Flexibility key to successful home-schooling, says home educator
Educating children at home requires a vastly different approach and structure to a school classroom, a home educator advises, as thousands of parents begin home-schooling their children.
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HOME educator Amy Imms has sound advice for parents embarking on home-schooling during the COVID-19 lockdown, and the main message is to enjoy the time spent with your kids.
“Go easy on yourself and your kids,” says the GP and mother-of-five.
“Play board games, read books and enjoy the time you spend together. A lot of parents try to replicate the classroom environment at home, but learning from home is drastically different.
“Don’t put pressure on yourself or them. Allow yourself quiet days to balance the busy days, and take the time to adjust.”
HOME-SCHOOLING A ‘FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY’
Ms Imms, of South Hobart, says children are on a constant learning curve, so while a day spent in pyjamas baking biscuits or a family bushwalk may not seem like school work, there are still educational learnings.
“Don’t forget that not all school time is spent actively learning,” she said.
“If you look at your child’s school timetable, not all of it is focused teaching delivered solely to your child. There’s plenty of down time. You can’t expect younger kids to focus for 40 minutes without distractions.”
Ms Imms, who was herself home-schooled, said the lessons learnt through play shouldn’t be underestimated.
“Play is especially important now with many children possibly feeling anxious. Play is a great way to recognise children’s anxieties. It’s also a medium parents can use to help children work through those anxieties. And playing with others helps build that emotional resilience.”
Another tip is to develop a rhythm to the days.
“We have breakfast at the same time, then sit down to do our school work, then we have lunch followed by the afternoon activities,” she said.
“There’s a general pattern to the day so the kids know what to expect. It gives them structure, but it’s also flexible. If a parent or a child needs a day off from schooling, then my advice is to take the day off.”
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