From school to home: How to help my child with schoolwork?

Given the reality we are living due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our life has changed in a matter of days. What we knew as our daily routines have gone to be part of the past. Now, for our safety and the safety of others we have to remain at home. However, this does not mean that everything stops. Both, we and our child, have to continue with our duties. Already at home with the children, while the school continues virtually, we ask ourselves, what do we do now? In this Blog we present some of the things to consider when working with your child at home.

1. Study environment

The first thing to keep in mind is that our child’s brain is conditioned to a work environment at school and not at home. However, at home, we can adapt a workspace according to his/her needs. We do not need a large space, with a worktable and essential materials such as pencils, eraser, notebooks, crayons and a computer or tablet is enough. The important thing is that the child associates this space as a place for study.

2. Routine

We must know that our child works at school based on a routine. This should be no different at home. Not because we are at home, we should lose perspective of our daily responsibilities with the material sent by the online teachers. You can use this schedule and adapt it to the needs of your child. Routines help us maintain an organization and complete our tasks on time.

3. Use of activities

In addition to using the material sent by the school, we can use fun activities to explain concepts or answer questions. Among these we can find:

Reading stories
Puzzles
Solving verbal problems
Use of concept maps
Create melodies to learn concepts
Use of crafts
Board games
Body movement activities (dance, pantomime, role play, acting)
Videos, movies or documentaries.

If you are interested in learning about activities you can use for the development of the eight intelligences, we recommend you download: 48 Multiple Intelligences Classroom Activities

4. Time management technique

It is a reality that we cannot expect our child to work at home for extended periods of time. This is why we need to manage time correctly to make sure every minute we work is productive. One of the most recommended techniques is the Pomodoro technique, you can learn about it by reading our blog The Pomodoro Method and its Use to Increase Productivity.

You can also make use of checklists, so your child knows what you will be working with during the day and what are the tasks to be completed.

As motivation we can use rewards every time the child completes a task. Among these we can use stickers, free five-minute periods, play with his/her pet, eat his/her favorite snack or listen to his/her favorite song.

5. Maintain your emotional health

Being all at home is an element that can lead to having more time to share all together and enjoy as a family. However, it can be a stressful time and a lot of work. It is extremely important to monitor our emotional health. It is important to identify when we need our space. To release a little anxiety and stress that we may have, there are several alternatives. Among them we can find:

Five-minute meditation and relaxation exercises. (You can use apps like Calm and Headspace).
Yoga
7-minute workouts
Call a friend or a family member
Watch a funny video
Breathing exercises
Have a cup of tea
Play with your pet

Remember we do not have control of situations like these, but its management is in us. Maintaining serenity and being a strong piece is essential for our children. Let’s explain them what we are going through because they understand much more than we think. Let’s be wise and take precautionary measures to not expose ourselves or expose others. Let’s read and share information from official sites and follow the established instructions for prevention.

Let’s focus on the good, we can do it!

It may interest you: Meaningful Learning and its Implication

References

Armstrong, T. (1993). 7 Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing Your Many Intelligences. Plume.

Armstrong, T. (2006). Inteligencias múltiples en el aula. Barcelona: Paidós.

Bartolomei-Torres, P. (2018). Inteligencias múltiples en el aula, un recurso para el aprendizaje significativo en la Enseñanza de una Lengua Extranjera (Ph.D.). Universidad de Granada. Recuperado de http://hdl.handle.net/10481/52430

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind. New York: Basic Books.

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple inteligences. New York: Basic Books.