Just when the kids thought they were getting out of school! If your children are older and have to go online and complete assignments, then that’s great. But for those who are just getting extended time at home with no homework, ask any teacher – like the one I live with – their thoughts. They’ll tell you that it’s important to “
keep them in the game” for when real school starts again. Be sure to tell them that school will start back up. It comforts children to know that they’re home now, but that life will return to normal.
“But I’m not a teacher!” you might say. Don’t worry! You don’t have to spent hours figuring out and policing homework for your kids. Instead, on each school day that they’re off, announce that you’re going to help them stay ready for when their school starts back up by starting up your own 20 minute speed school.
Most likely they’ll groan, but that’s when you tell them it called The 20 Minute Egg Timer Speed School. Or, if you have the time and the energy, make them a letter like the one Harry Potter received, inviting each of them to your 20 Minute Egg Timer Speed School. Which is what again?
Glad you asked! Because your kids will be asking you what it means. Each day, they’ll be doing 4 classes that are each 5 minutes long! Hence, 20 minutes of school! And each day, you appoint a different teacher! This means that one child gets to be the teacher each day, with a little help from you if they are younger.
First, you’ll need an egg timer. If you don’t actually have a real egg timer – look for one online that ticks like a real one. On the day they’re the teacher, that child gets to start and reset the egg timer. It’s a very important job.
The four classes are, of course, writing, math, spelling, and physical education! There is no recess, lunch, or snack break – that comes after the 20 minutes.
Class Notes for Writing – During this class, tell your kids that they will be writing and creating their own book. It will be a book they’ll be writing and creating each day over the course of the time spent sheltering together to fight the COVID virus.
Each day, when you start this first class with your egg timer, your child can write a chronicle – like a journal entry – of what they did or were thinking and feeling the day before. Or encourage them to be creative and say it’s OK make up a story that continues each day. For example, they could have a story where there are dinosaurs in the house one day and hundreds of bats the next. It’s their book.
Also, outside of class, have them starting creating some artwork for their book. Towards the end of your quarantine, have them do another art project which is to work on the cover of their book!
Make sure you have them put their name on the cover. For example, one title could be The COVID-19 Challenge – Story and Pictures By Chaquille Carter. You never know. When your child looks back in 20 years on the book they made during the COVID quarantine of 2020, they may say, “That’s where I decided to become an author!”
When the egg timer goes off after 5 minutes of writing, make sure that their next class is somewhere else in the house! Remember: it’s OK for them to groan if they’re just getting into their story. They’ll be doing writing again the next day. With that class now over, have everyone march down the hall, outside to the garage, or back porch (weather permitting) to where the next class is located. That way they’re getting up and moving and stretching before the next class starts. When everyone is at their new class site, have that day’s teacher signal that it’s time for the next class to start and launch the egg timer for the next 5 minutes!
Class Notes for Math – There are so many great resources online. I’m going to encourage you to go online and find a short (no more than 5 minutes) brain quest, math problem, or problem set. Then it’s on to the next class!
Class Notes for Spelling – Here again, with only 5 minutes, you can either have your kids work through one of their old spelling lists or, at StrongFamilies.com, we suggest something little more creative and on target with what they’re experiencing.
Meaning, we’d suggest a new spelling word each day that links with what’s going on outside of the house. For example, one day it could be the word “Researcher.” Read a definition of the word. Write it on a white board or large piece of paper, and have them write it down. Then talk for just a moment about what a virus researcher is. For example, it is like those many scientists who are working 20 hours a day right now to bring us tests and medicine to help us in this crisis. (My twin brother is included in this list).
Another day, the word could be “first responder.” Your kids can then learn that right now, there are emergency room workers who are putting themselves and their families at risk by helping the men and women who do get sick. Make sure to include the Nurse Practitioners or PA’s in Urgent Care Centers. They are awesome first responders who are helping people who are sick and are administering COVID tests. They too – like our youngest daughter who is a Nurse Practitioner – are at risk every day as they help others.
Yet another day, your kids could learn the word “grocer.” Make sure your child knows that while grocers are technically not first responders, they are today! Have them spell and look up the word. But make sure they know that these are the people who are working countless hours right now to try and keep food on the shelves for everyone. All of them are heroes.
Again, pick words that help your children understand that this is a challenge. But, when our country and cities face a challenge, there are there are people like our police, scientists, pharmacists, lab techs and yes, even politicians, who are working like crazy to keep us safe and get help to people very soon. This is an opportunity to teach our kids who we can thank if we see them at work or at the store.
Class Notes for Physical Education – Here’s a great opportunity for you to go to sites like noodle.com and other websites that have yoga or other exercises for parents and children. Yes, we encourage you to get involved too! So many sites specialize in doing exercises with your children while they are spending time at home! Plus, with every class in a different place, you’re also getting them moving on their way to the next class, which is healthy for them and you!
Those are your four classes! These short classes are a fun way to keep your kids in the game by learning writing, spelling, math, and exercise with lots of fun and very few groans.