A common way to blame a child’s lack of development is to suggest a parent hasn’t been doing enough at home. This is not always true, of course. But it also raises an interesting question - to what degree are parents, sometimes both with full-time jobs, expected to add and reinforce the lessons they learn at school? Well of course, in some cases, this is obvious. Teachers will set homework and targets to hit that are expected to be focused on in a child’s free time.
But outside of that, it can be hard to know where you should add to a teacher’s tuition. You don’t want to burn a child out on a subject, after all. Moreover, you’re trying to teach them to be a human being in the first place, such as demonstrating the value of sharing, taking turns, and being patient.
This is where having a good connection to your child’s teacher can make such a difference. They know where your child is on average, and if they need further support or could benefit from extra educational opportunities. Let’s consider a few measures they might recommend in general. While it might not cover everything, it will
Days Out
Not all parents have the time or the budget to go on vast expeditions around the world, and that’s fine. That being said, there are many free resources out there, from heading to your local library for free reading sessions, to museums, and other heritage buildings worth visiting. As such, days out can be a fun and relaxing means of compounding knowledge, be you showing Roman ruins in England, heading to a castle, or whatever other local history is in the area. In other words, a parent could do much worse than showing their child how learning relates to the world around us, as opposed to something isolated within a classroom.
Reading
Reading is also important, of course. Reading to your child at night is a bonding activity but also inspires them to understand stories and even read with you. From there you can help teach letters and give them a boost as your young ones learn to compose sentences and understand grammatical rules. Better yet, with activities that help promote learning letter sounds, you’ll be more equipped to manage your next steps.
Homework Attendance
Attending to homework tends to be 90% of the responsibility of parents because it helps you and the classroom function as a more capable unit together. This might mean helping them understand and break down maths problems, thinking through questions with open-ended options, or developing a connection to the subject matter in general, like watching documentaries. Always make sure to break down homework and make those tense stresses, as best you can, more understanding and open. If homework always devolves into a family argument, it convinces a child to never ask for help again.
Learning Structures
Just having a routine in place for extracurricular learning can be enough. That might involve homework before recreation time, going through your child’s school planner, helping your child join a study club afterschool, or whatever else you feel is relevant. Structure and support are often good, no matter how you deem them most suitable in application.
With this advice, we hope you can feel a little less fuzzy on outside-of-school support for your child, and question your excellent support less.
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