10 Tips to Support Home Schooling
By: © Rethink. Reprinted with permission. March 26 2020
Many parents have been thrown into a new role as a home schooling parent in the midst of the current crisis. Here are some tips to help support your child during home schooling.
Create predictability to your child's day by arranging a general daily structure. Having a schedule or routine can help create family expectations, lessen stress, build independence and save time.
Use picture schedules or written checklists to help your child know what activities will occur and when. Pairing a verbal instruction with a picture can better communicate the routine.
Integrate choice and allow your child to make the schedule. Alternatively, pick the order of (a few) events to increase your child's sense of control and often helps reduce behavior challenges.
Maintain skills by scheduling time for academics in the daily schedule. Talk to your child's instructors to get help with a schedule for academics.
Provide structured breaks in your child's daily schedule to give an outlet for energy or to recharge with relaxation routines.
Add in structured windows of free play. One example is creating a visual choice board or checklist of available free play choices such as screens, electronics, games, toys, etc.
Pro tip: String several preferred activities together to increase your child's independence in leisure activities and decrease the need for you to help them "find something to do."
Help your child stay on task by setting clear expectations with a designated area for schoolwork and using visual supports such as a 'keep working' visual in the area.
Maintain your regular nighttime and morning routines to ensure consistency, whenever possible.
Take advantage of canceled school/extracurriculars/events to teach new skills. Examples include using an alarm clock, starting to shave, independent play. Set small, achievable goals.
Use positive reinforcement to support the desirable behaviors you want to see at home.