Helping Your Child with their Home Learning

Showing an interest in your child’s schoolwork lets them know how important it is and helps keep them motivated while schools are closed. A child’s education shouldn’t stop just because they’re at home; it should continue in the form of educational activities and homework tasks set by their school. The Royal School, an independent school in Surrey, offers the following tips to help you assist your child with their home learning, regardless of their age.

Praise is very encouraging for young people, so be sure to congratulate your child each time they complete a piece of work or just generally show a positive attitude to learning. You could even stick it on the fridge to show how proud you are! Even if you don’t think they got all of the answers right, be sure to praise them for trying in the first place because that’s just as important.

Does your child ever see you immersed in a novel, performing a musical instrument or sat at a desk doing some form of work? It’s certainly worth doing activities like this in front of them from time to time to set a good example, as children tend to repeat behaviour that they see their parents doing.

If you haven’t already, make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit environment to do their schoolwork, preferably free from distractions such as a TV. All their study supplies should be within reach so that they don’t have to keep getting up to search for things. This includes pens, pencils, a notepad, a ruler, a calculator etc. Their phones or tablets should not be in range, but it’s important to schedule frequent study breaks so that they don’t burn out

One of the most important thing you can do to help your child with their home learning is to make yourself available to them by letting them know you can assist if they need you to. This will help them understand that they have your support and they can ask you any questions that might come up. It can be easy to end up doing your child’s schoolwork on their behalf, but that won’t help them learn. Just be there to make suggestions and offer guidance and encouragement, while helping them find the answers on their own.