Top Ten Tips For Motivating Your Child During Home Learning!

During the pandemic, we had a few questions from parents about how to keep their kids motivated and on the right track during any period of schooling outside of school. As a result we put together this guide to share some of the things we think will help - you might find some of it relevant should we ever be forced to close again for an extended period, or even if simply supporting with homework...

Tip #1 - Be kind to yourself: you will have good days and bad days – we all do! Asking everyone to become the perfect home school teacher overnight is ambitious at best – I’d bet most of our professional teachers are finding home schooling a challenge (I certainly am!). It’s really fantastic you are helping your kids with their education while they are away from school – you should feel very proud that you are helping in the best way that you can, we do!

Tip #2 - Be positive: let your children know that you know they can succeed! Celebrating what kids can do is much more motivational than focussing on what they can’t (or won’t!) do. Praise is massive – we tell kids they are doing well, that we are proud of the work they are doing and that they are great all the time. Everyone works better when they know they are appreciated!

Tip #3 - Take a step backwards: If things are getting too tricky it can be a good idea to go back to things you know your kids can do. There’s no harm in treading old ground, and it can be really useful to get confidence up before moving on to new content.

Tip #4 - Rewards are brilliant: We use rewards all the time in school to motivate our kids. Having short term wins alongside long term ones can work wonders in terms of working towards something. Love the trampoline? You can have 30 minutes on the trampoline when you’ve finished this 30 minute session. Really want that toy? Try your best all week and I’ll get it for you on Friday. It doesn’t have to be linked to things either – story time together or watching your favourite TV show can be just as useful. The best way to set up rewards is to ask your kids what they want – find out and get those stamps, stars or ticks collected for treats in return!

Tip #5 - Keep things short and snappy: Please do not feel that because schools do 6 hour days you need to as well. When working with smaller groups we keep sessions in school short and snappy – many of our intervention groups run for 20 minutes, some are even shorter! A couple of hours learning spread out over the whole day, with plenty of time for non-learning (fun!) activities and hobbies in between is more than enough.

Tip #6 - Make a timetable: Routines and structure are really good for kids, not only to know what learning they are going to be doing but also to know when they will get some free time.

Tip #7 - Keep in touch with your teacher: The class email accounts have been set up to help you, so if things are getting tricky don’t be afraid to ask for help – we are on hand to help and guide if needed. Also there is huge power in sharing what you have been doing, especially when your child’s teacher will give feedback, rewards and certificates – they might even post the work onto Facebook for the rest of the school community to see.

Tip #8 – Use the weekly planners: Your child’s teacher will be planning suggested activities to guide your learning. While you don’t have to stick to these, they will provide work that is in line with what they have either already covered or would be covering in class. As teachers we tweak work for different pupils and groups – if the work suggested is too tricky or easy don’t be afraid to change it (or do a different task altogether). If you are finding the suggested work isn’t working for you on a regular basis please get in touch with your teacher, as suggested in tip #7.

Tip #9 – Have a break: If things are getting stressful it’s time for a break. Have a bit of time away from the learning doing something more relaxing, take a few deep breaths and go back to the learning later.

Tip #10 – Enjoy yourself: We have lots of fun when working with your children, and working with a smile on your face is the best way to work. Enjoy the time together!

Please remember to contact your class teacher if home learning or homework creates a problem at home - the last thing we want is for any work outside of the classroom to create stresses, so remember that we are here to help via the class emails!