Helping Your Child with their Home Learning

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A child’s learning journey does not start and finish in the classroom, in fact the classroom is just a part of their learning journey. Their home life also plays a huge role in their academic success and their learning journey as a whole and the more interest you show in their schoolwork, the more they will understand how important it is. Learning from home is a whole new experience but it can be one that can be enjoyed by a whole household and often opens up lots of new doors for a child to learn in a different way and about different topics and subjects too.  

A private school in Cardiff have put together the follow advice to help parents heighten their child’s learning at home...

Be sure to praise your child when they complete an activity well or get a good result on a piece of homework. Stick their work up on the fridge to show how proud you are or get them a treat to encourage the same behaviour going forward. The treat doesn't have to be monetary value, it could be getting some extra tech time or picking the family movie on a weekend. Just ensure it is something our child will look forward to and enjoy. 

Avoid being harsh on your child if they don’t get the grades they were hoping for and instead, praise them for trying their best and allow them the time to talk to you about what happened or what they found difficult. This is the perfect time to be able to talk to them about things they might need help with, but only when they are ready to talk. 

 

You should also always try to set a good example. Let your child see you engrossed in a novel, practising your instrument, or working on some emails from time to time, as this will encourage them to engage in similar activities. Ask them to help you with the cooking or calculate the bill when you go out for a meal. Have group discussions at mealtimes and share the things each of you have learnt about during the day.  

 

You might not be great a maths or science and find it challenging to help them with their homework. However, setting up a dedicated study space for them will be just as beneficial. This space should be quiet and free from distractions, equipped with a comfortable desk and chair and all the relevant study supplies. Try and make yourself available to your child when they’re doing their homework so that they can ask you questions if they need to. Having that support will help them to persevere rather than give up in frustration if they’re finding it difficult.  

 

If you think it necessary, have a chat with your child’s teacher and find out more about the curriculum. If you understand what your child is learning about at school, you will be able to tailor the activities you do together at home to complement their school subjects and harness their learning. Learning at home isn't the same as school and as such you shouldn't try to recreate the school environment as this can often cause more stress than good.  

I think when it comes to home learning the important thing to remember is not to get too stressed, work at the child's pace and engage in the things they are generally interested in. You will be amazed at how much "maths" or "science" you can squeeze into things like baking or a daily walk without them even really knowing. 

How do you find home learning with your child? Have you found something that has really been working for you at home? Let me know in the comments below. 

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**This is a collaborative post.**