Coronavirus: 4 tips for parents who are homeschooling

With coronavirus lockdowns now part of the new normal, children around the world are getting used to their new classroom: home. Parents, meanwhile, are juggling work, domestic life and a new role as teacher.

Thankfully, there’s a lot of advice out there on homeschooling, both from organizations that want to help, and from those parents who have been doing it for years. Here are some ideas to think about.

1. Get your children to teach you

In a Twitter thread all about how to homeschool effectively during the lockdown, British psychotherapist Philippa Perry recommends letting your children teach you first.

This is seen as a way to establish a new learning environment. If a child sees you, their parent-teacher, sitting quietly and listening to what they have to say, they’re more likely to reciprocate and view the living room or the kitchen counter as the new “school” or place to learn. Perry also notes that “teaching something to someone else helps them to learn it”.

2. Bring the the outside into your home

Businesses that usually rely on people and footfall are finding new ways to cope – while simultaneously helping struggling parents to occupy and educate their offspring. Museums and galleries, zoos and aquariums – even theme parks – are currently offering free virtual tours.

The educator support group, We Are Teachers, recently drew attention to 25 different nature webcams that have been set up at various zoos around the US, allowing anybody to tune in and see what the animals are up to. If you can’t take your kids to the zoo, why not bring the zoo to them?

3. Get inventive with what’s available

The UN recently shared some fun home learning activities to help teach your children about plastic waste. From making instruments out of discarded bottles, to putting on a “rubbish” fashion show, not only are these activities cost-free, they might actually help you to upcycle and reduce your plastic waste.

4. Make the most of online educators

For those wanting to stick closer to the classroom, however, UK broadcaster the BBC has expanded its education offering, Bitesize, to include daily lessons in english, maths, geography and other core subjects.

In what the organization described as “the biggest education effort the BBC has ever undertaken”, the new format offers six different 20-minute shows per day, with 150 new lessons added to the website and app each week. There will also be free general advice for parents on homeschooling.