Home-schooling

As we face another month of home-schooling the prospect can seem daunting. Some schools seem to be a lot more prepared this time by providing a full daily schedule of online learning however not all schools are.

COVID-19 really has turned our lives upside down and trying to juggle work, childcare and home-schooling is not easy so the most important thing to remember is not to put too much pressure on yourself.

The reality is parents are not teachers not should they be expected to be.

Here are some tips to make the process a bit easier:

✏️  It’s important for children to have a routine. Get them up and dressed as if it’s a normal school day and have them at their “desk” each morning as they would do in school. Try to find a space that they can use consistently use each day as their school desk.

✏️ Don’t put pressure on yourself that you have to teach your children all day. In school children have a number of breaks throughout the day and they also don’t receive one-to-one teaching.

✏️ Short, sharp bursts with breaks contribute to more successful learning.

✏️  Prepare healthy snacks for children to nibble on throughout the day. Hungry children find it hard to concentrate. Bord Bia provides some guidance on healthy nutrition for children.

✏️ Try to keep a normal bedtime routine, similar to a normal school night. Children that are tired will find it very hard to focus or learn.

✏️ Don’t get stressed about homeschooling. Every parent and child in the country is going through the same stresses and anxieties. This only short-term.

RTE will be starting their Home School Hub again from Monday, 11 January. It will air every weekday, for two hours from 10am on RTÉ2.

By SureSitter