Teaching your child from home if school closes for Coronavirus
In China, 200 million kids are being homeschooled due to Coronavirus. With the imminent threat of the virus spreading quickly, parents may be concerned about their child falling behind in school. Here are a few resources you can use to make sure your child stays on track, even if they’re learning from home.
With Corona on its way to the United States, the possibility that millions of parents might have to educate their children from home is more than a remote possibility. Luckily, with the limitless supply of online courses and learning apps like Khan Academy and marketplaces for curricula, the idea of educating your child from home shouldn’t be daunting, regardless of how much or how little teaching experience you have.
With 1.8 million US students homeschooling according to the most recent US censes, a huge market of resources have emerged to support home-based learning. Apps, workbooks and free online courses abound. The types of tools range from ones that require minimal no to parent involvement to extensive participation. There are several tools at your disposal to make sure your child stays on track — and maybe even gets ahead in core academic subjects.
ALL-IN-ONE CURRICULA
Here are a few of my favorite curricula tools that cover all subjects.
Khan Academy and Khan App Kids
https://www.modulo.app/all-resources/khan-app-kids
Khan App Kids (PreK-2nd grade) is the app version of Khan Academy’s website (PreK-12th) that revolutionized access to quality childhood education by providing thousands of free educational videos online in any subject. Kids can learn anything on Khan Academy and the lessons are continually personalized to meet their learning style. The app also provides built-in assessment tools so parents can measure how children are performing relative to their peers.
Oak Meadow
https://www.modulo.app/all-resources/oakmeadow
For the parent looking for an option where they don’t have to worry about planning lessons, Oak Meadow offers clearly laid out curricula requires no customization and little to no lesson prep. In fact, Oak Meadow is one of the best options I’ve found for mastery-based learning that spans all grades and subjects (most stop at middle school or even earlier). Parents can use Oak Meadow for one to a few classes or enroll in the school and receive high school credits. They offer unique support including 1–1 teacher interaction, educational coaches and college counselors.
Time4Learning
https://www.modulo.app/all-resources/time4learning
Time4Learning is a mastery-based homeschool program for PreK-12th grade that uses videos to teach children all academic subjects including Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. Used by over 600,000 homeschool families it’s one of the oldest and most popular comprehensive, secular homeschool programs.
Torchlight
https://www.modulo.app/all-resources/torchlight
Torchlight is a comprehensive, literature-based curriculum for children ages PreK-3rd grade founded by an educator and homeschooling mom who was having trouble finding diverse, in-depth curriculum for her own children. Torchlight uses a Socratic-inspired approach, while embracing Humanistic thinking. Lessons encourage students to use logic, scientific inquiry and empathy to explore the world around them. It is a mastery-based program, that builds on concepts progressively and support students mastering each concept fully before moving on to the next.
Moving Beyond the Page
https://www.modulo.app/all-resources/moving-beyond-the-page
Moving Beyond the Page is a comprehensive mastery-based curriculum for families teaching their children from home for levels PreK through 8th grade. It is primarily geared towards gifted children and includes extensive hands-on and experiential learning inspired by Montessori, Waldorf and Unschooling philosophy. The Moving Beyond the Page program consists of daily lesson plans that outline big ideas, skills to master, include questions and project-based activities to reinforce concepts.
If you’re looking for curricula that focuses specifically on math or reading, here are ones that I recommend.
CORE SUBJECTS: MATH AND READING
Math
https://www.modulo.app/all-resources/the-best-math-programs-for-home-educators
After reviewing hundreds of comments from a group of parents teaching their children math from home, consulting with teachers and mathematicians and reviewing each curriculum for accuracy and performance, I concluded Singapore math, which draws on a combination of workbooks and manipulatives is the best option for the widest range of families seeking a rigorous, but engaging mastery-based curriculum that will provide a solid math foundation and accelerate their child’s learning, whether they’re a budding mathematician on track to their first Field’s Medal or struggling in math due to confidence, aversion or special needs such as dyscalculia.
Reading
https://www.modulo.app/all-resources/the-5-best-programs-to-teach-your-child-to-read5
Getting an early start on reading is a compelling idea to many parents: reading opens the door for self-directed learning, access to knowledge and academic success. However it’s important to keep in mind that children become developmentally ready to start learning to read at very different ages. In fact, in Finland, widely considered the best education system in the world, many kids don’t even start reading until age 7.
Hopefully, we won’t have to worry about school closures due to Corona, but regardless of whether you choose to stay home out of necessity or just a precaution or continue to go to school and not face any closures, you may find that teaching your child from home is an enjoyable activity — that actually ends up accelerating and enriching their learning.
If you have any other questions about curricula, learning or home education, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can find me at modulo.app
