The number of children being homeschooled in 2020 soared due to school closures and parental fear of COVID-19.
Even before the pandemic hit the UK, home education was on the rise. Between 29 March 2018 and the same date in 2019, 15% more children were receiving homeschooling — and some parts of England saw a 119% increase.
Whether you’re interested in educating your children at home long term or simply trying to survive the repeated closure of schools wrought by the coronavirus, read on for some top tips on how to create the ideal homeschool environment.
- Create a physical space for learning
Set up a desk or table and section off an area to act as your “school”. Just as adults working from home struggle to switch off at the end of the day, so too can children who are not set clear boundaries and expectations. Creating a designated space that is for “school” hours helps you to set a clear line between work and leisure time.
If you’re tight on space, consider temporarily moving non-essential furniture elsewhere — such as to the garden shed or a family member’s house — and identify areas of “dead space” — such as under the stairs or a box room — to create a learning zone. Even in the smallest homes, it’s usually possible to create enough space for a child to set up a laptop, books and pens. Don’t forget to factor in proximity to power points and lighting.
If you’re planning to home educate your child long term, more drastic action may be required. Value your house to find out if you can afford to upsize to a larger family home with a designated room for schooling.
- Set a daily schedule
Young people of all ages thrive on structure and routine. Set a daily schedule of activities that both you and your child can view each day to understand what’s ahead.
If you’re feeling creative, for younger children, you could make a visual or interactive daily timetable with pieces of velcroed card for each activity that can be moved around as needed.
Base your schedule as closely as possible on the school timetable to help your child adjust and adapt. Don’t forget to include breaks or playtimes as well as lunch and, of course, home time!
- Be realistic
If you’re homeschooling temporarily, don’t aspire to become a teacher overnight. Setting yourself unrealistic expectations of offering a full curriculum with all singing, all dancing lesson plans are more likely to result in a stressed parent and child rather than a fulfilling educational experience.
Your child’s school should provide all the materials and online resources necessary for you to support your child’s learning until they can return to their regular classes. And remember to have fun! There is plenty of maths involved in activities such as baking a cake, and what better P.E. lesson than a game of football in the garden?
If you’re homeschooling long term, it might be worth seeking out support groups, forums and even undertaking ongoing study to stay up to date with current methods of teaching and learning.
- Make use of the resources available
There is a wealth of online educational resources for all ages. If you don’t have a computer or laptop, some games consoles can be used to access essential online learning platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom. There are also several charities set up to provide children with the technology they need to access learning from home, and some big mobile phone networks are currently offering free data for schoolchildren.
The BBC recently released a series of “lockdown lessons”, and there are a number of online resources for maths, science and computing.
- Don’t discount informal learning
If you’re a busy parent trying to juggle remote working with homeschooling, remember that your child can learn from a wide range of experiences — you don’t always have to be sitting next to them pouring over a maths book together.
Variety will keep the learning fun for both you and your child. Ask them to add up the total cost of your shopping or draw a selection of household items. Talking and listening are valuable skills — have a conversation with your child and encourage them to expand their vocabulary. Adding some non-screen time to the timetable will keep your child focused and motivated.
Homeschooling can be stressful, so it’s important to make it fun and manageable for both you and your child. Whether you’re covering the basics until the schools re-open or planning to home educate long term, the same approach will set you up for success — set expectations, maintain a routine, add variety and make use of the free support and resources available.
This post has been included in Twinkl’s Behavioural Management in the Classroom Blog
