Lockdown has meant taking on more of a hands-on approach to our children’s education, which can be challenging at the best of times. I don’t know about you, but it’s certainly made me appreciate what my kid’s teachers do even more. So how can we make homeschooling our kids easier? You don’t have to have a white board and projector to do a good job but there are a few things you’ll need to make lockdown school better.
The internet has been a vital part of our life for years, and now, more than ever, a reliable broadband service is crucial. It’s central to our homeschool curriculum. Instead of going to school every day the kids are using online resources, Zoom lessons, video content, utilising e-books and more. And it’s not just for school, we rely on our home broadband for work and entertainment too.
But how do you ensure your broadband is up to these increased demands? The best place to start is using a site like Cable.co.uk. They’ve got loads broadband deals from well-known providers in one place so you don’t have to spend hours looking at several sites. Whether you’re looking for the cheapest or the fastest, find a deal that’s right for you is easy. Let’s be honest, whether you’re doing that online course or just binge-watching Netflix, WiFi is a staple of lockdown life whether we like it or not.
Are you worried that you are not doing homeschool right? Don’t worry if your approach isn’t necessarily Instagrammable, it only needs to work for your family. Some kids find working through the curriculum a breeze and others will need a bit more help. Don’t forget there are plenty of life skills that can double up as ‘school’ too. For instance, baking can be a lesson in Home Ec, Maths, or even Chemistry. Gardening becomes a lesson in Biology while home DIY teaches Art, Graphics and Woodwork. Plus, you’re not alone when it comes to lessons. Plenty of celebrities have stepped up to the plate. Maths whizz Carol Vordeman has made all of her online content free of charge during lockdown. Author David Walliams is reading excerpts from his novels to help with English. Fitness guru Joe Wicks is posting PE lessons and national-treasure David Attenborough is giving free Geography and Biology lessons.
Having spoken to educators, the most important message to take away is that we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves in these unprecedented times. Some days your little angles will happily work away on their schoolwork and other days you can expect tears tantrums. Don’t worry if you need to give them a bit more screen time to have some peace. We all have good days and bad days and whenever the schools do go back, teachers will be more than prepared to catch your little ones up.
Take a deep breath and remember there is no shame in getting the kids to bake you a cake and call it ‘school’.
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