For households across the country, the upcoming school year will feel very different from those in the past.
Your district might temporarily shift to remote instruction or offer families a virtual schooling option. You could opt to withdraw your child from the district and teach at home yourself.
If your children continue attending a traditional school building, concerns about mask mandates, social distancing and stress could affect their educational experience.
It’s a challenging situation for everyone involved.
If you suspect your kids will need additional academic assistance to stay on course this year, try not to panic. Below are four budget-friendly approaches for homeschool support or to bolster your child’s schooling.
1. Hire an Older Student as a Tutor
If a professional tutor stretches your budget, consider engaging an older student who understands the subject matter and can offer tutoring at a lower rate.
A peer tutor may connect with your child more naturally. A teen might even be familiar with a specific teacher’s expectations for essays or independent projects.
Student tutors typically cost less than someone with a college degree tutoring as side work. The younger the tutor, the more economical the arrangement tends to be. For example, if your fifth grader needs support, you’ll likely pay less for a tutor in middle school than one in high school or college.
Ask friends or coworkers for referrals to student tutors, or post a request in a local parenting Facebook group. Reach out to your child’s school to find out if they run any peer tutoring initiatives.
2. Form a Casual Homeschool Co-op
Homeschooling or distance learning isn’t workable for every family because of job demands. But you might make it feasible by teaming up with other households for shared homeschool assistance.
Your child could have a friend whose parent is available during regular school hours and willing to teach your child as well. You might arrange a barter—swap homeschooling time for services like evening or weekend babysitting. Or you could compensate the parent handling the instruction, and they might charge less if you supply school materials, lunches and snacks for the other child.
If no parents in your network can take this on, consider partnering with several families to split the cost of a professional tutor or a childcare worker who can supervise students as they follow online lessons. Expenses can add up, but dividing them lowers the burden for each family.
3. Use Free Online Educational Tools
Whether your child receives school assignments or you design your own homeschool plan, supplemental online resources can be very useful. Consider these free learning platforms:
- Khan Academy and Khan Academy Kids
- PBS Kids
- National Geographic Kids
- The History Channel Classroom
- Duolingo
- BrainPop
- STEM from the Start
Contact youth-focused nonprofits in your community to learn whether they provide free or low-cost tutoring or other educational support. When schools closed last spring, some YMCA locations offered virtual tutoring. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America opened up access to its MyFuture platform for online learning.
You may also find helpful advice on creating a cost-effective learning space in a homeschooling on a budget guide or tips for setting up a homeschool room.
4. Match Instruction to Your Child’s Learning Style
Focusing on your child’s preferred way of learning can be a strong strategy if they’re having trouble with course material.
Three common learning styles are visual, auditory and kinesthetic.
Your child might be a visual learner if they absorb concepts better when shown examples. Use charts, diagrams, flash cards and illustrated books to support their studies.
They might be an auditory learner if listening to explanations helps most. Try audiobooks and educational podcasts, record study notes for playback, or invent rhymes and songs to aid memorization.
A kinesthetic learner will benefit from hands-on activities. Choose project-based assignments related to the subject matter and look for ways to turn lessons into interactive experiences.
Jamie Reed is a senior contributor at Savinly.
