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Sunday 5 April 2020

5 Tips for At Home Learning

As we move to full time at home learning there are many confused and nervous parents who just don't know how they are going to do it so I am going to give you my top 5 tips for how this can be successful for you as a parent.



1. Chill Out!
Just chill for a second, teachers and schools are not expecting that you will be replicating a classroom in your home. That is just unrealistic. Hopefully your school has provided you with some guidelines and resources to use, if you are struggling with it find the things that are working and focus on that first. A stressed out parent cannot teach a stressed out child, make sure you are taking some time to relax with your child (or without) through the day.

2. Unschedule
Some parents and children will need to have a schedule that will keep them on track, some won't, that's ok. Do not expect that you will be schooling your child from 9 am to 3 pm everyday. That is unnecessary and overwhelming for everyone, particularly if you are also working at home. Morning is the best time for learning so if you can fit in learning during that time and the rest of the day is netflix, outside play, reading or just relaxing that's ok. If you have more independent learners who need a schedule set make sure there is flexibility in that for change.

3. Get Physical
Take regular breaks through the day to move and exercise. This is not a PE lesson, it doesn't have to be structured, get on the trampoline, chase the dog around the yard, play ball games, get out the skipping rope, climb a tree!  If you can't get outside create an obstacle course inside, dance, yoga, use weights ( or whatever you have that could double as weights). It is important for brain development that children have physical activity everyday.

4. Ditch the worksheet
Worksheets do not teach, that's it, the end. The best learning happens when children are active participants and parents this is where you shine! What a great opportunity for you to do some amazing activities with your child. Cooking covers so many curriculum areas, maths, literacy, science, health, history, cultural experiences. It is a great time to connect and have fun. Get the lego out and build some incredible structures, lots of maths and engineering involved. Teach them how to knit, crochet or sew, some really important fine motor skills can be honed with learning these skills.

5. Game on!
Now is the time to get out the board games. Your child can learn so much from this, counting, problem solving, critical thinking, cause and effect, reading and comprehension. Not only academic abilities but social etiquette, how to take turns, resilience when things don't go their way, following rules. It doesn't matter what games you play they are all beneficial. Maybe your family could develop your own board game to play!

You may have noticed that none of these tips involve technology. That isn't to say you shouldn't use technology and in my next post I will write about how you can use technology at home in ways that isn't just keeping them busy.

I hope you have taken at least one little tip away from this post to support you and your children with their learning at home. If you have any questions or need more info just send me a message!