How has home-schooling children changed since lockdown?

Over 900 million children and teens had their education affected by the pandemic. Over 100 countries across the globe had to close all schools in an effort to control the spread. That left a lot of parents and carers with the task of becoming a teacher. That is with no training or preparation for the role. And a lot of these adults were trying to manage their own jobs by working from home!

Daily schedule

Some parents may have adapted to home-schooling children better than others. And those that did found methods of organising learning and keeping children focused. Setting a daily schedule has become a vital part of home-schooling children. This is because many kids can find it stressful if their day is in disarray. Not knowing when you’re doing what can stress anyone out! So, a daily schedule has been a massive help for families in lockdown. This also means you’re able to fit in other activities at certain times.

Learning space

Many parents noticed how distracted and unfocused their children were when trying to learn at home. So, another great way of home-schooling children is by having a designated learning space. A little desk or table that’s comfortable are the foundations of a good learning environment. Those that have had access to a printer have stuck resources on the walls in the learning space. This is to mimic a classroom environment. Kids probably never imagined they’d have to do schoolwork in their home space. So, making little adjustments like these has helped kids in many ways.

Map out the school year

Some parents chose to map out the school year as a way of staying focused and on top of work. Knowing what needs to be done is essential for staying organised. And if you’re organised, you’ll get things done on time.

Set learning goals

Setting learning goals is another essential part of home-schooling children. Have you recognised an area where your child isn’t doing so well? Many parents used goals as incentives to keep them on track. This also keeps them motivated to reach their goals. Parents also found that a reward for these achievements can be a great help in keeping them motivated.

Take learning beyond the classroom

Many parents recognised the importance of taking learning outside of the classroom. There are so many ways to teach kids that don’t involve school worksheets. Some parents began to teach their children how to cook and bake. These are great skills that most kids don’t cover at school. Other lessons such as household management are also important. How many students have gone off to university never having loaded a washing machine before? The sooner they learn life-skills, the better! Even writing emails to friends and family has been great for developing their English and communication skills.

Parents that have wanted to spend family time have opted to go for walks as daily exercise. These can make up for PE lessons, and sometimes getting outside with loved ones can be great for your wellbeing. Even craft ideas can do the same. Doing craft lessons as a family can be especially fun.

How did we adapt certain classes to work at home?

One of the challenges parents faced when home-schooling children was keeping them active. Many kids will likely have wanted to play on their gaming consoles rather than do any form of schoolwork. One of the hardest classes to do at home was PE. Keeping kids active is really important. It keeps them healthy but also lets off some energy they’re likely bursting with since they can’t leave the house! For those who may not have had access to a garden/outdoor area, this could have been especially difficult. Many children’s television channels were hosting PE classes with presenters so kids could exercise in front of the TV.

For those who did not have printers, or were having technical issues, providing printed resources was a challenge. No parent enjoys having to get up early to draw out pie charts for their kids to do maths equations. Technology has essentially been the only way we have been able to stay connected and working through lockdown. Some classes have been conducted through Zoom calls or Teams meetings. This has meant that all those who were likely unfamiliar with technology have had to adapt to these. Adapting has certainly been the key aspect of home-schooling children.

How have we kept our wellbeing in consideration when homeschooling?

Home-schooling children has been a stressful time for many of us, and that includes children. Being isolated away from friends and learning environments has taken its toll on them. Classrooms are designed to keep kids engaged – the same can’t be said about your kitchen or dining room. Trying to get kids to sit down at home to do their work has been difficult for many parents. A massive lack of motivation from both parties will not have helped.

One of the biggest issues with lockdown was keeping families healthy and as happy as possible. Healthcare and mental wellbeing have been massively affected during the pandemic. Children have gotten so used to being home-schooled that they have grown anxious of social situations. And their communication skills will likely have become a bit rusty. That is why it is so important to keep children focused on developing and exercising skills.

Of course, it is easier said than done, but simply reading and talking with your kids is enough. And neither of those require online resource access. Writing stories with your kids is enough to keep their English skills in check. So, it has also been important for people to remember not to rely entirely on e-learning. Simply talking with family members can be a comfort and a learning opportunity in one. So, it’s great for the wellbeing of everyone.

Staying motivated

Feeling unmotivated can lead to problems in the development of children. So, trying to make learning fun and engaging was one of the biggest obstacles that parents needed to conquer. Keeping our mental wellbeing in consideration has been a focus of many parents whilst home-schooling children. Many parents made sure a routine was upheld, to ensure a familiar sense of order to the day.

Giving each other space

When home-schooling children, many parents have considered how important it is for kids to have space. Being on top of each other in a house is hard enough during lockdown. So, whenever possible, they gave children some time to work alone. This doesn’t mean leaving them to their own devices. But if they have activities that don’t need constant supervision, then allowing them some freedom is great. That also helps parents, especially if they have their own work to do.

Struggles of technology and resources

Many households only had one computer that multiple children needed to use throughout the day. While secondary school pupils were trying to write essays on their phones. This is where being organised and working to a schedule came in handy.

For the schools in desperate need, the government sent out half a million laptops to help with home-schooling children. Even phone providers issued free access to online lessons so that families were not using up all their data.

Finding safe resources

Another issue with trying to find online resources is finding ones that are safe! Our resources at Santa Academy are safe and secure. This is to make sure parents are at ease when their child is using our resources to learn.

We know how important it is for children to continue exercising and developing their reading and writing skills. So, we provide free resources in our activity packs for parents to print for their children to keep them learning. A lot of these exercises are aimed to be fun, as all learning should be! It is the best way of keeping your little ones engaged.

Lacus Herald

Many children have missed out on their learning due to the pandemic. We know how crucial it is to help kids catch up. That was one of the reasons for launching our learning resources. Our resources aim to keep kids reading and give families something they can enjoy together.

We know our resources have been a great help to those home-schooling children. So, we are not stopping there! On the Lacus Herald, we will be publishing stories and news updates daily. Your kids can catch up with their favourite characters and continue their learning in a fun environment. Designed to be enjoyed by the whole family.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our dive into how home-schooling children has changed since lockdown. As well as discovering ways to approach your own homeschooling if needed.

Need ideas for activities?

Finding activities to do with kids can sometimes be a challenge. If you are looking for ideas, we have more at Santa Academy. You can download several activities from our activity packs. We have several to choose from, inspired by our different factions. You can learn how to care for pets and practice PE with Reindeer Recruits. Learn how plastic damages the environment and how different cultures celebrate Christmas with Fairy Fellows. Make slime and candy with Elf Ed!

Keep up with Santa Academy

In December 2021, you will find new stories every day on the Lacus Herald, written by our Author, Jill! Your little one can stay up to date with all their favourite characters, as well as the latest news. At Santa Academy, your little one can join Reindeer Recruit, Fairy Fellow or enrol into Elf Ed! Lacus Island features 70+ characters, 50+ buildings, 19 unique shops and its own TV and radio stations.

Find more fun, festive tips and ideas, such as:

• Easy Christmas crafts for kids
• Christmas printables
• Things to do near you for Christmas
• Christmas activity book ideas
• Christmas art ideas
• Christmas party ideas for kids
• Tips for helping kids to read
• Christmas baking for kids
• Christmas countdown ideas for your family
• Christmas writing ideas
• And many more!