It is really important for parents to show a genuine interest in their child’s education and praise them for their academic achievements. The more supported a child feels at home, the better they will perform at school, and if your like me and on a home educating journey, then the same still applies! Just because we home ed and I am now Spud's 'teacher' too, it doesn't mean I show his work less appreciation then what I did when he was at school.
Here are some great tips from Brampton College, on how to get more involved in your child’s education and, in turn, help to boost their performance at school or on their home education journey.
Always show encouragement towards learning and keep a positive attitude when discussing school or home education. This is particularly important if your child seems unhappy at school, or finds the classwork difficult. It is also important to praise your child’s achievements, as this will help to boost their confidence and motivate them to work harder whether they're home educated or in a school environment.
Create a family calendar to help your child feel organised and prepare them for exams, homework or that important home education review. This will also help to develop your child’s time management and organisation skills.
Try not to enforce high expectations on your child. Instead allow your child to develop at their own pace. By putting too much pressure on children you can negatively affect their academic performance and cause anxiety around learning.
When helping with homework or home education work, it is important to let your child work out problems alone. Try to give your child helpful feedback instead of criticism. This means helping your child to rethink an incorrect answer, instead of simply telling them that they are wrong.
For those who are in a school environment, get to know your child’s teachers and try to be a part of the school community. This will not only show your child how much you care about their education, but it will also help you to keep up to date with your child’s progression and school events. This also applies when looking for child care and using a service such as https://toddle.com.au/nsw/hornsby will go a long way to giving your children the perfect start to their education journey.
Always encourage your child to ask questions. Curiosity is one of the best ways to learn new facts. It can also be fun to ask your child to role-play the teacher and teach you about what they are learning at the moment. Repeating facts will help your child to memorise information.
Support your child’s literacy skills by regularly reading and writing with them. This could be reading a story at bedtime or asking your child to read a recipe and then write your shopping list.
Finally, help your child to develop a love of learning by teaching them that learning can happen anywhere, not just in the classroom. This can be demonstrated by conducting experiments at home or visiting art galleries and museums, with us being on a home ed journey, we know only too well just how learning can take place anywhere!
Jada x
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