8 Tips for Homeschooling Children While Working From Home

I have spoken with many who have found themselves balancing working from home and providing homeschool education to their children in the midst of this pandemic – a daunting task. I know because I homeschooled my three oldest daughters for nine years, while simultaneously working through my bachelor’s degree, master of business administration, and first year of my law degree while I was working full time. It’s hard work!

At the end of those nine years, I had learned a lot about what worked and didn’t work. To support those of you who find yourselves working, parenting and educating amid the pandemic, I’ve included a list of eight key takeaways below.

1. You must have a set schedule. You do not need to maintain a school day schedule. Remember, in a class of 20+ children, things move slowly. When you have fewer children, things move faster. Three hours a day should cover every subject.
2. The more organized you are, the better it will go. I used to take the time to create a schedule a week in advance of each day of reading, exercises, writing, instrument practice, etc., and I would have it organized by child on top of their stack of books.
3. You need to have one specific location for education (not bed). You don’t need to set up a formal classroom. But, it is helpful to have each child’s books on one shelf and to have a set area to complete the work – like the kitchen table.
4. The goal is for your child to become a self-motivated (or at least self-starting) learner. You should not be spoon-feeding each principle to each child. Of course, younger children who are learning to read require more intensive one-on-one time than older children. But, every child should have independent learning tasks.
5. Inspect, don’t expect. You have to review each child’s deliverables and require necessary rework. Every day should involve hard deliverables, just like in the real world.
6. Use an activity jar for younger children. I created a jar with multiple pieces of paper tied to productive activities. I would have younger siblings select one activity ticket at a time, for example, counting and sorting blocks, and then I would set a timer and tasks (deliverables) for each task. When they had completed the task, at the table, with others who are also working, they would select another ticket with another learning task—puzzles, letter writing, sorting, pegboards, stringing beads – all fair game.
7. Make chores a part of the daily schedule. Chores that involve measuring, fine motor, and gross motor skills were my favorites. Consider helping with cooking, making beds, organizing rooms, picking up belongings, and creating order in the house.
8. Incorporate outdoor learning. for example nature walk and identifying leaves, habitats, birds, and other creative things that are the added benefit of home based learning versus school based learning.

As a leader, I’m results driven – chances are many of you who are reading this are the same way. So you may be thinking – “How did Kim’s children do after those nine years?” – and that’s a legitimate question. I’ll give you the good and the bad. All three of my daughters tested ahead in standardized tests. They were educationally enriched and not neglected. All of them completed college and have great jobs. Two out of three read by the age of four, because they listened into the lessons of their older siblings. As for the bad, one claimed she never learned geography, and another said she didn’t learn cursive. Final tip: you can’t win them all.