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As many of us find ourselves isolated away (some with spare time, some with work and some with children), now is the prime opportunity to learn new information. Homeschooling is a combination of learning, study and fun. However, kids (and some adults!) aren’t known for their ability to focus, however, you can channel their boundless energy.
We have compiled a selection of ideas to keep you, your big and little children entertained whilst educating indoors.
- Make your work wall – Print out facts, figures and any other learnings from the day and arrange them on a wall in an eye-catching way. Creating a ‘spider diagram effect’ can help in the retention of information.
- Creative writing exercise – Have them cover their eyes, smell some spices and then write a passage inspired by that scent, or let them write down five sounds they hear in an hour and craft a short story that includes one of the sounds. This is also good for adults if you find yourself at the “mental wall” whilst studying.
- Yoga or meditation – Giving yourself and others time and space for exercise and also to unwind mentally is imperative to good learning and wellbeing. Make sure you get an hours worth of exercise daily.
- Eat healthily – Brainfood is a real thing! Knowing that diet has an impact on our brain’s capacity to perform at its best makes having a healthy diet an essential part of any study plan. Stay away from high-sugar snacks like cereal bars, and canned food—these foods can leave you feeling lethargic. Instead, try snacks that help the brain function at its best such as nuts and seeds, blueberries.
- A good study environment – Make sure there is peace and quiet; avoid games, turn off phones, beware online surfing, consider ergonomics and set up good lighting and comfortable seating. Other tools you can use to make teaching and studying remotely simple include Google for Education, Clever, Outschool, and Zoom.
- Set goals and rewards – Setting goals without a reward can make it difficult to find the incentive to push through. Make sure that the goals aren’t too easy, but also don’t set unachievable goals that will leave you stressed.
- Take notes in your own words – The process of taking on information and writing it in your own words will embed ideas in your memory and help you stay focused. Take notes as you do your wider reading. Or rework your notes by organising or reordering them (this can help you make new connections between ideas).
- Stay motivated – Write a list of reasons why you want to achieve something. Take a moment when you’re refreshed and list all the reasons this helps your future goals.
- Track your progress – Create a checklist that can be ticked off to see the progress you are making. Once you’ve completed your checklist you can go back and cover aspects of a subject that you feel may require more attention.
- Test yourself – Now is the time where you’ll find it useful to test yourself. Try answering questions at the end of chapters, tackle quizzes, and complete old exam papers.
Finally, it is also important to have a clear cut-off point when studying has been finished for the day. Pack up your study materials at the end of the day if you can, so that you can relax properly for the evening without your books staring at you.
Need a little inspiration for something to study? Visit our selection of online course providers today!
