Many parents are now faced with the situation where they suddenly have to responsible for their children’s schooling at home. For many parent, this creates a significant challenge.
The new daily routine – The private classroom at home
Despite our best efforts, it is clear: We can’t simulate the school environment at home – but we also don’t need to. For everyone, this is an exceptional situation that we have not experienced before. This is also true for our children. This means that the most important thing is to make ourselves available to answer questions (not only about school topics) and ensure that children find a good balance. It is especially important that they can be creative, draw and paint and do handicrafts. When possible, children should do physical activity and get as much fresh air as possible.
Ideally, learning should be spread across the whole day, which requires a good plan. Create a plan together with your children.
Hang the daily plan in a place where everyone can see it.
At the end of the day, reflect with your children: Was it good? What needs to be changed?
Keep talking: School-free doesn’t mean learn-free or work-free
Learning is not just memorisation
It is natural, during this school free time, to be worried that children will possible not be learning enough. However apart from worksheets and practice activities, there are lots of other possibilities for children to learn:
READING: Reading to children, independent reading or reading together –can be practiced by school and reading levels.
WRITING: Practice reading through every day writing opportunities Eg. Write a shopping list, a favourite recipe or possibly a daily family ‘Corona Virus Diary’? One idea would be to write a letter to a Grandparent, an Aunt or Uncle or a best friend.
MATHS: Adding and subtracting up to 20, 100, 1000, small multiplication tables (and for older kids quizzes und larger multiplication tables) and doing this for a focused 10-15 minutes per day. Children can also set tasks and activities for other siblings or parents. Learning and reviewing vocabulary is also a fundamental skill that children can always spend time on.
Not interested in school? Then play a board game together: Here children practice sticking to rules, social skills, problem solving, strategizing, endurance and concentration.
The ‘Nachhilfeinstitut Lernquadrats’ summary of the most important tips:
Make a learning schedule – make a schedule together with your children, include both times for learning and free time.
Create a work space – the work desk should be well organised and include notebooks, pends, books and a glass of water.
Out of your pyjamas! – After a good breakfast, move on to a morning of learning.
Take a break – Every 30 minutes take a 5 minute break. Important: during the break get moving, freshen up the room by opening a window, have a glass of water. Avoid the phone and television.
Create variation in learning – alternate learning topics that are not similar. Eg English, then maths, then German.
Create a study group – Create a group of friends who work together over chat in order to ask questions and seek clarification.
Learn outside of normal learning activities – Don’t just learn at the desk. We learn just as well when we cook, head in to nature, listen to English songs, play games together etc.
Enjoy free time – When learning time is over, enjoy free time.
Important LINKS
Good Learning and Knowledge Sites:
Anton App
Game Ideas for School Kids
Pack the Donkey
Materials:
Glass bottle
Matches
Play Instructions:
Place the glass bottle in the middle between all Players. One after another, place a match carefully on top of the bottle, trying not to upset the pile of matches. Whoever makes the pile fall, has to take those matches.
Guess What It is! Game:
Materials:
Basket, Bucket or Box
Tea Towel or piece of cloth
Everyday articles from around the house (eg. nuts, a nail, sticky tape, a pencil sharpener….)
Play Instructions:
Place the everyday articles in the basket/bucket/box and cover with the Tea Towel/Cloth.
Each player puts their hand in to feel the articles and guess what they are.
Recipe for Homemade Modeling Dough:
2 Cups of Flour
1 Cup of Salt
1 Cup of Water
Instructions:
Mix everything together in a bowl. Roll out the dough once it is well mixed and let your imagination free! Once you have formed your artworks, leave the dough for 1-2 days to dry. Otherwise cook it in the oven at 150 Degrees for 1 hour to dry. Once dry, your artwork can be painted with water colour paints.
Ideas List:
Make a table soccer game out of an old shoe box and pegs: http://paulapuenktchen.de/index.php/diy-bastelanleitung-tischkicker-aus-pappe-und-waescheklammern-basteln/
Movement games with balloons
Make a Glass Cover out of Perler Beads (Sommer is coming!):
https://pfefferminzgruen.de/2014/07/abdeckung-fuers-sommergetraenk-aus-buegelperlen/
How to make natural mandalas: https://manoswelt.blogspot.com/2015/02/monatsruckblick-februar-mein-wilder.html
Stamping with corks:
https://www.bastelfrau.de/stempeln-und-drucken/stempeln-mit-korken
How to make a funny faces book:
https://www.geo.de/geolino/basteln/21597-rtkl-anleitung-wir-basteln-lustige-gesichter
Magic tricks for kids:
https://www.kinderspiele-welt.de/kinderparty/zaubertricks-fuer-kinder.html
Make an Hourglass:
https://www.geo.de/geolino/basteln/21763-rtkl-wie-die-zeit-verrinnt-wir-bauen-eine-sanduhr
How to make Kinetic Sand from just 2 ingredients: https://www.geo.de/geolino/basteln/20863-rtkl-zaubersand-selber-machen-so-stellt-ihr-kinetischen-sand-her
