Research on What Has Been Working for New Homeschooling Parents, according to edHelper

MCLEAN, Va., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Parents are scrambling to meet the ever-changing needs and demands from school closures, shelter-in-place orders, trying to work from home, and homeschooling. Things that have been working include building a routine, deciding collectively on a plan for screen time and daily movement, and setting academic expectations.

To help with homeschooling, edHelper.com has been releasing daily math, puzzle, and reading workbooks for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade. In the last week, parents have downloaded over 500,000 books free to the public.  But has this been working?  EdHelper reached out to parents to see, and results show that parents who have reduced screen time to a period of 3–4 hours during the day have experienced sanity in their family life. During this time allotment, kids can read, play, exercise, and do chores, and edHelper suggests they work for 15–45 minutes on math worksheets. Some parents also have put a poster on their refrigerator with ideas for this time period.

You can read more about the feedback on edHelper's program on Facebook:

"[I] love how easy it was to access these without registering and jumping through hoops. Thank you! And these are way better than the tons of supplies and workbooks I've been buying for my second- and sixth-graders."—Josie R.

"My son is in first grade and just loves math! I had just printed a packet for him, and he immediately went to work. He got halfway through and begged me to print ALL of the papers that I could! I can't thank you enough for giving out these free worksheets! It gets him off of his tablet and using his brain ... and he has fun!!!"—Brenda G.

While there are several options for online math games, videos, and tutorials, research still showcases the power of paper and pencil when it comes to developing and internalizing skills and standards. These resources can help limit screen time and encourage strategic academic growth.

New homeschooling parents have a new appreciation for what their child's teacher does each day, especially when you consider that he or she works with close to thirty students at a time! When school finally resumes, parents will no doubt be ready to shower their children's teachers with praise, but until then, edHelper.com will keep them engaged with high-quality and engaging materials.

About edHelper, Inc.

edHelper is an online service that provides printable worksheets and educational resources to teachers and homeschooling parents. As a leader providing weekly math workbooks and supplemental reading materials, developed by educational experts, for over 20 years, edHelper now serves more than 100,000 educators in 150 countries.

Press Contact: Russell Frey, [email protected], 1-571-329-5536

SOURCE edHelper, Inc.