down times.
Please note: your house will NOT be as clean as normal (if
clean is your normal!). Don’t stress over it. Know that the chaos will
eventually end and things will be in order at some point down the road. If you
are used to having a cleaning service, and you no longer have that, this is a
great time to find out what your kids are capable of in terms of cleaning! They
can do a LOT! Have a 30 min clean up break every day before dinner, even if
it’s just to put toys away.
If schedules are NOT YOUR THING….that is perfectly ok. A
checklist can also be useful. Have your kids create their own and put these
items on it: math, writing, reading, physical activity, science, social
studies, art. You can add or subtract as you see fit. Add chores or any other
activity you want them to do. Let them be responsible for checking off the list
in a certain time frame (i.e. 9-3 similar to a school day).
It is NOT easy to teach, as many of you are finding out.
This is uncharted territory for many so here are some tips for maintaining your
sanity:
1. You
ARE smart enough to teach your own kids
2. If
self-care is your thing (nails, hair, massage) and you don’t have access to
that at the moment, schedule yourself a day a week where you get a small period
of time to take a nice bath, do your nails, etc.
3. Keep
bedtimes consistent and slightly early if you can swing it so you have some
alone time at the end of the day.
4. Naps
are awesome! Even your older kids might be bored enough to fall asleep. Take
advantage of this – nap yourself or have a snack or glass of wine. Enjoy the
peace.
5. Embrace
the new normal. Things change daily and the news is scary. Try to maintain in the
healthiest fashion possible. We are all probably going to come out of this a
little bit fatter and having consumed a lot of alcohol. It’s all good. After
this we will find a new normal.
Have fun! You can do this!
