Easy, basic, minimal homeschool schedule & curriculum during covid-19 pandemic 2020

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It has now been a few weeks since classes have been canceled due to the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic. At first, most thought it was temporary and were taking the time at home as an extended Spring Break. Then it was extended another week or two. By this point everyone started sharing 2,184 ways to homeschool with jam-packed, Pinterest style experiments. Beautiful, color-coded schedules were being shared, keeping the kids busy from sunrise to sundown. For some families, those ideas work great. But for the rest of us, it may not be realistic. Some families still have both parents working out of the home, or are working from home but their job is very demanding and they cannot leave their computer all day. I came up with an easy, basic, minimal homeschool schedule and curriculum that can be completed independently by your student. Depending on the student and their age, you may need to adjust, but that is the beauty of homeschool. This schedule does NOT have to be completed in any particular order or time of day. I have one kid that wakes up around noon, eats then plays an hour of video games, then completes his school work with no breaks. I have another kid that wakes up at the crack of dawn (practically, but around 7 AM) and does one subject, then takes a 15-30 minute break to play, and repeats this until all his school work is done. You may also throw in chores, exercise, music, art, other electives and technology as part of their school day. The subjects suggested below are just to cover the "core" subjects at a minimum, to get you through this pandemic, without your child falling behind.

MATH
Elementary:
Review math facts (addition, subtraction multiplication, division) with flash cards for 15-20 minutes every day (adjust accordingly). If you don't have any flashcards, then make them using index cards, construction paper, or regular notebook paper. 
Optional- add worksheet practice, add math online games, etc.

Middle School/ High School:
Review math facts the same way as mentioned above. Add a lesson per day using KhanAcademy. They can go straight into the math concept they were learning while in regular school. 

READING
Elementary:
Read a book at their current reading level for 15 minutes. Alternate between silent reading and reading outloud.
Have them listen to an audiobook, above their reading level but still age appropriate, for 15-30 minutes. Always check in YouTube to see if there is a recording of the book you are reading before actually buying the audio format. Many times you can find it for free.

Middle School/ High School:
Read for a minimum of 30 minutes. If they are a struggling reader, or they simply hate it, then I suggest finding a book-to-movie of one they have already "seen". You may also allow them to read along while they listen to the audiobook. (
Optional: After each chapter, or each day they read, have them tell you a summary. You may have them write it down in a notebook too. When they have finished reading the book, they can complete a Book Report. There are many creative project ideas in Pinterest or TeachersPayTeachers. 

WRITING
Elementary:
Write daily journal entries and draw a picture.

Middle/High School:
Write Covid19 Journals using Google Slides, where they must attach at least 1 image/video/sketch/picture and answer reflection questions.
CLICK HERE FOR AN EXAMPLE. 

HISTORY/ SCIENCE
Have your kids watch a movie, video, or documentary every day. They may all watch together. You may alternate days with Science. They can also alternate from watching movies and go on Virtual Fieldtrips. I suggest one place for "Science" per day and one place for "History" per day.
Optional: Write a summary, take notes during the video, compare & contrast, do a craft project, etc.

CLICK HERE FOR NETFLIX VIDEOS.

CLICK HERE FOR YOU TUBE VIDEOS.

CLICK HERE FOR VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS.

One thing I want to add is that everybody handles stress differently. Some children will act out and refuse to do their school work. Keep in mind that their life has been turned upside down too. They miss their routine, they miss their teachers, and miss the interactions with their friends. Kids, even the older teenagers, do not know how to process their feelings. This pandemic can cause them trauma as well. So keep that in mind before getting frustrated and losing your patience when they are not "following" the schedule. Your priority is to keep them safe and their state of mind healthy. Try to be flexible and allow them to sleep in, start school after doing something "fun" as a family, etc. The "academic" stuff is important, yes, but not to cause a war over it. Pick and choose your battles, especially with your teens. Focus on building your relationships first, increasing your family unity, and then do the school work. 

I hope that these suggestions are helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions, please post below. Have a blessed day!