Parent's guide to educating kids at home

How to effectively educate your kids from home

Reading

Readers are leaders, remember that. A child’s reading comprehension is pivotal for future success in all levels of academics and their profession later in life. Reading can also be a great way for kids to use time wisely and explore their minds. They receive the benefit of strengthening their vocabulary, creativity, concentration, and memory. All of these lead to increased intelligence. If you are having a hard time getting your kids to spend their time wisely, put a book in front of them. If you don’t have any books, there are plenty of resources available to you. Libraries are open across the country and a quick web search will show you there are millions of free books online you can download. The other important thing is to let your kid read whatever they are into. If they like Sci-Fi or non-fiction, let them read that. They will be much more likely to continue reading if they don't see it as a chore but instead something they are passionate about.

Education

The Internet is your greatest tool. There is an infinite amount of online resources for you to use for your child’s education. The first thing you should do is generate a schedule and environment that is helpful to your child’s learning at home. Turn the television off and remove any and all distractions. From there pick a few sources geared to your child’s specific needs, academic level, and interest.

Pre-K through Elementary:

Kids at this age (generally 2-8 years of age) need to be engaged in a way that develops their emotions, self-awareness, and social skills. They also need to be developing their reading, writing, and math skills equally. That means practicing handwriting, grammar, math equations, and doing some fun at-home simple science experiments! Go visit the many online resources and download some at-home curriculum. There are hundreds of great sites out there. Everyone from Scholastic to NASA to The Smithsonian offers free programs for parents and kids.

Jr High and High School:

At this age, kids need to start introducing some more advanced concepts and foreign language learning. You don’t need a Spanish teacher to learn a second language, Rosetta Stone and several other online learning platforms offer free language learning programs. Gaining an appreciation and understanding of American and World history is crucial in this time period as well. The American Museum of Natural History has published tons of amazing content including games and quizzes for kids to learn historical lessons. Some of this content can better than what your kids would get in a formal classroom setting.

Physical activity

Mental stimulation is equally as important as physical stimulation. With high childhood obesity rates across the country, you need to pay attention to your child’s physical health needs. Most kids these days spend too much time sitting in front of the television, computers, and smartphones, especially since they are going to have to do that even more in the future. Schedule regular times to put the screen down and have your kids either get outside and exercise or exercise indoors. Make it fun and engaging, like creating a game that your kids want to participate in! If you have a basketball hoop, go play some basketball. If you don’t, maybe do some push-ups and sit-ups which are healthy for kids at any age. Running or riding a bike are also some of the most effective forms of exercise.

Music

If your child plays and instrument, they are probably missing out on being in an orchestra or band right now. That is something you probably cannot truly recreate at home, but they can still improve their individual skills. The same as with other educational resources online, your kids can still do everything online by doing a live lesson with an instructor to create their own music. When you schedule regular time for learning and physical activities, don’t forget to have your kid practice their instrument every day. If your child wants to take up a new instrument, rental shops are open and typically make deliveries. It is never too late for them to pick up a new musical hobby!

Art

Even if you are stuck at home, there is no limit to the creativity your child can have. Art is everywhere and your child can create it and capture it however they like. If you want a more formal approach there are live-streamed classes on everything from drawing to sculpting. Your kids can express themselves with fun at-home art projects. It can be something as simple as using toilet paper rolls and crayons to as advanced as making clay pottery. Don’t limit yourself on the fun artistic hobbies you and your kids can get into at home.

Theater and dance

Although it is a little difficult to re-create theater production in your living room, there are resources online to give your kid some rewarding experiences. They can learn about the ins and outs of what it takes to put on a production with behind the scenes documentaries about some of the most famous theater and dance productions. This, as well as the history of theater production, is something your child can dive into and give them a better appreciation for what happens on-stage. If your child is an aspiring actor, dancer, or performer, there are some great learnings they can gain from online.

Mental wellness

If there was ever a time for us to take a moment to focus on the mental health of our families, it is now. Our lives have changed considerably, and the routines our children are used to have also changed. You should at the very least be openly discussing with your kids how they are feeling and help them manage their emotions. If you aren’t quite sure what to do, there are plenty of resources for parents with kids of all ages. You can learn how to engage with your kids and do helpful exercises like mediation for stress relief. Healthy families are families that live together in harmony. The better you can manage the mental health of your family, the more they can thrive in a new environment where we are doing so many activities at-home.