It’s a month since the minis’ school year started. If you’re following me on Instagram (click here to follow!), then you might have already seen that we’re already homeschooling Kelly while Caleb is distance learning. Since we have more flexibility in homeschooling, we decided to start Kelly on the same date that Caleb started.
How We Prepared For Homeschooling
This one deserves a separate post of its own since it took us months of preparation. I’ll skip the part where we searched for our program of choice and go straight to how we prepared for the start of the school year.
Before “classes” started, I got access to our online learning platform. This gave me an idea what lessons my daughter will be taking and what the deadlines are. Once I had that information, I created a separate Google Calendar for Kelly, which I shared with her. The calendar has her daily schedule and, inside each subject slot, I left notes about what our goals are for each day. I used the description area for that. I also included links to resources – like e-books, audios, and videos.
The week before the start of classes, we practiced how to navigate her iPad, Google Calendar, Gmail, and her online learning platform. The goal really is to overcome the learning curve on the tech-side so when we do start lessons, we don’t have to worry about the tech and we can focus on the lessons.
This came in handy when I got sick for a week and the kids had to go through their lessons and worksheets on their own. Because we practiced together before the school year started, they were able to continue learning even while I wasn’t around.
One Month Down – How Are Things Doing?
What we love about homeschooling is that we have more control of our daughter’s learning and a more flexible schedule. When Kelly was in regular school, we barely had time for extracurricular activities because of the workload and the amount of time her travel to-and-from school takes.
Now that we’re homeschooling, we get to connect her lessons to activities she enjoys doing – like art and music. We also now have more time to do things we enjoy doing – as a family – such as learning instruments, learning languages, and doing art.
This school year, Kelly is learning to play the piano, taking Nihongo classes, and going through digital art classes.
How We Prepared For Distance Learning
The preparation was a bit different for Caleb. Since he is enrolled with his school, the school and its teachers took it upon themselves to train the kids how to use the tech. I was just there to provide support when needed. I’m super grateful for that after hearing horror stories from other parents whose kids are in other schools. I truly appreciate the effort!
How’s Our Distance Learning Experience?
So far, so good! Caleb is the type who thrives in routine and an organized space, which is why he likes everything about distance learning. They have a set schedule for each class and a list of to-do’s in their Google Classroom.
Their classes are only in the morning so after lunch, he gets to learn playing the piano and do some digital art as well.
Tips For Parents
I know it’s hard not to hover over our kids especially now that learning is so different from what we got used to. However, I encourage parents to trust their kids more. Teach them the basics (like how to use the tech, how to check their schedule) then trust that they can do what needs to be done.
This is how we can best teach them confidence, responsibility, and self-worth.
How are you doing? Share your homeschooling stories in the comments section below!
