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So, it's your first day home-schooling your child - good luck! Remember that school is a very different environment to the home and it may take a while for many children to make the mental switch. Here are some ideas that might help you.
Make up some form of timetable. You don't have to be ruled by it, but it helps to have a bit of structure, especially if you are also having to work from home. Do it in conjunction with your child and ask them for ideas. Here's an example of Lily's.
Keep activities short and fun. We've divided ours into 20 or 30 minute chunks so that there's variety. We can fit in the stuff sent home from school but also work in things we have in the home - playing with lego, watching a film, cooking dinner, going for a walk (if we can).
Be kind to yourself - teachers are professionals, we're trained in what we do (believe it or not!) and a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into that training. Don't expect to know everything and if you get stuck reach out.
I also thought over the next few days I'd punt out some activities that you can do with your kids in your coronavirus classroom. You'll probably have stuff from the school but these can form a wee addition if you fancy.
1. We're Going On A Noun Hunt - Write down all the letters of the alphabet and ask your child to go round the house looking for things that start with each letter of the alphabet and write them down on their list. A - apple, B - banana, C - cheese etc.
Will probably hashtag tips with #coronavirusclassroom from now on.
We have a tiny wee garden but will hopefully manage to get in a bit of Health and Wellbeing every day. #coronavirusclassroom
2. Superhero silence - Need some quiet to get on with your own work? Why not have your kids watch a film or a TV programme with superheroes in it. Then challenge them to come up with their own superhero and draw it. #coronavirusclassroom
They can then do anything from labelling their picture with their hero's superpowers through to creating a comic strip starring their character. They can work out an origin story on a different planet or decide their hero's secret identity. #coronavirusclassroom
Not sure Lily can coordinate every outfit with the book she's reading but let's see where the weeks ahead take us... #coronavirusclassroom
3. Practical Maths - grab a set of kitchen or bathroom scales and get your child to choose a number of items from around the house. Have them weigh the items and note down the numbers. The results can then be ranked in a table from lightest to heaviest. #coronavirusclassroom
You can build on this activity by setting them some sums using the items. They have to write out the weights and then calculate the answers. Eg. How much does your football + your pencil case weigh? Or get them to play teacher for a bit and set you some sums #coronavirusclassroom
We worked out how much a Dalek weighs. 48g - lighter than you'd think but then they can fly nowadays. #coronavirusclassroom
4. Sensory Walk. It's important to stay mentally & physically healthy so take the opportunity to go for a daily walk. Whilst out, ask your kids to use their five senses to describe what's around them. Makes plodding through the rain a bit more fun! #coronavirusclassroom
As an English teacher I'm always asking kids to use their senses in their writing to make it more engaging so this is the perfect activity to revise those skills. Lily and I have noticed that the birds seem to have had their volume turned up due to less traffic about.
5. Diary Day - Get your child to keep a weekly diary of their time in lockdown. History is happening so recording their time might prove an interesting read in years to come. It might also help them verbalise some of their feelings about what's going on. #coronavirusclassroom
Also, imagine how many 'What I Did During Isolation' tasks there are going to be once the schools go back. Having something to prompt them will help when they inevitably tell their teacher they 'didn't do anything'. #coronavirusclassroom
