Homeschooling being seen more during the pandemic

DELMARVA- Education has been a hot topic during the pandemic, and for some families they found homeschooling to be the best option for their children.

“It had been a plan for after they both finished elementary school and then COVID happened and it was kind of sink or swim,” Michelle Goodridge, a homeschooling mom, said.

The founder of Traveling Tutorz, in Delaware, who tutors homeschooled children said COVID-19 pushed many families to make the switch from public school to homeschool.

“Last year it was the uncertainty with the virus and maybe fear of the virus,” Carla Ziegler, the founder and owner of Traveling Tutorz, said.

“This year I’m seeing that it has to do more with the masks and the vaccines,” Ziegler said.

For one Deal Island mom, Michelle Goodridge, she made this decision last year and will continue to do it this year.

“We right away found a program we wanted to use, we started buying books, we started joining the Facebook groups,” Goodridge said.

She said a plus with teaching them at home she feels her kids are safer.

“Caroline has asthma, my oldest George has spina bifida and a few other medical issues, so I didn’t want them in school,” Goodridge said.

Goodridge also realized through this how many resources are available to homeschooling parents, and feels those resources will grow.

And while homeschooling has changed Goodridge’s life in a positive way, her kids are on board as well.

“The cool thing about homeschooling is that everybody makes new friends and everybody goes on field trips,” Carly Goodridge, who is homeschooled, said.

“We have got a homeschool bonfire tomorrow and that will be really fun,” George Goodridge, who is homeschooled, said.