One of the benefits of homeschooling is the flexibility it allows. A few months ago, I was completely under the weather with morning sickness. While “official” school, how *I* picture it, didn’t happen for about two months, there are still plenty of ways to squeeze in “school.”
Great Books
First, have a great collection of educational books and magazines. Even while I was laying on the couch to ease the nausea, I could read books. We have Ranger Rick, Jr. magazines for science and we are loving the Let’s Read and Find Out Science books as well as Sylvan-Dell science books and pick them up whenever I find them. My kids LOVE them and they learn a lot. And if you are not in a rough time, you can easily use this to kick start a unit study! You can use great books for nearly every subject imaginable.
Printable Packs & Workbooks
Every day I can find printable packs for elementary age (or younger) children on any subject imaginable. Even if its not in the plan, print out a few pages that your child may enjoy. This happened around Thanksgiving for us so it was perfect!
If they are older, try a work book. I purchased several Evan-Moor workbooks for my daughter and they have daily practice pages for several subjects in a wide range of grades.
Educational DVD’s
Recently I purchased the complete set of The Magic School Bus on DVD. Even my 2 year old asks to watch them! PBS is also a good choice as long as you supervise–some of the shows are better than others!
For older kids, you could find documentaries from the History or science channels. Extreme Engineering is available with Amazon Prime, as are several seasons of Schoolhouse Rock. I believe most libraries have DVD’s you can borrow as well. Call or login to reserve a few and have hubby pick them up for you!
Use the Ordinary
Many ordinary things can count, too. Things like working on character, or home economics (cleaning, cooking, time management) are easy to classify but I bet you could come up with ways to classify games or activities like playing with play dough or even art projects!
Use Technology
What? Using the TV isn’t enough of technology? Try adding computer programs and games. We purchased Hooked on French from a bookstore years ago and we pull that out occasionally as well as subscription to Simple Schooling’s K-12 Unit Studies (science) that we bought during their Black Friday sale. My daughter is learning to use the computer and mouse as well as getting in some extra fun-to-do school work.
If you have an iPad or iPhone, there are tons of app’s for every subject imaginable. It might be worth a few dollars to find a few that work on an area your child is struggling with! Another favorite for smaller children is Starfall and that is both a website AND an app for iPhone! For older children, get them working on a learn-to-type program or watching (pre-approved/pre-screened) DVD’s or other educational programs.
Let Others Teach
This doesn’t have to be actual tutors, but if you have a close relative who would be willing to take one (or more) of them to teach them something that you don’t know — like knitting, sewing, baking, drawing, or maybe even something like a religious devotion or a science or history subject that they specialize in. Or maybe your hubby is willing to step in for a subject or two if your absence is extended :).
These ideas will also work for illnesses that work their way through the family. Since it rarely hits everyone at the exact same time, you can “teach”the ones who are well or recovering using some of these tips. For all the other times, allow ample amounts of grace. After all, learning is life and not all learning can be quantified!
What are your tips for homeschooling in times of extended illness or other life changing times?
This post is part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew Blog Cruise.
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Bethany
15 January 2013 at 1:29 PM (12 years ago)What great encouragement! I’m following you on FB and Twitter now from the crew!
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