Homeschooling parents and schoolteachers alike know that when children are cooped up inside because of the weather, attention spans can suffer. All is not lost though. It takes some planning and determination, but the middle of winter can be just as productive as the early days of fall when it comes to students learning.
Assess How They Are Learning
It's easy for a homeschooling parent to feel discouraged sometimes. Everyone has days when the children seem to be off in a different world, and you feel like you've just wasted your breath in teaching a lesson.The winter weather can make this seem even worse. Take a deep breath and then make an honest assessment of what your children have done lately. Is your daughter reading and recognizing words that she didn't know a month ago? Has your son been completing his math facts more quickly? Have the children come to you with intelligent questions? All of these things are signs that your children are not only learning, but they are learning how to learn.
Just as your child was not born knowing how to walk and talk, he was not born knowing how to do reading, writing, and arithmetic. Public schools allow themselves 12 years to teach these things to the children in their care, and there's no reason that homeschooling parents should expect that they should be able to teach all of these things overnight (or in just one school year). Learning is a process, and as the parent/teacher it's your job to facilitate that learning, not to agonize over what has not yet been done.
Plan Some Learning Activities
Coming back from a break, whether it be summer vacation or Christmas break, is hard on both the parent and students. During a break you get to take off one of your hats, that of a formal teacher. You might let the kids sleep in or get away with behaviours that can't be tolerated on a school day. Once class is back in session everyone has to be more self disciplined so that learning can go smoothly. If you as the parent get the sense that the entire school week is turning into a difficult one, it may be time to shake things up a little.
Many homeschooling parents focus strongly on the highly academic subjects on a daily basis. Why not put the English and Math books away for a day or two and pull out the art supplies? Crack open the art books that don't get enough use and have a formal lesson on drawing or painting. Science experiments can be another great way to spend a school day. Elementary science books contain many great ideas for experiments to reinforce the concepts they teach. Some can be time consuming or messy, so a rainy or snowy day is the perfect time to build that volcano or dig out that chemistry set!
If you're lucky enough to live in an area with museums and other cultural attractions, winter can be a great time to plan a field trip. Unless there is a school trip planned (and a phone call can tell you that) many museums, nature centers, and other exhibits are sparsely attended in the middle of a weekday. It's great to be able to stroll about at your leisure, and it will give the kids more time to really absorb and appreciate what is there. Personnel at such places are often thrilled to find well behaved children that are actually eager to learn. They might be available to answer detailed questions and even offer a personal tour of the facility.
Sometimes the cure for cabin fever is even more simple. One of the great advantages to homeschooling is the ability to set your own schedule. So if the kids are pining to go sledding or just want to get out to build a snowman that can be OK. Physical exercise is important to the learning process too. There will be plenty of time to make up the missed lessons in the evenings or on weekends.
The important thing to remember about getting through the January blahs is that no matter how rigid your academic schedule is, it can be wise to abandon it occasionally. A little break from the routine can allow everyone to return to work mentally and physically refreshed and ready to learn.
Patricia Purcell - I am a stay at home, homeschooling mom of three. My family has moved several times for my husband's job. We're currently fixing up our ...
