We asked our community for creative solutions to apply to at-home learning. Hundreds of you replied, but here are some of our favourite answers. We hope these offer inspiration for making your homeschooling a little easier!
April from Newfoundland and Labrador: “We’re learning based on interest – some days it might be following art lessons online from artists, baking following the instructions from a live video or could even be a movie night or playing restaurant. We play games through suggested learning ideas and board games.”
Christina from Manitoba: “We bring a laundry basket outside and flip it upside down to use like a table in our backyard, I mean ‘outdoor classroom.'”
Dolly from Ontario: “We turn everyday tasks chores and interests into learning. Baking takes measurements and addition. Planting seeds shows what soil, sun, water and a seed can do, then wait and eat the veggies we’ve grown. I let her lead me. We come across lots of problems that we can brainstorm and solve together, learning a lot along the way.”
Kristy from Yukon: “I teach French so I’ve suggested to many of my students to use their screen/TV time as French time by switching the audio track to French. They can also use the English subtitles if necessary. Now they are multi-tasking! Reading, French and relaxing.”
Geneviève from Ontario: “Variety! We try to provide a variety of activities both indoor and outdoor for our students. Some involve physical activity like running around the backyard to find hidden words, and others propose challenges such as building 3D shapes with toothpicks and modelling clay.”
Jo Ann from Newfoundland and Labrador: “I record daily videos of our “normal” morning routine at school. The date, weather, counting and other mini reviews of the plan for the day. It’s just my way of keeping connected with my students and one small consistency in their days.”
Amanda from Ontario: “We like to do school work on the trampoline. We bring chalk to answer questions, books and lessons and have an absolute blast learning inside it. We will be hooking up the iPad to it soon to count bounces, which will also be a gym class!”
Peter from Saskatchewan: “Add a short ‘invent’ your own part to each lesson supplied by school. So, after doing math supplied questions, they can make their own and do them. After reading, write your own very short story. You can incorporate this into any lesson and encourages them to combine their interests with learning!”
Christina from Ontario: “I like to add more creative options for the students in our kindergarten crew. I feel that parents and students are feeling overwhelmed, so taking the opportunity to more clearly outline how play truly is learning. Some fun craft activities that incorporate math and lit, explaining the learning that occurs while working in the kitchen, outdoor scavenger hunts and loose parts activities – so many entertaining and engaging activities that do not require sitting down and focusing. Win win, right?!”
Whether you’re an early childhood educator adapting to teaching long distance or a parent learning how to home school, keep up the good work!