We can’t rely entirely on the school to educate our kids. Sometimes we have to teach them ourselves, so we can at least know how they’re doing education-wise. This article is also related to parents who are homeschooling their kids right now, as it might help them tackle all the challenges of homeschool.
For many beginners, teaching their kids at home is very challenging. Your kid might get bored, distracted easily, or just outright refuse to study at home. But teaching your kid shouldn’t that difficult as long as you make it fun. So how do we do that? Let’s talk about it below.
Bite-size lessons
Learning new topics or lessons can be overwhelming for your kids. Sometimes it can scare them away and make it more difficult for them to absorb new materials. The trick is, break the new topics or lessons into bite-size.
Start with an introduction to what the lesson is about. Now talk about the core lesson, then ask them to get up and do jumping jacks or running in place. It is important to give them a chance to move and let out the excess energy. Go back to the lesson and move on to other topics. 30 seconds break every 15 minutes is a good way to start.
Use games
It is very popular nowadays to “gamify” education. Even adults love when gamifying their lessons, for example, Duolingo. Flashcards are also a form of gamifying education. You can get many flashcard templates for free online. Download, modify as necessary, then print.
Use colors
Using colors is a great way to help your kid memorize numbers, names, or other important information. Try to use as many colors as possible, and each color should be different. By assigning a color for each name or number, your kid will not only remember them but will also look for the next lesson.
Use music
A silent and quiet environment is not always ideal for your kid. Sometimes they need to hear music in the background to be more excited about learning. Many songs help children learning by incorporating lessons into the songs. Animal songs, multiplication songs, history songs, etc. can be found easily on the internet.
Let your kid be free
Sometimes a kid just wants to be free and do what they want. Hands-on learning is very effective, and parents should do it more. Let them try figuring things out themselves and maybe get their hands on new materials such as science experiments, books, or puzzles.
It is okay to use gadgets
I know that leaving your kids alone with gadgets can be detrimental to their growth. But, gadgets can be a great learning tool for your kid. Many learning apps have an interesting combination of visual, audio, and interactivity that will definitely catch your kid’s attention.
Many of these apps are also free and easy to use. You can download and install apps that are appropriate for your kid’s age. And of course, you should always monitor them while they’re using their gadget. Alternating between digital and paper learning materials is a great way to balance it out.
Field trips
There is a reason why schools conduct field trips – because they’re fun and effective. The easiest field trip you can do is go to a zoo. There, your kid can learn a lot about animals and nature. Sometimes, zoos also have their own seminars or workshops that help kids learn more about a lot of stuff related to animals and nature.
Other ideas for a field trip are to go to a museum, historical sites, science fair, and math competitions. You can ask your kid to participate or simply watching. Ask your kid where they want to go and see if there’s one available near your location.
Learning can be fun and parents must be proactive
Helping our kids to learn can be tough, I understand that. That’s why parents must be proactive and observant of their kids. We must let them know of all the alternatives of learning and encourage them to try and learn new stuff. And with the help of the internet, it is so easy to find new and fun materials for our kids.
