Who & what is this website for?
This page has been set up in response to the current Coronavirus situation, and numerous requests by friends, to provide information/support for what to do with our Primary aged children, now that their schools are closed (to all but vulnerable children & those of front line Key Workers) for the foreseeable future. Inevitably, closing schools has led to an increase in parent's anxiety as they face the very challenging, and scary, prospect of trying to home school their children during this difficult time, whilst keeping some kind of balance. Hopefully, this collection of resources, links and articles, many of which I use as a qualified teacher in school, or am happy to recommend, will prove useful in your battle to find what works for you, and your family, in the coming weeks/months. |
Homeschooling - To do or not to do?
So, the first question is what does, or should, homeschooling look like? For me, this is a very personal thing - some will try and create formal timetables to keep their children's lives as similar to their school day as possible, others will do very little in the way of formal education. Whilst children receive planned, structured lessons in school, delivered by qualified professionals, it is unreasonable for you, as parents, to put pressure on yourselves to try and emulate this, therefore don't. You know your children best - some relish learning, craving more, whilst some will have specific needs, some will require greater support than others and some may struggle to manage to sit down and do any kind of formal learning in their home environment. |
All the time they, like us, are struggling to understand all of this, may feel scared or worried and we also need to take account of the impact of all of this on their mental health. These are strange, surreal times and we are all trying to navigate our way through it as best we can. For support with yours, or your child/ren's, mental well-being try clicking on the sites below.
There is no handbook outlining what you should or shouldn't do, so all you can do is try your best, therefore try not to compare yourself to other people - do what you feel/know is right for your child/ren.
There is no handbook outlining what you should or shouldn't do, so all you can do is try your best, therefore try not to compare yourself to other people - do what you feel/know is right for your child/ren.
We have the opportunity to make this unprecedented moment in history a time where positive memories are being created. It is a stressful time but we don’t want our children to be stressed therefore my advice, for what it's worth, is to try and strike a balance between continuing with some formal learning, using the packs that your child/ren's schools will have hopefully sent home, along with the range of online educational resources available (many of which are linked to on here) and making the most of this unexpected time with our children.
Therefore, try to find a balance of the formal learning opportunities, but also make sure you do all and more of the following things:
Therefore, try to find a balance of the formal learning opportunities, but also make sure you do all and more of the following things:
Do a puzzle/Jigsaw.
Play board games. Build a den/fort/castle. Cook/Bake. Watch TV together. Draw, paint and/or do some craft/collage. Play with Lego, or other construction. Play cards. Eat together. |
Explore the world using Google Earth.
Cuddle up together and read. Take turns reading. Read them your favourite book and read their favourite book to them. Look at old photos. Listen to old songs. Talk about your time at school/your childhood. Play outside, where possible and safe. |
So, don’t stress about homeschooling them every day, or whether you've got a timetable or not - this is going to be for weeks and so make sure you find a balance - do some work every day, but also spend quality time together and your children will learn much more than just doing formal learning - plus it'll be a lot less stressful.
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This is a non-profit website and no payment/benefits are taken for adding links to specific content or company websites.
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