5 Top Tips to Help Kids Learn at Home
Before the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, many parents never considered the possibility that their kids could stay at home and continue to learn. But life has a way of teaching us things we ought to know, so the pandemic came in, and parents were forced to play the role of teacher and principal. The kids had to continue learning at home to avoid brain drain because of the long school closure. Now that the pandemic has ended and schools have opened again, having the kids learn at home (in addition to the school learning) is a new reality. However, some parents still struggle to achieve this to date.
Fortunately, we’re in a digital age, and schools now use online learning portals with thousands of academic resources that can help their students. Kids are starting to get used to online learning, with some schools sending out assignments through email. This is the new reality that both parents and the kids have to adapt to. We know that it may not be easy. We’ve prepared some tips to help your kids learn at home. Here’s how to set them up for successful home learning:
- Have a dedicated learning space
Dedicating a part of your house to learning is a good first step to helping your kids. Ensure to set up a clutter-free and quiet area where they can learn from home full-time. Ensure there are no distractions, such as TV or other unnecessary gadgets and devices around the space to help them focus. Provide them with only the things they need to learn within that space or room. So, when it’s time to learn, they know where to go, and once they’re done, they leave the space. It’s like having a school in your home.
- Check the learning resources and gather other useful materials.
Teachers may provide useful learning resources and guidance to help you. Ensure to go through these learning resources if there are clarifications to make or you need help. Once you’re clear on the learning materials, gather all the equipment and stationery your kids need to learn and have fun. These are marker pens, calculators, sticky notes, mini whiteboards, index cards, counters, and timers. This will help their learning flow smoothly.
- Create a learning schedule
The human brain thrived on habits and repeated or predictable patterns. So if you want to get your kids to learn at home, you have to create a learning schedule for them. Otherwise, they’re never going to have time for school work. Doing this may require a lot of planning as you have to consider your family's schedules and find the best time for them to learn. The following questions can help you create a fitting schedule:
- Is your child a high-schooler or mid-schooler? If yes, the early evening or late afternoon might be ideal.
- Does your kid require a lot of help to get started? If yes, then fix the schedule at a time when you or other adults are available to help them.
- Are you adding exercise and brain breaks to your child’s schedule to help them focus and do more?
- Do you have an agreement with your kids for them to follow some rules? Agreeing to let them play video games or watch TV may be important for them to focus on learning at home.
- Stay active
Kids tend to spend time moving around their school. They’re active beings, so you must allow them to retain this by engaging in activities they love doing while at home. Practical activities may include spending some time walking, jogging or riding outside. You may also consider using fitness apps to help you organize an activity.
As a family, you all must stay active as this impacts everyone’s mood positively, so you should get involved as an adult. Use the opportunity to do things with them, such as working on a garden or house project or playing board games. Take the time for family bonding, but respect the need for space for other family members.
- Provide the opportunity for success
Mastery of an exercise triggers the brain for the release of feel-good chemicals such as dopamine, endorphins and serotonin. So, if your kids aren’t mastering or having success in learning, take a step back and provide more opportunities for them in areas they’re likely to succeed. For instance, if your kid love math, then do more math. Allow them to feel good. As important as academic learning is, their well-being is more important. Also, success in their strong areas may push them to succeed in other areas. When a child experiences success, their brain is better prepared to learn other things. To cultivate success first before moving on to other challenging areas.
Conclusion
Learning at home for kids is more than a possibility now. It’s a reality. If you’ve been struggling to achieve it with your kids, the tips in this article may help you.
Author Bio
Charlie Svensson is a fast, engaging freelance writer skilled in content writing and blogging. He also has previous experience with essay writing reviews at several research paper services. The favorite topics of his posts are education, social media, marketing, SEO, motivation, blogging and self-growth. Excellent adaptability of skills to reach diverse audiences.
