Are you pulling your hair out while trying to teach your child at home?
The chances are that you never even thought that you would be doing the work of a teacher from your living room, but 2020 has had plenty of surprises.
The good news is that there are many tricks that you can try to make the process easier and actually have success with teaching your kids what they need to know. Let's look at some simple tips and the tools to help.
1. Scheduling is Key
The only way to get parents and kids 0n the same wavelength for home learning is to create a schedule and stick to it.
You don't want to overdo it, so keep learning time to 3 hours or less, but make them productive hours as you take on the curriculum. Remember that you can be flexible with this schedule, so if you don't have time during the week, then add some learning time during the weekends.
Don't be too overbearing during this time and allow breaks if your child begins to get frustrated. If you continue teaching during this tense time, they will not retain the knowledge.
Here are some great tools to help you keep your schedule on track:
Magnetic Refrigerator Calendar - Put this on the fridge so you and your kids know what is on the schedule for today and the rest of the week. Write subjects in different colors and erase it at the end of the month.
SchKIDules Home Bundle Visual Schedule - This tri-folding board is loaded with magnets and activities that you or your kids can move to prioritize learning. You can easily hang it in your learning space, and you can use it for each grade they go through.
Daily Planner - Keep track of what studies you have learned and what comes next with an affordable planner. Plan out your entire month so you can keep on track. Many of these planners also have sleeves for school paperwork.
2. Motivation (or bribing)
Let's face it, teaching your kids at home can be frustrating for them and you, especially if you have to work at your job as well.
To that end, some bribing may be necessary. It's okay to do, as long as you keep it within reason and only offer rewards if the work is done right.
Offer a reward whenever a certain lesson is learned or after a duration of time, like an hour, a school day, or the end of the week. Video games, weekend adventures, and snacks are all good motivation that could keep your kids on track.
Here are a few other great motivations:
Recognition Awards - There are a million different award certificates like this on Amazon. These are great motivation, they look great on the fridge, and they will give the kids something to work towards.
Gift Cards - For the older kids, a gift card to their favorite store may be the way to go. This reward is better for a longer duration of work, like a week or month.
3. Use Teaching Tools
When all else fails, turn to the old teaching tools that have worked for generations. Flash cards, demonstration sets, and work books can help to keep your kids on track. There is a tool for every subject and grade level.
Flash Cards - For generations, flash cards have kept information simple with one easy to learn fact per card. These offer great information, and they can be used at any time, even driving the car, during commercials, etc.
Realistic Instructional Kits - You can use the same tools they use in school without breaking the bank. Aids like these give realistic demonstrations about health, earth sciences, biology and more. Click the link above to see the other sets.
Instructional Games - Make learning fun with board games that give all the instructions your youngsters need but without it seeming like such a core. Just one game can teach them math, science, memory skills and more.
Workbooks - Keep track of what needs to be taught and keep a record of their progress with a workbook. There is a paperback for every school year and every subject, and they are chock-full of activities and learning exercises.
Yes, 2020 has given us plenty of new challenges, and home schooling is certainly one of them. Try the tricks above and make your life that much easier.
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Do you have any tactics that have worked well for you? Help a parent out and mention them in the comments!
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