Home Schooling
The Challenge for Parents and Children
Due to the Covid-19 Virus, home schooling has been thrust upon many parents and teachers for the first time and this can be very challenging for many. Often, space in the home becomes a premium, along with quiet places to think clearly without disruption or distraction.
When both parents are also working from home and also have work requirements… zoom calls plus important emails, reports and deadlines to attend to, dealing with young children or teenagers can all become very challenging.
Teachers at school are also finding their feet when preparing home-school schedules and sending out multiple home-school transcripts across their varying student classes.
Learning from home also creates challenges for children in staying connected with their friends, as well as learning and developing socially. For some children, distant learning creates feelings of isolation, not being able to have the usual fun and sport activities that they would have when playing with their friends at school. However, home schooling or remote learning can constitute creative and fun learning experiences for children as they may well pursue new interests and overcome challenges when faced with home-schooling requirements.
Learning from home will no doubt enable them to develop initiative, be creative and be more responsible. Home-schooled kids often develop and take on more responsibilities around the home. These new skills might be growing some vegetables at home, helping in the kitchen or perhaps creating fun projects for themselves and other members of the family or their friends on line.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO SET UP GUIDELINES for Home-school Learning
7 SIMPLE HOME-SCHOOL GUIDELINES
Children learn best with structure, routine and clear guidelines about what is expected of them. This helps builds confidence and feelings of security, which avoids uncertainty and makes for fewer upsets.
1 Create a warm and pleasant atmosphere
2 Be your child’s coach, with lots of encouragement
3 Focus on effort, with words of affirmation
4 Build confidence
5 Be gentle and allow feelings to be expressed
6 Allow for the challenging moments
7 Focus on the positives and building relationships
ESTABLISH A SIMPLE HOME-SCHOOL ROUTINE
Whether you have young children, teenagers or uni students at home… whatever age, home-schooling can take time to adjust to. When distant learning, everyone needs a routine to follow, to keep in the swing of things.
Therefore, it’s best to create a family routine. The result will be …
better concentration,
less chance of distraction,
developing better learning abilities,
a positive impact on your child’s education.
Children can more easily study from home with a simple home-school routine. Keep the same routine. Get up at the same time each day. Get the kids up and dressed.
At the time that school would normally start, ensure that the kids get their books out or computers at the kitchen table or the study desks.
Tip.. Set firm limits but don’t be too strict. Eg “You can’t use your iPad until your work is done”.
12 EASY STEPS TO A HOME-SCHOOLING ROUTINE
1 Establish good habits
2 Organise your desk, books, computer etc
3 Get up at the same time each day
4 Always get dressed
5 Be ready to start the school home program
6 Schools have been preparing materials around the curriculum, so follow their guide. Create a chart for what is expected from school
7 Establish regular breaks with the usual snacks and drinks
8 Allow regular play and free time activities. Children work best in the mornings… concentration levels wane towards the afternoon
9 Discuss schoolwork and how it fits into everyday life. Children love helping and being involved and learning practical skills. For small children, it might be a practical maths lesson… “2 eggs plus 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup of dates, 1/2 cup melted butter, 2 cups of crushed biscuits = how many cups?” Cook and eat the yummy result.
10 Keep the same routine for each day around the school learning time. This will be easier for children, when they go back to formal classes at school, to more easily slot back into the school timetable.
11 Set firm limits, but allow lots of fun activities, relaxation and family time.
12 Be prepared to make some sacrifices but more importantly, build family relationships and have lots of fun.
It’s very important that children continue with their education, even though learning from home may be challenging for everyone. Parents may be required to assist their children when following the home-school curriculum program. However they are not expected to become a home-school teacher, but merely to guide and encourage their children as they follow the home-school schedules.