When I think of all the trials I’ve been through in my life, I can’t help but to think of God’s goodness through each storm. This, friends, is no different. We see more and more people becoming sick during this pandemic. The coronavirus is spreading. Nations are under quarantine. People are out of work. Schools remain closed, indefinitely. It’s easy to feel stressed and anxious about what is going to happen, but do you know what can get you through that? Trusting God and His plan for His people.

With schools being closed for the remainder of the school year in our area, I am prepared to “homeschool” the best way I know how. Today I am sharing what works for our family and maybe you can take away some ideas to incorporate into your homeschooling routine as well. If you missed my vlog on learning at home, you can check it out here- https://youtu.be/LMwUvYW2hig

The most beneficial thing I have done is make a schedule. With an autistic child, routine and structure is probably the most important thing I could do. Otherwise, he doesn’t know what to expect or what to prepare for. This schedule has worked GREAT for our kids. Even our kindergartener depends on it. Having a schedule also helps us to ensure that they’re getting all of their work done. With a set time for each subject, they have plenty of time to work on materials JUST for that class. If they finish before the hour is up, I ask that they still continue to work on that subject until it’s time to move on to the next subject. For instance, if we’re doing math and they finish their work, I ask that Koby login to Reflex or IReady, which are math websites that his teacher can access to see his progress. When Klara finishes her math worksheets we move on to a hands on activity for the time we have remaining. We use counters to add and subtract, play a game with a dice that involves counting, or we count and identify coins. Kylan is a very responsible kiddo, so he doesn’t need much instruction.

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Planning ahead is key. Have all your materials prepared and laid out the night before. I have worksheets in order by subject, the learning videos we will be referencing to pulled up in different tabs on the computer or tablet, and a sensory activity prepared and on the table. This is where having a scanner/printer comes in handy. For worksheets that Klara’s teacher sent home, I make copies and keep the original incase it is something she needs to revisit. I have a basket of books by the table as well for the kids to read silently or together if they finish their work early and I switch out the books weekly.

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Another tip I have is to have a copy of your child’s academic goals/your states learning standards printed off for you to look over each day as a guide. This has been a game changer for me. Koby has an IEP so I refer to his goals and work on things that he has been struggling with and we revisit each goal several times a week. For Klara, I have a copy of our states learning standards for kindergarten that break down what the teachers are covering each 9 weeks. That has helped me to cover everything that her teacher wasn’t able to get to in the last 9 weeks of school. I also have a copy of what is ideal for each kiddo to know upon entering first grade.

As a mama of three, I know that if I don’t have a plan in place for lunch, each kid will want something different. When I make our lunch menu for the week, I try to incorporate something that everyone likes. This goes back to me saying that Koby MUST have a routine and know what to expect from day to day. When he knows what he’s having for lunch the following day, our transition into the next day goes so smoothly. I know someone reading this is probably thinking, “He wants to know what’s for lunch days in advance? What does that have to do with routine?” The menu IS a part of our routine and he does, in fact, ask at breakfast time what we will be having for lunch and dinner the FOLLOWING day. Some of our favorite lunches include

• ham and cheese quesadillas
• cheese, crackers, and fruit
• pb, banana, and honey roll-ups
• smoothies
• yogurt
• pasta salad
• pb cheerio bars
• rice cakes with nutella and fruit
• apple slices with pb

Now that I’ve touched on the lunch menu, I want to share with you a snack system I have started since school has been closed. When my kids are home, they are constantly wanting to snack around. Being quarantined at home and being bored results in CONSTANT SNACKING. And with grocery delivery being on the weekends since we are abiding by the “safer at home” rule, we have to stretch our food out to last us all for the whole week. To avoid running out of snacks, I knew I needed a plan. What I came up with was using play money to “buy” snacks. We made a menu and each kid gets the same amount of money each day. We don’t let money “roll over” so what they don’t spend today, they don’t get to keep for tomorrow. This system has worked really well for us!

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I know this is a challenging time for everyone- students, teachers, and parents. We’re going to get through this, but in the meantime I hope these tips help you with your home learning as much as they have helped me!

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