Troubleshooting

Switch things up: new location, add music, or use colorful markers (color boosts memory!).

Use declarative language (“I notice…”) instead of commands.

Align the how they are learning with your child's learning style. 

Expand your definition of schoolwork. Academics is more that just worksheets. Look for ways to take the learning off the page. 

Create Montessori-inspired sensory bins to provide hands-on learning experiences.

Have a designated "school bag" for the little ones to use while older kids are working.

Partner older kids with younger ones to help entertain and supervise while you focus on schoolwork.

Enlist the help of grandparents to assist with schooling or looking after the little ones.

Consider hiring a teenager to come and help during school hours.

Use a versatile curriculum that can cover multiple age groups.

Encourage older children to assist younger siblings with their studies.

Stagger one-on-one teaching times with different children to ensure individualized attention.

Incorporate time for independent work to foster self-reliance while maintaining parental support.

Explore online resources like "Teach your Monster to Read" for engaging learning.

Utilize audiobooks while children engage in quiet activities like coloring or independent play.

Use noise-cancelling devices like Loops to reduce environmental distractions.

Schedule regular downtime to provide children with breaks.

Consider hiring a helper, such as a teenager, to assist with child care a few hours a week.

Ensure that everyone has a designated space to retreat to when needed.

Set up a Google Classroom to organize assignments and resources for your kids.

Utilize Google Calendar to help older kids manage their time and assignments.

Keep supplies on a rolling cart for easy mobility between locations.

Create a visual organizing system using pictures and Velcro for children to track their tasks on a weekly chart.

Develop a visible and modifiable schedule for everyone in the household.

Notify kids in advance about their schoolwork times.

Account for preparation, travel, and settling-in time in your schedule to accurately plan teaching time.

Implement the "When/Then" strategy to encourage task completion (e.g., "When homework is done, devices can be used.").

Use the Pomodoro Technique and the "Focus To Do" app to manage focused work periods.

Consider using a wiggle seat to help young children and kids with ADHD stay active while working.

Focus friend: Designed by the creator of Crash Course, this app lets you set a timer to help you focus a little bean character knits for you. You get silly rewards like socks and decorations that make it fun to get work done.

“Power Ups”: These are small treats given to encourage kids to keep going. Inspired by the power up mushrooms in Mario Bros. the idea is that kids get a “power up” when they start the next assignment. Like the mushrooms in Mario Bros. the boost give you extra power to keep going. 

Body doubling: This is a common technique often used to help kids with ADHD stay focus and motivated. It simply involves having another person completing their own work while the student does theirs. Simply being next to a productive person enables the student to be more productive. 

White board erase task: Write the tasks to be completed in a work session on a white board. Erase them as the tasks are completed allowing the list to get smaller and smaller and kids to see their progress.

Share the book "Ish" to inspire a growth mindset and foster a positive learning attitude.

Charter schools require regular and thorough instruction—but not always at grade level. Adjust pacing and use creative resources while making steady progress. Work with your teacher to find the level that best fits your student. 

Use tools like voice memos or Apple Dictate to help kids express ideas when writing is hard.

Provide non-fiction materials for advanced readers seeking age-appropriate content and challenges.

Use a personalized planner (like this one from Chico Homeschoolers). There are also lots of amazing homeschool planners on Etsy and Teachers-Pay-Teachers. Chico Homeschoolers has other free planning tools they’ve curated over the years available here. 

Create your own planner in Canva. 

Use a Skylight family organizer. It holds your family calendar, check lists (think assignments and chores), routines, meal plans, etc. It’s easy for all family members.

For multi-step problems, write out the steps to complete problems where the kids can refer to it. Refer to the steps as you work through the problems together, until they can do them independently. Sometimes it can help to slowly release responsibility. That would look like going through the whole together for several problems, then having them do the first step on their own, and completing the rest of the steps together. Then having them take over the first 2 steps, then 3, then 4, until they’ve mastered independence with all the steps.

Tote bags: Keep each child’s textbooks in their own tote bag. When you are going somewhere you know there will be waiting at, bring the bag and complete work out and about. 

School supplies case: Have a separate grab and go case with all your school supplies at the ready. It might include the following: white boards, lined paper, graph paper, calculator, pens, pencils, erasers, white board pens, and a travel stapler. 

Grab your bags: When it’s time to do school work (whether at home or out on the town) grab your tote bags and your school supplies case and ready to go. Everything you need is in one easy to gather and portable place.

Audiobooks and podcasts: Car rides are an excellent opportunity to listen to literature or hear a great podcast (these are some local favorites). 

Book recommendation: Mis-takes by Jenna Bayne

Are you ready: Ask the child if they are ready to correct their paper. If not, allow them to come back to that later. 

Connect before you correct: Correction with connection feels like rejection. Focus on connection first. 

Give them a chance to find and correct their own mistakes:

Hand them the answer key before you correct the paper together. Give them a chance to make any corrections before they show you. Have them ask questions that came up. 

Correct the paper with a check marks for correct and dots for places that need correcting. Don’t tell them how to correct the mistakes (unless they ask). Give them a chance to fix the mistakes.