Tips for homeschooling

27/03/2020

Ever since the government announced it will be closing schools due to COVID-19 you may have had a panic on how you’re going to home school your children.

The advice from teachers is not to panic. You’re not expected to teach them in the same way in which teachers do, remember they’ve had years of training. The most important thing to remember is that the reason why children are staying at home is to keep them safe and that should be the most important aspect to remember over the coming weeks.

Set a routine

Children thrive of a routine, so the first thing to establish is you guessed it - a routine. It may take a few days to get into it but once you’re there the days will become easier to manage. Print a schedule out and put it somewhere obvious in the house such as the fridge or an empty wall. You can then keep track on timings a lot better. We have put together one which you can find here.

Embrace technology and the internet

If you’re struggling for ideas and resources, here are some you can use for free during the pandemic:

• Maths
  • The Maths Factor– maths with Carol Vorderman.
  • Maths Frame

• English
  • Oxford Owl
  • David Walliams is releasing free audio books every day for 30 days, you can find them here
• Other
  • BBC bitesize is perfect for all ages and for all subjects, you can find it here
  • Twinkle is normally a paid service for the schools, but during the outbreak they are making their services free. You can find resources for all ages and for multiple subjects here.

Celebs are also taking part and offering free sessions for children. You can find a schedule of these here:

Scheduled sessions:

9.00am - PE with Joe Wicks
1.30pm - Dance with Darcey Bussel 
4.00pm - Cooking with Theo Michaels (Mon/Wed/Fri)

Non-scheduled sessions:

History with Dan Snow

Music with Myleene Klass

Lunch with Theo Michaels

Prioritise the basics

Make sure that Maths and English are the key subjects that you focus on. After that, children can learn through play. Make it fun and relaxed. If your child is in senior school, then they would have most likely been set work from the teachers so make sure this is their priority of what needs to be completed.

We hope your home schooling goes well. A key thing to remember is don’t panic and don’t worry if you think your children aren’t getting the correct education, times are hard and health is the most important factor right now.

Also take a break – if you need to place your kids in front of the TV for a little bit whilst you do something else, then let them. We’re all in this together! Good luck.