Quick Tips

Quick Tips for Teaching More Than One Child

Scheduling

• Other Topics How to Schedule Combining Subjects How Other People Do It Schedules That Work

  Make study charts for the children that list the schoolwork they need to complete each week. Set the study charts up like a calendar and let the children put stickers over subjects as they’re completed. You'll be able to see how much work they've finished as well as the areas where they still may need help. For younger children, the chart may simply list the subject (for example, "Math”). For older children, the chart may include page numbers and detailed assignments.

• If all students are involved in an activity meant for one student, then they can all count that activity. (for example, reading stories, doing art projects, or trying science experiments).

Student Conduct

• Incorporate rules that keep distractions to a minimum. (For example, have children speak in “library voices” while others are doing schoolwork.)

Supplies

• Create a binder for each child’s worksheets. Separate subjects in the binder with different colored dividers. (You can also use colored construction paper to separate subjects). Organize the worksheets within each subject in the order that the work will be completed. Some people put worksheets in a packet for each unit of a subject. As each unit is completed, the packet is put into the binder.

• Before lessons begin, print all the teaching materials you’ll need and put them in a binder. Divide the binder by days. Within each day, create a section for each child.

• Dedicate a bookcase for K12® materials. Either have a shelf for each child or organize the shelves by subject. If you have small children, put paint and Science materials on a high shelf where little hands can't reach them.

• Use storage containers for Science scales, art supplies, and other bulky materials. You can also use containers to store books when they are no longer needed for lessons. This will help make the collection of materials at the end of the school year easier.

Workspace

• Use a learning center approach by establishing a different area for each subject. Train children to keep busy in their area while you’re working with a child in another area of the workspace.

• Organize a space that’s large enough to accommodate everyone if you expect to teach any group lessons.

• Position the computer so that the children can congregate around the screen to read lessons, view artwork, and play interactive games.

• Make sure that your own chair offers easy access to all children.

• Create space for independent work. This area does not need be in the same location as the general workspace.

Quick Tips for Teaching at Home

Daily Household Tasks

You can combine your K12® lessons with other necessary tasks in your busy day:

• If you have a doctor’s appointment, bring workbooks so your children can do schoolwork in the waiting room.

• Pack a backpack for the family car so that children can get schoolwork done while in transit. The backpack should contain worksheets, coloring pages, flash cards, and spelling lists.

• Present Language Arts/English stories as bedtime stories for the whole family. Then your students will already be familiar with the stories when they are introduced during a lesson.

Lessons

• Don't feel obliged to complete every single activity. They have been created for children with varying abilities to learn. Choose only the activities that will best help your child master a lesson’s objectives.

• If you finish a lesson early, move on to the next one. There’s no need to stop after the prescribed lesson is completed if the child has more energy for the subject. (Parents can add more time for a lesson, but shouldn't take less time than what is prescribed.)

Preschoolers

Some tips to help you deal with children in the household who are too young for K12:

• When preschoolers are in the house, help them feel as if they’re going to school, too. Create a schedule for them. (Children love routine.)

• It’s tempting to jump right into lessons first thing in the morning, but if you take the time to “fill your preschooler’s cup” before school starts, you may find that a little attention early can go a long way.

• Block out time in the schedule to spend with your preschoolers by assigning independent activities for the older children. This will help the preschoolers cope with the time that they will not have their parents’ full attention.

• Include preschoolers in some of the more exciting lessons. Save the thinking-intensive lessons for times when little ones are napping or after they've gone to bed.

Scheduling

• Plan your day according to your child’s strengths. Consider teaching core subjects (Math and Language Arts/English, for instance) when your child is at his or her best—or doing your student’s least favorite subjects first, with the favorite subjects saved for later in the day.

• Once you find the schedule that works for you, be consistent. Inconsistent schedules suggest that school is optional or unimportant. Even if school happens on Wednesday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., it’s okay just as long as it happens consistently.

• Build the school schedule around your family life. As long as the total number of lessons per week is correct, it doesn't matter when you do them. Some families, for example, find that weekends work best for Art and Music lessons.

Supplies

• Put all books and supplies in one central location and organize them in a way that allows easy access.

• Order library books the week before you need them.

• Put materials that children can work on independently in their own drawer or filing cabinet. These independent materials can include flash cards, spelling practice lists, and educational games. They will help you when something unexpected interrupts lessons or when you've had a particularly hard day.

• Get unlimited Internet access, so the K12® Online School is available whenever you are.

Teacher Burnout

The stress associated with teaching children at home can lead to burnout. Typical signs of burnout include physical or emotional exhaustion, depression, a change in sleeping habits, loss or gain of weight, lingering or frequent colds, the loss of patience, and increased irritability. Here are some steps you can take to avoid burnout:

• Schedule time for yourself for hobbies, exercise, or simple solitude while your children are having quiet time or working independently.

• Start a K12® co-op with other parents in your area so that you can share teaching.

• Delegate some of your chores. The gifts you are giving your child—a first-class education and a love of learning—are far more important than any cooking and cleaning you may feel you’re neglecting.