9 Easy Ways To Support Your Child's Education At Home

 Home is a location where children can unwind and shut off from school. Many of us know that homework may be difficult to get the kids to do, and as a result, it sometimes feels like parents have to get them to do it for five hours every day. While they may resent being forced to continue learning, carrying on education outside of the school setting can help them develop more skills than they can learn in the classroom.

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But supporting your child's education needn't be as hard as it appears on the surface. After all, every parent wants to do what is best for their child, and research supports the need for additional learning, especially for life skills.

As a parent, how can you support your child's education at home?

Resources

Resources can mean whatever you want them to. It can mean you download worksheets from educational sites online. It can be watching videos or how-to guides via social media, buying books to create an at-home library, or reaching out to other parents and professionals for tips on supporting your child in a relaxed way. After all, the last thing you want is to push too hard and cause friction in your relationship with your child.

Make a list of all the different resources you think you might need, so you have a catalog for different ideas for different days, moods, and changes in knowledge and capacity for learning. 

Make The Time

A great way to support your child through learning is to take an active interest in their interests. Know what they enjoy and are currently passionate about (even if it changes from week to week) to help you tailor your support to capture their imagination. Using this angle will feel less like learning and more like you are both just having fun.

Read

Books are vital when it comes to education. Have a good mix of educational books at their current level and fiction books they can enjoy. Reading is more likely a child associates it with something good and positive; the more likely they will want to read alone as they get older and can read independently. 

Check out these 5 Reading Strategies To Strengthen Your Child’s Reading Skills to help them foster all over reading. Create a cozy little reading nook at home and spend time together to enjoy some books and make it as fun as possible.

Exercise

Exercise is vital for a child’s development. Not only does it keep the body and heart-healthy. It can also improve oxygen flow to the brain, which is imperative for brain health. Plus, exercising improves mood too and helps little bodies get a good night's sleep too.

Exercise can be running around the garden with a football, swimming, jumping on a trampoline, heading to a dance class, or getting out and about exploring the great outdoors. Exercise in the fresh air has even more of a beneficial impact as you can benefit from the Vitamin D from the sun too.

Regular exercise can ward off lethargy meaning your child is bright and alert.

Visual Learning Has Its Place

Many parents are vocal about detesting the use of screens and electronics for children. And while staring at a screen watching TV shows for hours on end isn't considered healthy, screens do have a place in education. In fact, TVs and multimedia have been used in schools for many years.

IT knowledge is vital for children as we live in a more digital world than previous generations.

Don't be scared of using screens selectively to support learning at home. From educational shows and documentaries to exercise videos and even computer games can help to develop hand-eye coordination and creative problem-solving. Remember, children learn more and soak up knowledge easier when they are having fun. Like with anything, moderation is key.

Talk

Take some time to talk to your children about their school day, anything they have learned or seen recently. Many families prefer to do this when eating. But you can squeeze in this time during school drop-offs, in the car heading to extracurricular activities or shopping or bedtime.

Discuss current events, current in-school learning, and anything that is in their minds. Young minds can be inquisitive and soak up knowledge like a sponge. So give them different knowledge in all areas of life for a more rounded education and emotional support at home. Communication can help to create comfortable learning environments and support your relationship too.

Chores

Children need to know what is involved in keeping their home running smoothly, and having responsibilities can be a great way to teach them how to be more responsible. 

Chores can be age-appropriate based on your child, but giving them small jobs they are responsible for in the home can teach them what is expected of them and how they can be helpful to others outside of the home. Things such as basic food prep, feeding pets, keeping a dedicated area clean and tidy, or even helping them understand finances regarding bill paying and sticking to a budget for food shopping and earning pocket money.

Encourage Free Learning

You don't need to occupy your child at all hours of every day. Encourage them to be creative and entertain themselves during downtime. A good imagination is something to be nurtured, and this can't be achieved if you are filling their time and doing the thinking for them.

You will be surprised what a child can come up with when they are bored, and this is the ideal way to see what they are capable of and how creative they become. Free play is a great way to encourage children to explore their own minds and think outside of the box to occupy themselves, and the results can be surprising.

Find A Support Group

In today's connected world, finding communities of parents and educators who share similar goals and challenges is more accessible than ever. Support groups, both online and offline, offer a wealth of information, resources, and emotional backup. It's really as simple as searching "mothers group near me". Joining a community such as a Facebook group, local parent meetup, or a dedicated online forum can be immensely beneficial. Within these groups, members frequently exchange valuable educational resources, from insightful books to websites and local events. It's also a platform where you can gain wisdom from experienced parents who have already navigated the challenges of supporting their child's education at home.

In short, there are many different ways you can support your child's education journey at home without turning your home into an extension of the classroom. Try not to overload them and maintain a relaxed and flexible approach to supporting their education at home to give an all rounded level of support at home.