In the spring we had to stay home. Now… we’re choosing to stay home? I know, I know… it’s wild. I could get into our family’s reasons for checking off that REMOTE box (willingly!), but truly, it doesn’t matter. What matters is what your family needs to do, in order to get through whatever this next season will bring. Remote? Homeschool? Hybrid? OK! Congrats to you for making this decision!
Also can we just say that this whole thing didn’t have to be this way? Along with my deep commitment to voting out 45, I am thinking a lot about women and children and the role of schooling and the entire universe of unschooling — what do we expect public school to do? Why do we expect that institution to do it? What about the kids who can finally breathe for not having to walk through those doors again anytime soon?
I am also thinking a lot about the families who make the difficult and sometimes necessary decision to care full-time for their children. They should be paid for their invisible work not only because it is the most humane and equitable thing to do with federal money easily spent elsewhere on corporate bailouts and war machinery but because it is in service of collective public health (reducing the spread of the coronavirus in a society where all people have access to food, housing, and healthcare.)
OK, maybe that’s the most round-about introduction to a list of homeschooling activities. But it’s 2020 and here we are.
Parenting Books*
Two of my go-to’s:
The Importance of Being Little: What Preschoolers Really Need from Grownups by Erika Christakis
The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac
*that aren’t prescriptive or make you feel bad
Author Readings + Activities
Learn Anywhere is a resource of author readings and fun accompanying exercises. My 8-year-old watches the reading, takes notes, and adds pictures. Sometimes we do the follow-up exercise together.
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum is a PBS KIDS series based on the Ordinary People Change the World books by Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos.
The Arts, Music + Dance
Museums offering virtual tours
Met Opera’s livestreams
The Get Down, a free dance party
New Victory arts break: percussion week
Outschool (We did this one on U.S. landmarks and the kids loved it.)
Writing Prompts + Creative Storytelling
This Writer’s Life YouTube channel
Author & Illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s YouTube channel
Writing prompts from the New York Times (ages 13+)
Creating picture books with Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Finish this comic! with Jarrett Lerner
Audio Books
Audible is great but a bit expensive if you’re not a regular user. We use Libby to download audiobooks with our public library card (after a few days the titles expire). Some of our favorites include: Matilda, The Mixed Up Files, and Weird Little Robots.
Foreign Language Learning, Gamified
We can’t travel now but we can plan for future travel. My 8-year-old and I downloaded Duolingo and are practicing when we remember to. Sophie is even keeping a notebook of phrases of vocabulary.
The Pre-K Crowd
Tips for drawing with kids (with video tutorials).
At-home art projects that don’t require a lot of materials.
An early-education homeschooling curriculum that is centered on the seasons and nature (from Raising Little Shoots.)
