Enrichment in the time of COVID-19

My kids started remote classes in March. Their classes, which had been rigorous and sound for the most part, became a shadow of themselves. Their teachers were working hard to teach, but the difficulty of remote learning seemed insurmountable. 

What had been five classes a week of immersion Spanish reduced to once a week. Reading Midsummer Night's Dream and writing about it became merely watching the movie. And so on.

With another year of remote learning on the horizon, I decided: it's time to share about afterschooling.

The pandemic did not begin my afterschooling journey; I started years ago when my children were very young. What began as a way to improve a subpar history curriculum became a more organized, multi-year project. In fact, I had taken time off to begin writing this blog about general afterschooling when the pandemic happened. 

For those reading in 2020 anticipating a half-baked academic year, these are my main ideas:
  • Passive v. active education: I limit the need for active teaching/learning by creating a home environment rich in ideas.
  • The home library: a well-curated library is the jewel of passive education.
  • Edutainment: I bolster structured teaching with well-chosen edutainment, while limiting non-educational entertainment during the school week. 
  • Marathon v. sprint: 15 minutes, every day, adds up.
  • Learning for pleasure: if I have a choice between fun learning and miserable learning, I choose fun learning, as long as it leads to the same outcome.
  • Unstructured time, for parents and kids, is so important!
  • Schools and teachers are allies: treat them with care.
So to all you parents watching your kids tread water during remote learning, or get less enrichment, or have your Spanish class reduced to once a week, there are ways to get your kid on track. 

It is possible to do this and also work (I've done that). It's doable even if you want to limit screen time (though it's tricky!). The biggest hurdle is just deciding to do it and prioritizing it. Now that you're not at soccer practice three days a week, this is eminently doable.

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