7 Homeschooling Items for Your At-Home Classroom
April 2, 2020Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently announced that the 2019-2020 school year will not resume in Michigan, with kids of all ages now instructed to stay home through the summer. With 1.5 million school-age students across the state, this leaves a major void for the education of students and the teaching from parents.
The National Commerce Group, administered through the Detroit Regional Chamber, has put together a list of homeschooling items that help parents get through the rest of the school year with their new students.
For those parents who have not yet started their homeschooling or are looking to improve their at-home classroom, here are six types of items you should consider:
- Daily Calendar
Building out the day’s schedule will be different from each family, but it is important to create something that resembles an agenda or schedule for the day. For younger students, parents can purchase a Circle Time Calendar to stay organized for the day, week, and month. View a variety of calendars here.
- Chalkboard or Whiteboard
Students are used to focusing their attention on a chalkboard or other sort of board that holds the day’s agenda, information, and any other current learning tools. This acts as the focal point of your in-home classroom. View chalkboard or whiteboard options here.
- Arts and Crafts
Building out a “curriculum” for students is daunting, and even the most organized parent-teacher will run into some downtime with their students. Arts and crafts are a litany of materials that range from construction paper and glue to crayons and painting supplies. While many households have these in stock, they will go fast, especially if this becomes a daily occurrence. Restock your arts and crafts supply here.
- Topic-Specific Instructional Resources
Most parents never expected they would need to teach language arts, social studies, or other core topic areas that students spend time learning every day. Consider some basic instructional resources that can help parents teach and students learn. These aides are critical to keeping topics organized.
- Games and Rewards
An area of teaching that is often forgotten is the fact that students like to be rewarded for their successes. Additionally, they like to spend time playing games that can help them learn topics such as math and science. Whether it is giving students “good-job” stickers, kindness coins, playing games with flashcards, breaking up the monotony of the standard school day is important. Browse games and rewards here.
- Desks and Chairs
Sitting at the kitchen counter or at a parent’s at-home work desk will work for some students, but not all. These may be the most expensive homeschool purchases but they will be useful after students return to school and they develop future habits of doing homework at their own desks rather than lounging anywhere in the house. See the selection of student desks and chairs here.
- Electronics Support
When you need a break or want any sort of relief, consider an Echo Dot, tablet, or other sorts of audio/video support. These are easy to find and easy to set up, and a simple voice search can provide resources to help your students get through the day. See a variety of electronics to purchase here.
JUST ADDED: AT&T created the Distance Learning and Family Connections Fund to give parents, students and teachers tools they need for at-home learning. The fund also will provide resources to maintain meaningful connections and bonding opportunities for those isolated from family and friends. The $10 million Distance Learning and Family Connections Fund is launching today with its first contribution of $1 million to Khan Academy. View Khan Academy resources now.