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News of the coronavirus COVID-19 is everywhere, from the front page of all the papers to the playground at school. Many parents are wondering how to bring up the epidemic in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more worried than they already may be. Here is some advice from the experts at the Child Mind Institute.
A great article for parents as well as teachers in this time of crisis.
Learning From Home - Ideas for Parents
Learning From Home - Ideas for Parents
Learning Routines
If you receive learning activities from school, create a schedule and learning space with your child so you have a daily routine to complete lessons and share learning experiences.
If you don’t receive learning activities from school, create a schedule with your child that includes time for things they need to work on and things they are curious about exploring deeply.
Keep it simple, fun and provide opportunities for lots of movement and brain breaks.
Setting a Daily Schedule
Setting a Daily Schedule
Those of you experimenting with social distance and self-quarantine over the weekend are probably already feeling the effects of being cooped up inside too long with the kids. I found this resource incredibly helpful as a guide to help set routines for your child.
If you leave it up to your kids, they'd sit on the iPad and stream Netflix all day long. While that *should* help prevent contraction of COVID-19, it's also not an ideal plan especially if we start looking long term like our neighbors to the East, West and North already have shutting down schools for the month.
This has been shared so many times already on social media I really do not know where it was originally sourced so I apologize to whoever first shared it, but it's too good to sit on...
Work on Goal Setting and Other Executive Functioning Skills
Work on Goal Setting and Other Executive Functioning Skills
Did you know that if you set a goal and write it down you are more likely to accomplish it? Executive functioning can be boiled down to these 5 things:
Paying attention
Organizing and planning
Starting tasks and staying focused on them
Managing emotions
Keeping track of what you’re doing
Despite the importance of executive functioning and the need to develop proactive people who can self manage, we don’t always provide time for kids to learn HOW to do this. Well, with everything canceled, this is a great time to develop some of these skills. After we set our schedules, I know it will be important for my kids (and me) to set goals and track progress to see what we are getting accomplished and what we still need to work on to accomplish our goals.
Science-based tips and tools help parents and caregivers give children a great start in life today—and an even better future.
Parents for Early Learners
Available resources in English and Spanish.
Personal Work Time and Skill Building
Personal Work Time and Skill Building
Although I know these kids will be engaged in activities and learning throughout the day while also relaxing and playing, I want to create a designated personal work time where they can manage their goals and tasks that are relevant to what they need to work on. Depending on the age of your kids, this time may vary, but for mine, who are 9 and 11, I am going to try for 1-2 hours of personal work time to start. This should include skill-building work in math, writing, and some foundational literacy and word work. There are plenty of ideas on this site. There will also be plenty of time to curl up and read our favorite books independently and together.
Do a Passion Project
Do a Passion Project
One of my favorite lines from Google’s video, Rubik’s Cube: A question, waiting to be answered (If you haven’t seen it, take a minute and watch it), “…when the right person finds the right question, it can set them on a journey to change the world.” The images of kids conducting experiments, building robots, playing in the mud and even blowing things up always make me smile at the thought of what is possible when learners are inspired and have the support to explore their ideas, questions, and passions in and out of school. Here are some questions to get kids thinking about what they might want to work on.
What problems are you interested in working on?
What do you want to learn more about?
What do you know and what do you still need to learn?
What resources i.e books, articles, videos might help you learn more?
How does this connect to what you already know?
What are some creative ways to solve this problem?
Who are the experts you can learn from?
How will you share what you are learning?
It is critical that we are asking these questions (and more) and helping learners understand that learning is a lifelong pursuit rather than something we do for a test or for the teacher. When we focus on learners, connect to their interests, needs, and goals, we can create experiences that ignite curiosity, develop passion, and unleash genius.
There are great resources to spark curiosity here and Jenny Pieratt from Crafted Curriculum has a great set of ideas here. These are 2 of my favorites:
PBL-ish ideas for parents: Beach Clean-up and recycled art. Do a beach clean-up and turn what you recycle into art. A quick trip to Michael’s and you can buy a canvas, some paint and other fun materials to create a masterpiece!
PBL-ish ideas for parents: Teach your child a crafty skillset and open at Etsy shop. This is a great way to teach business skills-logo and branding, basic marketing concepts, math related to pricing, taxes and shipping, photography and informational writing. Here is a sample from what I helped my daughter with last summer: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MadebyMik
Get Outside and Move
Get Outside and Move
Depending on the weather these activities may vary but regardless we will be moving and preferably outdoors. I am looking forward to some hikes, long walks, running around outside (this one is for them, not me). This one should be pretty easy!
Set Boundaries for Technology
Set Boundaries for Technology
A parent asked recently how to handle kids who get sucked into their technology all day and lamented they would be playing video games for 3 weeks. Each family and parent is different but structure and boundaries are really important because kids and teens (and many adults) don’t always know how to manage their time yet and when to out the devices away- see the section on executive functioning:). If kids know what to expect and have time when electronics are not allowed, they may not like it but it is easier to manage.
Play is so good for the brain and the kids need to have unstructured play. I love to see what my kids create and how they bond when they play outside. They don’t always do it on their own, however, especially if TV or iPads are available, so I will make sure that we create the time daily without structure or technology to make up games, play cards, climb trees, make forts, draw and let them be bored. It usually takes less than 5 minutes for them to find something to do (or stop complaining) when electronics are not available.
Help Out
Help Out
This might go without saying but this is a great time for the kids to help out in the house like some extra spring cleaning projects or even making some meals or just doing a few extra chores to chip in around the house. It’s also an opportunity to think about how we can help others who need it both locally and globally. Can we help out the neighbors who need to run an errand? Can the kids teach the younger kids next door about math or do a project with them (with appropriate distance, of course!) Can you call and check in on someone who might be lonely?
Ways to build social emotional skills at home broken down into the different competency areas.
Slow Down and Connect
Slow Down and Connect
Although it will be helpful to have a schedule as we reset our new normal for the next few weeks if not more, it’s probably most important to use this time to slow down and connect. With practices, games, school events, work trips, and many other commitments canceled, we can use this rare opportunity to recharge personally, catch up on my to-read list, connect and enjoy being together as a family.
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