FOLSOM, Calif. — With so many temporary school closures during the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of parents are taking on the task of guiding their children’s studies from home.
To help with that, Shauna Anderson, a Folsom home school teacher for South Sutter Charter School, put together an online list with links to resources and guides for parents to navigate the coming weeks.
"A lot of people are trying to figure out what to do with their kids, this is a really weird time," Anderson said.
When she first heard of the potential school closures, Anderson jumped into action. The mother of six has been homeschooling her kids for the last six years, so she's no stranger to building a curriculum from home.
"I’ve been collecting and curating ideas, resources, websites and ideas on this doc and when stuff started happening I just put it out there," Anderson explained. "Just using my expertise and knowledge to help families navigate this new world."
Anderson said learning at home doesn’t have to be exactly like being in a classroom. While her six kids range from 5 to 16 years old, her way of educating each child is flexible.
"The kids spent the morning building forts and playing," Anderson explained. "They’ve been super into watching YouTube videos on drawing and learning how to draw. All of that stuff that looks like goofing off to us is actually learning for kids. It’s okay to let kids decompress for a bit."
Anderson also recommends taking advantage of the resources that are out there.
"I mean, there’s so much being offered right now. You can watch operas live-streamed, there’s a ballet company offering lessons that are live-streamed, virtual tours of museums," Anderson said.
Anderson’s biggest tip is to try to see the opportunity in having the kids at home.
"This is a special time and I think we’ll see that after the fact," Anderson explained. "But have that growth mindset. Let your kids see that you’re excited to have them home. That you’re excited to learn with them. They’re looking to you to see how you’re handling it."
You can find Anderson's growing list of resources here.
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