Are you ready for home schooling?
Janet Mcneill
Posted on 14 Apr 2020
The name itself presents a problem; how to effectively separate one from the other?
First off, there’s no need to swap your family photos for algebra posters and replicate a traditional classroom - just make sure you’ve got clean tables to work on and a well-lit room, and make it your own.
Some parents prefer learning-free zones, but if you’re tight on space, you can change up the space by moving furniture to stop the lines from blurring too much.
If you’ve got a garden or even a pool, use them! Schools use effective and tested methods, but they’re not suited for everyone.
Now’s your chance to deliver a tailored learning experience based on what works for your kids, especially where the learning is age dependent.
With the freedom to use your space to teach interactively through games and activities out of the house, you can have a positive influence on your child's education.
Here are some worthwhile tips to help you feel less overwhelmed with homeschooling your children;
Don't be hard on yourself or your children.
Ask your children what they do throughout the normal day at school, and try to keep that same routine and structure where possible, in the same chronological order, such as quiet time, which is then followed by reading time etc.
As hard as it may be, keep sugar to an absolute no to low.
Children tend to ride the high sugar wave and then crash hard, which will make it harder on your level of patience as a parent turned teacher.
Knowing that attention span of children is relatively small, keep each activity to 15 minutes so they don't get bored. Ie, 15 minutes of maths, 15 minutes of reading, 15 minutes of science.
If you can get involved, do so.
Your children learn through fun experiences and is proven that if they feel joy and excitement, they will retain the lesson easier.
If you have to work from home whilst your child is homeschooling, sit them beside you.
This will save you getting up multiple times to help them with questions they will throw at you.
Be patient and kind to yourself.
Tell us your top tip for keeping a healthy home/ school balance.