Parent-approved easy homeschooling tips
- Learning Resources Posted On May 8, 2020 | Seasonal Fun
Parents across the UK have found themselves in their new role as home educator. It hasn't been easy and families have had to work our their own way of doing things, coming up with some great parent-approved easy home schooling tips along the way.
We know that teaching your little ones from home can be a tricky task, especially when there’s a mountain of washing piling up and popping them in front of the TV can seem like the easiest solution!
But, with a little creativity all of you lovely mums and dads out there have been doing an amazing job educating your children from home. We sponsored Britmums for their Home School Resources Twitter Chat to see how superhero parents like you are keeping their children entertained during lockdown - without overlooking their learning! Check out what parents like you had to say.
Exploring new interests
With additional time on your hands, now is a great time to let your children explore their interests. Combining what they love with education is the perfect way to help them to remember what they’re learning. Whether it’s animals, space, nature or whatever else they’re loving right now, use their enthusiasm to your advantage and turn their favourite toys and games into learning activities.
This is such a great idea from Laura B! Dinosaurs are such an interesting topic for children, and using boxes you have around the house not only gives them a storage place, it’s also the perfect place for them to get creative.
| If you’re looking to occupy tiny hands, these award winning Snap-n-Learn matching dinosaurs are great for improving fine motor skills, shape and colour recognition, and expanding imaginative play. |  |
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Or if you’ve got slightly bigger hands to fill, we love learning with these Counting Dino-Sorters. These colourful critters are great for everything from simple counting and colour matching to basic addition and subtraction. |
What a fantastic drawing! We love the way Pippa has combined arts and crafts with fact discovery! Here at Learning Resources, we have a range of free printable activity books, which includes a Learn About Animals book for you to get kids excited about learning.
Letting their creativity bloom
Creative learning activities are great for mental growth. Not only are artistic tasks a lot of fun for kids, they also help to keep the brain engaged and make connections between different areas of life. This is a fantastic way to improve problem solving abilities, and will feed directly into other school subjects. Definitely one of our favourite parent-approved easy home schooling tips.
If only we all had ducklings at home! We love the way Laura is letting her little one express her creativity in the way that works for her. Letting your kids loose with pencils and paper has a number of benefits for your child’s development.
Not only will these tasks help to hone their dexterity and fine motor skills, they will also help with concentration and visual analysis, helping them to understand distance, size comparison, and textural differences.
If you don’t have any ducklings at home, don’t worry! Any pet will do, although getting cats and dogs to stay still long enough may prove difficult. Why not gather some different objects from around your home, that are different sizes and textures, and practice drawing them (this is great fun for the whole family! Yes, mums and dads - it’s back to art school for you too!)
If they’re resistant to start drawing, why not turn it into a game? It’s simple enough to create your own game of pictionary at home, with some spare paper and pencils. There’s even a pictionary word generator online, so you don’t even need to think of what to draw!
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If you fancy a real challenge, Spindoodle offers a unique take on pictionary. This fun drawing game includes a range of different objects to draw on the revolving surface. |
Fun in the kitchen
Cooking and baking are not only amazing skills for your little ones to learn at an early age, it’s also an easy way to incorporate maths and science skills into your routine, without it feeling like a lesson. Home baking has boomed since lockdown came into force, and we can see why.
These home bakes look amazing! Not only are they learning while they create these tasty masterpieces, you also get some lovely sweet treats at the end of it. And, there’s no better reward than a cup of tea and a piece of cake after a long day of teaching. Yum yum!
We love this approach! If you’re worried about your waistline, why not get innovative with kitchen learning? This handy cheat sheet for creating a cheese sandwich will help to grow their independence, which has numerous benefits. Cultivating independence is important for improving a child’s confidence, as well as helping them with learning how to help those around them.
| If you don’t fancy doing any home baking - or you just can’t find any flour anywhere - there’s plenty of ways to enjoy learning with food. Why not ask your little one to draw what they want for dinner tonight? Our Magnetic Healthy Foods toy is a fun and educational way to get them excited about food, without any mess! |  |
Getting back to nature
Thankfully, we’ve had some really lovely weather recently, which means you’ve been able to take to your back gardens for your very own adventure. There’s no need for us to explain the benefits of fresh air and vitamin D from sunshine, we all absolutely love getting back to nature - even if we can’t enjoy the peace of parks. Getting outside is equally important for children, but instead of just running around why not make outdoor activities educational too?
We’re loving how productive Amelia has been during this time - we wouldn’t know where to start with building a circuit board! No matter how small your garden is, there are plenty of fun learning opportunities at your fingertips.
One of the simplest things you can do in your garden right now is to spend some time exploring the flowers and plants. We’ve created a handy Guide to Your Garden in Spring to help you on your way.
If your little ones are particularly green-fingered, why not try your hand at growing some vegetables? Not only is this a fun and rewarding experience for everyone involved - who knows, you might get them to finally eat their greens. We have some really handy resources for this, including a printable Vegetable Growing Fact Sheet as well as a Guide to Growing a Vegetable Garden.
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Outdoor play is such an important part of childhood, from bug hunting to sports, which is why we have a whole range of outdoor toys for kids. If you have a budding wildlife enthusiast, like Amelia, why not let them get up close and personal with their favourite creepy crawlies with this GeoSafari® Jr. Mighty Magnifier. |
Keeping active
Physical wellbeing is just as important as mental wellbeing at this time, and with no PE lessons keeping them active it’s important that we keep them moving somehow - the last thing we need is wide awake 5 year olds at 10pm!
Joe Wicks has been great for the whole nation during this time, offering online PE lessons for everyone (even us adults, if you dare to take part!). Although this has been great for kids in the mornings, we love the idea of creating a game out of dog walks, and eyespy is such an easy and fun game for the whole family.
If you’re looking for more inspiration for ways to keep your kids active, check out our Top Ideas to Keep Kids Moving.
Using what you have at home
Teaching your kids from home doesn’t mean you need a lot of fancy toys and accessories. Utilising what you already have is a purse friendly solution to your home learning adventure. Whether it’s old toilet rolls, cereal boxes or milk bottles, you’d be surprised at how many craft-worthy items there are around you.
There’s absolutely no reason to let a lack of resources affect your ability to teach. Why not take a look around the room and see what you could repurpose? Maybe those sofa cushions could make a brilliant fort? Or are those sponge scourers calling out to be cut into fun stamps? Don’t let the kids have all the fun and get creative with what you have around you!
Keep a schedule
Having a routine is a really important part of a child’s development, it helps them to stay focused as well as being key to wellbeing. That’s not to say there’s a one size fits all approach to structuring your day, however you decide to plan out your days should fit with what works for you.
We’re so impressed with how you are all keeping organised during this time, from creating a structured school day to implementing plenty of breaks to prevent boredom. If you’re struggling to sort out a schedule that works for you, we have a helpful article with organisational tips for homeschooling to help you keep on top of things.
We couldn’t agree more with Donna, every single child is different and their needs will be different. It’s important not to compare your efforts to other new homeschoolers. We’re all doing the very best we can, and we think you’re all doing an absolutely smashing job!
Celebrate the end of term!
What a year this has been! While this end of term may be different, teachers, parents, and children have accomplished many milestones along the way and there’s so much to celebrate!
Whether it’s a special dinner or a mini ceremony, we encourage you to find a way to celebrate the end of term and your family's home learning success. To inspire you, we've created photo signs, certificates and easy graduation activities to set up your own ceremony. Why not print out the certificates and hang them on your child’s bedroom door, the fridge, or any other highly visible place. PS. Parents, you've earned one, too! Congratulations on the end of term.
Share your home learning story with us! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and tag us in your end of term celebration posts. Don't forget to share these printables with friends and family to join in the fun.
Photo prop cut-outs
End-of-term certificates
Graduation hat craft
PS. Looking for fun ways to enjoy the summer holidays at home? Our Home Learning Summer Camp is launching soon!
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How to balance home learning expectations
For the first time in recent history, most parents across the UK have had to step into the role of being home educators during this season of school closures. For the majority, this wasn’t a choice and they perhaps feel overwhelmed with how to balance home learning expectations.
Some face added pressures including being furloughed, possibly being made redundant (or not earning an income as freelancer/self-employed) and others continue to try and juggle teaching their children with working from home.
Many parents feel ill-equipped to suddenly fill this new role. With the lockdown deadline extended and uncertainty as to when UK schools will open again, families have mixed feelings about what they should achieve during this time.
In this guest blog, Becca Tooth, an experienced primary teacher, home educator, parent and blogger at Pears and Chocolate Sauce shares some advice to help you and your family work through this time and keep your head above water.
Home educating in a pandemic
If your child is usually educated in school, then what you’re experiencing now isn’t a typical example of home educating. You’ve been thrown in at the deep end, and for many of you home educating may never have crossed your mind.
In addition, many of the resources those of us who do home educate would usually access - libraries, museums, home school groups, and so on - are currently unavailable. We are all having to find our new normal, considering both our children’s and our own wellbeing.
Image: AleksandarNakic/Getty Images
Have realistic expectations
- Don’t feel you have to ‘recreate’ school. You don’t have to start at 9am or end at 3pm. You can do it at the weekend. You can do more some days, and less others. You don’t have to record everything (and nor do they). Do what works for you and your children. That might be reading over breakfast. It could be putting on a show. It might be as simple as a conversation or finding out something together. There may also be days when emotions are running high (particularly given the current circumstances) and what might work best is just to spend the day doing whatever brings you and your children some comfort.
- My experience is that my own children can be far more resistant to what I ask them to do than most children I’ve taught. This is normal. However, it can make things difficult when you’re pulling in opposite directions. Try letting them choose when to do things. Instead of saying, “It’s time for maths now,” give them a list of tasks for the day or the week and let them choose the order. This way, you’re still setting the expectations, but they can exercise some control.
- Home education can be more ‘intensive’, by which I mean that I can do the same kind of activity with my daughter that I may have with a class, but because she has my full attention (well, almost - she does have two younger brothers!), both the teaching and the activity often take less time. So, don’t feel your children have to be doing ‘schoolwork’ all day. I’d say three or four 15-30-minute bursts, depending on their age, would be plenty for most children.
Image: MartinPrescott/Getty Images
Keeping up with school expectations
Some families are finding it hard to keep up with the sheer volume of work that has come in from the schools. If this is the case, speak to your child’s teacher to clarify what their expectations are. Some families will want to be given more to do than others, and so schools will be trying to cater for those parents who want lots for their child to do, but they probably don’t expect everyone to do everything.
Let them know what you’re struggling with and ask for advice. In these difficult times, the priority is your child’s wellbeing. If it’s causing friction at home trying to get everything done, then take a step back. Do what feels manageable - that might just be some reading and a craft activity some days.
Remember that your children will be learning as they play, and there’s lot to be learned from day-to-day activities such as cooking, gardening, and helping around the house. Alternatively, you may find it works better to choose a topic that your child is particularly interested in and do your own thing.
Managing younger children
If you have younger children, it can be difficult to find time to work with older ones, do your own work, or get jobs done around the house. Firstly, try and find a routine that works for you. No two sets of circumstances are the same, so nor will our routines be.
I am constantly tweaking our routine to try and make it work best for the family at any given time. I shared some pointers a few weeks ago on how to create a routine that works for your family - it can be as strict or as loose as you want; whatever suits you.
Secondly, have some things in mind that your child can do fairly independently - something that really engages them. For example, one of my children loves using scissors. He will sit quite happily cutting up a piece of paper or an empty cereal box for quite a while.
Playdough [Ed’s note: try our Playfoam for non-drying, non-sticky, squishing, sculpting fun] is another one which goes down very well with my kids, or a tub of containers and scoops with some pompoms, beads, oats or lentils. Don’t feel bad about putting the TV on, either, if that’s what works for you.
Image: gradyreese/Getty Images
What if the schools only reopen in September?
While we’d all love to get back to normal sooner, we have a responsibility to stay at home for as long as necessary. When schools do reopen, there is going to have to be a huge focus on children’s wellbeing and coming to terms with all that has happened over the past however many months.
Teachers will also need to assess where children are at, so I hope the DfE are supportive in enabling schools to make meaningful assessments which prioritise the children’s wellbeing.
Have a healthy perspective on success
Try not to compare yourself to others - easier said than done, I know. I’ve seen a quote going around that says something like, “We’re all in the same storm, but not in the same boat”. Everyone’s circumstances are different. The variables include our workloads; number of children; financial situations; physical or mental health; and access to outdoor space amongst other things.
We don’t all have the same input and we cannot all have the same output. I find it helpful to have a rough plan in my mind of what I want to have done by the end of the day - not only what I want to have done with the children, but what else needs to happen for it to be a good day.
There will be some days when you get loads done and some days where it feels like nothing productive has happened. I think the key thing is wellbeing. If we all go to bed happy, the day has been a success.
 | About the author: Becca Tooth is a mum of three from London. She has taught across the primary age range over the last twelve years and is currently having a break from teaching while she cares for her children, including home educating her eldest, who is aged six. Becca is a big believer in the power of play as a tool for learning, and writes at Pears and Chocolate Sauce sharing practical ideas and insights to help parents and educators use play to nurture children’s natural curiosity and inspire a love of learning. |
Looking for more? Read about ways to stay feeling positive while staying at home. And keep visiting our blog, Facebook and Instagram pages to stay in touch - we're all in this together.
Main image: gradyreese/Getty Images
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At Home Behaviour Supports
Transitioning to home-learning is a big change for our students and us as parents. Many of the same positive, proactive supports that we put in place in your children’s classroom can be adapted for the home setting. Here are four suggestions for at-home behaviour supports to help make remote learning time more successful.
Try to provide warnings ahead of transitions:
When it is time to transition from one activity to another, give clear directions such as, “In five minutes, we are going to turn off the TV and start our maths assignment.” Positive reinforcement is a help, so provide praise when your child transitions well: “Thanks for turning off the TV. Grab your notebook and pencil and meet me at the kitchen table.”
Discuss with your child your expectations for when you also have work to do:
During this time, many parents are juggling working at home with home schooling, and transitions and boundaries help things run smoother. This could be actions such as, “When I am on a conference call, you can write down your question and hand it to me,” or “If you get hungry while I am working, I set out three snack choices for you,” or “If you can’t figure out this assignment while I am on a work call, you can read until I can help you.”
Image: duCHE/Getty Images
Encourage independence:At school our students are encouraged to ask a friend before asking their teacher if they have questions about an assignment. You can encourage your child to ask an older sibling (if available). Use technology to your advantage as well! You can have your child ask “Alexa” or “Google” how to spell a word or define a word if you have a smart speaker. Encourage your child to email their teacher with questions as opposed to you doing it for them.
Create a family positive behaviour system:This is uncharted territory for us both as educators and parents. Look to create a system that rewards the behaviours we want our children to display and all work together. This could be a poster where you all earn stars for being helpful or kind or following directions without whining. Once your family gets a certain number of stars (start low, you want this to be attainable within a week or less) they can earn a fun family reward. A nature scavenger hunt, a special cooking project, or a family indoor picnic or movie night are all fun rewards.
Another positive support that many students are familiar with is putting a marble (you can use pebbles, or cotton balls as well) for displaying certain behaviours. Try to target one thing at a time and be specific – “Listening to mum and dad on the first ask” is always a good one. Put an item in the jar each time that behaviour is displayed and when the jar is filled, they can turn it in for a fun activity (see suggestions above). I would suggest having these systems be something all kids in the family are working towards together to encourage working as a family team.
About the AuthorAlexa Halbert is a certified Behavioural Analysist. She has worked in the field of applied behaviour for over seven years. During this time, she has worked with a wide range of students with special needs. She helps parents with customised behaviour intervention plans for home or school.
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