The global pandemic has hit the world for six! Here in the UK, schools have closed for the foreseeable, thrusting most parents into the position of being home tutor. Most for the first time in their lives!
Schools are supplying plenty of homework, daily learning challenges and packs of information to wade through.
While some children are motivated and self-sufficient, others are not. By the end of the week, you’ll have heard ‘how do I do that?’ or ‘I don’t get it’ a million times.
You may well feel overwhelmed by the situation, especially if you don’t feel equipped to teach all your children every subject. It’s a big ask for anyone…
So our tutor team have some useful suggestions on how to get through this tricky time in one piece.
How to homeschool your children
Stick to a routine
Kids thrive off routines. Wise advice would be to work out a timetable together, perhaps giving your child some say as to how they want to organise their day.
KS3 and 4 will be more able to work by themselves, whereas if you have Primary school children you might need to be more hands on.
Year 10 is a crucial year, so encourage your teen to create revision flashcards as well as get to know the syllabus. You can access past papers on every exam board website too. Why not use this time to plan ahead for year 11 as your teenager is bound to feel anxious…
Teach life skills.
Build in some life skills opportunities too. Cooking lessons, gardening, den-building – anything that gets them doing something active and useful either as a team or individually.
Learning to relax is so important too. You could agree a half hour reading session where everyone reads. Audible can offer a brilliant reading experience where stories come alive, while there are online books to be found as well.
Variety is important so they are not looking at a screen every lesson. If you’ve a back garden, set a challenge. Design a mini Olympics sporting arena with ‘events’, or a group task to create a wacky building from cardboard boxes and tape.
Build in some fun
Children, after a while, will miss their friends, teachers and even the structure of school. So we think it crucial to build in some ‘me time’ to let them communicate for a bit – perhaps during ‘break times.’
Also, take the opportunity to explore an interest. If your child loves History, they could explore the past in virtual reality. A creative writer could set up a blog, or write a book!
Perhaps your child is endlessly curious about all sorts of things? Explore this incredible site packed with fascinating videos and info about a host of subjects.
Call in the education experts
If you are really struggling with perhaps a subject such as Science, Maths or English, consider getting some professional help.
Our safe online classroom offers you the chance to help your child break down a difficult area of the syllabus, or learn some learning techniques with a specialist tutor.
In fact, parents often tell us that they wished they’d arrange private tuition earlier when they see the massive difference it makes.
Don’t go it alone if you are feeling overwhelmed. Call our tutor team whether you live in Cheshire or the Manchester area, or anywhere else in the world.
Tags: homeschooling, online learning, Online tuition, private tutor