Homeschooling – Providing a sufficient education for your child without a teaching background

Looking to the latest developments around the world, all parents are now doing home schooling. In one or another way.

With our daughter we are in the home schooling mode since 3. February 2020, respective in the 8^th week. And at least another 4 weeks are ahead of us.

Schools and teachers are doing their best to support their students. Starting from online classes over homework to physical exercise instructions.

Do you need to a teaching background to provide a sufficient education for your child. No with common sense and a few tips and tricks you are on a good way.

Having a structured time table

One important factor that will help you child in these time and also for home schooling in general is a structured plan.

Giving your child a routine helps to keep up the mindset that it’s school and not holiday time.

Helping you child to keep routines and you are half way done. Look that your child had his proper breakfast, washed, brushed his teeth and properly dressed. If your child is wearing a school uniform that would be perfect. And helps to get your child in the right mental setup – It’s time for school –

Learn at home or even in front of a notebook, tablet or a mobile phone is challenging the concentration of your child. Have a look on your child’s breaks that it’s drinking and eating a healthy snack. The same would apply for the lunch. Get away from the working space during the breaks helps to clear and refresh the mind.

As not every parent can be at home, you can help your child to prepare the right snacks and meals for him in advance. Your child can more than you think, give him a chance to show it to you, let him help himself. Show him how to prepare snacks and meals and let him do it on its own. From as simple as washing and cutting fruits to cook or reheat the lunch. Of course this will depend on the age of your child. I also don’t want that our 5 year old is cutting fresh carrots and frying them without a person in charge.

Alternative learning activities

Is your child occupied by the online schooling activities provided by the school and is it enough to pass the examination at the end of the school year? Some are, some are not.

You also need to think of the teachers of your child. Not everyone is used to provide a good online schooling that is on the same level as your child would visit their class. But it’s not the failure of your teach. They are just not prepared for this situation. So are the IT departments of most schools.

I still get only 10 min. ahead of a class a meeting link that is in some cases not working, even the school IT has tested it…

So what can you do with the tools you have on hand

• Board games
  Your child is not only having fun when playing. Board games are supporting different skills at the same time. Taking turns, listening and verbal communication are the obviously ones. The 4 C’s cooperation, concentration, creativity and cognitive skills. And not to forget on learing how to handle wins and losses
• Reading
  Let your child choose his own books. Getting back into reading and stimulate the creativity and imagination of your child. With most libraries closed most of them offer electronic download of e-books.
• Audiobooks
  At the time of writing a lot of actors and authors are reading children’s books aloud online. And Amazon’s Audible has a free offer for children to listen https://stories.audible.com/start-listen.
• Online resources
  Search for the topics online your child is working on. There are hundreds and thousands of tasks out that you can copy or modify for your child to work on.
• Outer school online activities
  These days everyone is moving online. Don’t you have the same feeling. The art class, the music class, languages classes, life language practices, the private tutors even the gyms. If you have already enrolled for your child why not ask them what they can offer your child.
  For most of these activities you have not to pay a lot of money, you just need to look on YouTube, Facebook or Instagram for a free class or a free channel.
• Talk with your child and share your experiences
  Your child will miss his friends the day interaction with them. Chatting and online meetings will not made up for this. You can use the time to talk with your child, share your own experiences, your fears, thoughts and feelings. This might be even a chance to connect closer to your child.
• Getting bored
  Give your child the opportunity of boredom, it sounds hard in the first moment. Not only for you. Give it a try.
  Creativity, fantasy and imagination within your child will find a way over self-discovery and will bloom.
• Have a walk
  Go out with your child, have a walk in your neighbourhood, the park, beach, forrest or play in your garden.