Getting Into a New Groove
- What: Creating a school schedule at home
- When: School gets cancelled
- Why: Keep kids learning and engaged
- Where: At home
Still trying to get into a new routine, that doesn’t include leaving for work or school? If your kids thrive on consistency, a set schedule can help. Here’s what we did to make the school schedule work for us.
To start, we begin an hour later than normal school hours. My kids think it’s awesome that we start so late. Really, I need to extra time to get my act together. And none of us want to sit at the table for more than two hours at a time anyway. I also write down the schedule so everyone knows what comes when.
My kids love math, reading, and choice time. They don’t care for writing, so we do that at the beginning of our day to get it out of the way. We do all our “table work” (spelling, writing, literacy, and math) in the mornings, then break for lunch. After lunch, we spend time where I read a chapter book out loud to everyone, followed by choice time, which includes activities like art projects, games, puzzles, or building tasks (Legos, magnet tiles, wooden blocks). The kids then read on their own, and after that, we head outdoors (rain or shine) to work off some excess energy, get out of the house, get fresh air, and for a change of scenery.
You know your kid (and yourself) best. If your child is motivated by rewards, let them earn points towards treats or via sticker charts to get them to work. If you need more time on your own for your work, make sure you have lessons, workbooks, or online programs where they need minimal interaction. I find more success keeping short increments focusing on one subject, but others prefer to tackle everything at once, and switch the subject by day.
In the end, it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as your kids get some mental stimulation and the routine isn’t too taxing for anyone in your household. Good luck!
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