We are two weeks into our homeschool journey since our school district decided to extend spring break indefinitely due to COVID-19. I completely understand our superintendent’s decision to keep our schools closed. I know that this decision was not made lightly, but my heart does break for those students who sought school as a refuge from home life and for parents who were forced to don an educator hat, adding to the dozens they were already wearing. This season is HARD. I’m choosing to use this time to focus on the good.

Using this time to discover what my kids have learned in school and help them improve their understanding is good.

Having more time to gather around the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner is good.

Joining in on daily movement activities, like bike rides and GoNoodle (we love Blazer Fresh) is good.

Reading aloud together and finally cracking the pages of that new book is good.

Teaching them life skills that I’ve put off teaching them because I felt short on time, is good. My kids have been washing and folding their clothes and putting them away. They have also learned to unload the dishwasher. Just this morning, my son made his own breakfast. This is VERY good.

Our approach to homeschool has been to blend academics and life skills. Initially, we were excited about the online resources we received from our school as well as the homeschool community, but found the volume to be overwhelming. After some trial and error, we came up with a schedule that fit our family and have found a handful of digital resources that keep the kids academically engaged and learning.

Here is our short list:

Khan Academy

We love Khan Academy because of the instruction videos. If you are short on time or a working parent who can’t give time to “teaching” your kids or just plain bad at it, let Khan Academy do it for you. We’re using the online platform to help teach our kids who are in first and third grade math, including basic Geometry, Grammar and US Government and Civics. For some of the more advanced subjects, it is my hope that my son will retain some of what he is learning. We don’t expect him to master everything. That’s unrealistic.

New York Times Writing Prompts for Students

My kids’ teachers are encouraging them to write every day. Journaling is a great way to engage your kids in writing. However, if your kids don’t like writing or are having a hard time gathering their thoughts, using writing prompts is a great way to get them started.

PebbleGo by Capstone

If your school gives you access to this resource, because it requires login information, use it! It’s like a digital encyclopedia your kids can use to research topics. My brilliant friend Sarah gave me the idea to use it to teach the kids how to do research. When the kids are done learning about a topic of their choosing, I ask them to write down five facts. So far, it has worked out very well.

For Science, we are relying heavily on the study guide and workbook my son has been using all year. To learn the difference between living and non living things, the animal lifecycle as well as animal habitats, we are watching the Facebook Live sessions hosted by the Houston Zoo.

What tools are you using to keep your kids engaged right now?