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What to do when distance learning isn’t working

by | Nov 16, 2020 | Homeschooling

Getting calls from frustrated parents looking to switch to our easy-to-use curriculum is nothing new here at WriteShop. But in 2020, the calls shifted from moms who struggle to get a reluctant writer to put pencil to paper to moms who are at their wits’ end with the distance learning provided by their local school system. They’re ready to jump ship and pull the plug … on the computer-based instruction! These moms tell us:

  • Distance learning is just not working for my child.
  • I thought I was homeschooling. Truth is, I’m not the teacher. I still have to oversee homework and projects someone else assigns.
  • Our school day seems to go on forever. Virtual teaching doesn’t keep my child’s attention.
  • I don’t think my son is cut out for remote learning. He can’t sit still that long.
  • The teacher is trying her hardest, but we just can’t keep doing this virtual schooling.
  • I’ve decided to actually homeschool. Can you help me get started?

Expecting at-home online learning to be temporary, parents gritted their teeth and toughed it out for a few months. But without an immediate end in sight to this pandemic, moms and dads have begun to seriously question the wisdom and effectiveness of distance learning.

What are kids losing during these long months of spotty instruction, glitchy platforms, and lackluster screen-based interactions? 

They’re losing academic gains and a zest for learning!

But there is a remedy. Parents are slowly realizing through their in-the-trenches daily challenges that the most doable remedy to the education patchwork of 2020 is homeschooling

There has to be a better way than distance learning

If you’re already at home with your children and you see how inferior their distance learning actually is, you start to question … can’t I just do this better myself

Yes. Yes, you can do it better. 

And you can do it better than distance learning even if you don’t have an education degree or a college degree at all. 

What to Do When Distance Learning Isn't Working

You already have two key tools: the internet as a resource and the love of your child as motivation. The other big tool you need for success is curriculum

Granted, some homeschoolers teach effectively without curriculum. But when you’re suddenly homeschooling during a crisis, it’s going to save time and provide reassurance to simply lean on a structured plan—a curriculum— that professionals have created. You need solutions—and fast! There’s no time for another delay while you research different teaching strategies, learning styles, and homeschool philosophies.

WriteShop covers one of the three “R”s

Here at WriteShop, we can’t help you with a comprehensive homeschool curriculum that teaches every subject you need, but we can help you with a big chunk of your language arts program by way of our writing curriculum. There are options for all grades from K to 12. 

Please note that writing here means composition: writing sentences, paragraphs, stories, essays, etc. WriteShop is not a handwriting program. And while it includes some grammar, mechanics, and punctuation, it’s not a full grammar program either. WriteShop is great at teaching writing. And we stay in that lane for the most part. 

Writing is one of the original three “R”s: reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. Focus on covering these basics, and you can quickly regain any academic losses to get your elementary and middle school students back on track. (While high schoolers do need to earn credits in history, science, and other required electives, it’s never wrong to keep the bulk of your homeschool hours focused on reading, writing, and math skills.)

Get started choosing your homeschool writing curriculum

Start by taking the 1-minute placement quiz to determine the best level for your child in WriteShop writing curriculum.

placement quiz WriteShop writing curriculum

Once you get your package, spend an hour or so familiarizing yourself with the layout and the different parts. We have a Facebook group that provides support, too. It’s perfect for when you’re first getting started. 

Finally, (for grades K-8) add to your WriteShop a solid math program and an engaging reading program. With these three foundations covered, you can rest assured your newly chosen at-home education is more than adequate for your K-8th grader—and far superior to most students’ virtual school experience. 

What to Do When Distance learning Isn't Working