Deciding to homeschool is usually an intentional, carefully-weighed decision with time for research and preparation. But when homeschool is forced upon you suddenly and unexpectedly, what do you do? First, take a deep breath, pour yourself a cup of coffee, allow yourself that extra splash of cream, and relax. Though this might not be what you would have chosen, homeschooling unexpectedly can be a memorable time of learning some valuable life lessons.
- Life Lesson #1: Learning is a life-long process that doesn’t end simply because we are not at a school building. It happens all day long, every day, all around us.
- Life Lesson #2: Life is full of the unexpected. Embrace a growth mindset and make the best of it. Your kids will learn from your example.
- Life Lesson #3: Don’t try to copy what someone else is doing. Be yourself. Don’t try to replace your public school curriculum or schedule right now. Instead, think about who you are and who your kids are; capitalize on that!
Yet regardless of these practical life lessons, there’s still the problem of what to do.
If you want something simple and straight to the point, try Starfall.com for both reading and basic math practice for your younger kids (k-3rd) and Khan Academy (all the subjects) for your older kiddos.
Looking for something a little more creative and “family-style”? Here are a few additional ideas to help make this time of unexpectedly homeschooling both manageable and memorable.
Simple Ideas for Homeschooling Unexpectedly
Read together. Create your own bingo-style activity sheet of different types of books to read or different places to read. Or better yet, let your kids create their own. Have them read under a table or under a bed, in a tree, in a closet, in the bathtub (without water), in a homemade fort, with a pet, with a stuffed animal; read aloud in funny voices or with an app that changes your voice. Remember the television show Reading Rainbow? Create your own home videos about your favorite books — “Reading Rainbow” style.
Cook together. Cooking and baking provide simple math and reading practice. Make family favorites together or expand your horizons and add a cultural element. Cook recipes from different countries and have your kids look up information to share about that particular country. Or, create your own recipes together and write them down.
Play games together. Take a second look at your game closet. Many games have an element of education involved. History, geography, strategy, logic, and math are an integral part of a lot of popular board games and card games. Practice spelling and vocabulary with Scrabble or Bananagrams. Practice math skills with a card game of Farkle, Dominoes, Cribbage, or War. (Directions for War: Deal out 5-7 cards per player, put the rest of the stack in the middle, decide on a function [addition, multiplication, subtraction, or division], each player lays a single card down [all together], highest number [addition/multiplicaiton] or lowest number [subtraction/division] wins the hand, repeat till playing cards are gone, whoever has taken the most cards wins.) Want more game ideas? Search “gameschooling” and you will find tons of suggestions and ideas.
Even Minecraft offers a wealth of possibilities. Let your kids design the setting of the book they’ve read or an important historical site.
DIY together. My kids’ favorite website for DIY is Instructables.com. It’s more than just “crafty” projects; there’s something for everyone here—paper crafting, rubber band cars, homemade flashlights or electric skateboards, bottle cap pixel art, and tons more. My kids could literally spend hours on this website.
Reenact together. Act out your favorite book plots or events in history. Choose a story or research the event, put together costumes and sets, video the final product, and share with the rest of us!
Hike together. Get outside! Find some new trails and explore. Take pictures of animals or plants you don’t know and search for them on the internet later when you get home.
Educational Websites for Homeschooling Unexpectedly
MathAntics for fun math videos and practice sheets for your older kids.
MathMammoth offers tons of free math worksheet printables.
Brain Pop for tons of fun content on social studies and science topics.
BrianpCleary.com for fun grammar activities.
NitroType.com for typing practice (or DanceMat Typing for the basics)
If homeschooling is an option you’ve carefully chosen, embrace the journey. If it’s a circumstance you suddenly find yourself in, appreciate the detour. You may discover that you rather enjoy the unexpected.
