Many parents want to play an active role in their child’s education. While children take classes at school and complete homework set by their teachers, it’s beneficial for parents to be able to assist and support their kids. If you are a parent, or you are a teacher providing advice for parents of your students, here are some tips to enhance learning at home.
Make Learning Fun
One of the golden rules of helping kids of all ages to learn is to make studying fun. It may not always be easy to achieve this goal, but there are lots of ways to vary classes and make learning experiences more engaging.
Try to vary classes and activities and include practical elements. From young children learning about trees and animals to older students studying chemical experiments or mathematical equations, it can be hugely beneficial to add practical activities.
Planning a nature walk for kids at the weekend, for example, will enable them to see the trees, plants, flowers and animals they’ve spotted in books and online presentations in real life. Practical activities can help children to gain a better understanding of different subjects and retain information more effectively.
Use Resources
There are myriad ways to learn today and teachers, students and parents have access to a wealth of resources. As well as traditional textbooks and guides, parents can also take advantage of online resources that are designed to aid education and introduce new ways of learning and a more varied range of activities. From stats calculators like an online z table for statistical analysis to creative activities for art, design, drama or music classes, there are all kinds of resources available. You can take inspiration for new activities or exercises, print or download model questions or mock assignment titles and use online calculators, tables and charts to solve problems or find answers to questions.
Get Ideas From Other Parents
Educating children can be a challenge. It’s common to feel like you have run out of ideas or to think that you’re out of your depth, especially when helping older kids and teens with subjects that you might not have studied in school. If you need inspiration, or you want advice about finding resources that are relevant to specific subjects, you can ask your child’s tutor for tips and seek advice from other parents. Parents you know may be able to recommend specific sites, apps or books and you can also join forums or social media groups to link up with people you don’t know. It’s also an excellent idea to read reviews and testimonials.
Encourage Open Communication
Most parents will find themselves in a situation where their child is struggling with a specific subject or topic. It can be difficult for kids to open up if they’re finding classes hard, or they’re struggling to get their head around a theory or concept.
Encourage open communication from a young age and make sure that your kids know that they can come to you or see their teacher if they need extra help or they don’t understand something. In many cases, nipping problems in the bud can help to boost confidence and reduce anxiety.
If your child comes to you and you can’t help, offer reassurance and try to identify a solution. You could arrange to meet your teen’s teacher or seek advice from other parents you are close to who may be able to help, for example.
Avoid Applying Too Much Pressure
There is often a fine line between encouraging children to work hard and do their best and pushing them to a point where they feel under pressure. Encourage your kids, support them and help them to fulfill their potential without applying too much pressure. If your children worry about letting you down or they have impossible, unrealistic targets, this could hamper their performance at school and impact their self-confidence and mental health. It’s natural to want the best for your children, no matter how old they are, but pushing too hard can be counter-productive. Ensure that you have realistic expectations and understand that all anyone can do is to try their best.
Learning is a continual process, which occurs in every environment. Away from classrooms and school campuses, many parents want to play an active role in helping their kids to learn and develop. If you are a parent, or you are a teacher and you want to help parents to support their children at home, there are several ways to enhance learning experiences. Try to make learning fun, vary exercises and activities, use resources, seek advice and get ideas from others and avoid applying too much pressure.