Yorkshire teacher who home educates her children shares top tips for learning whilst schools are closed

With schools closed until further notice, except for vulnerable young people and those whose parents are key workers, many families are exploring ways to keep their children learning at home whilst adapting to a new temporary life far from the norm.

Even for the families of the estimated 60,000 children who are home-schooled at any one time in England, this period is one of great adjustment.

As Education Otherwise - a charitable organisation that supports home education - points out, a large part of learning for these families is through groups and activities outside the house, at venues such as libraries and museums which have temporarily closed their doors.

“We are all on an unfamiliar path at the moment but we can also enjoy our children and their successes however big or small they may be,” she says.

“Every situation can be turned into a positive learning experience and worrying is our job not the children’s. Our schedule is different but our schedule is still child focused and led by individual choice.

“The children still problem solve and come up with a plan for each day; we just have slightly different parameters.”

Chelle’s children Jack, 15, Elizabeth, 13, Eleanor, 11 and Emily, nine have all been educated at home together since November 2017.

They are free to learn at whatever time they like and are given input into what they want to learn and how they explore different subjects and topics.

“One thing to realise is that every opportunity is a learning opportunity,” says Chelle, when asked for her advice to parents now supporting their children’s education at home.

“Catching bugs in the back yard is learning, making pictures in the clouds is learning, reading Harry Potter for the 10th time is learning.

“Learning does not have to be from a textbook. In fact, almost everything children do at any time of the day is learning.

“Parents should try to relax when it comes to education at home because almost everything they do with their children will be teaching of some kind.

“Maths can be a baking session, English can be a debate over the handling of Covid-19, French can be a YouTube clip and art can be a magnifying glass on the ground outside.”

Though Chelle acknowledges that resourcing education at home and finding work and activities to suit and encourage children can be daunting, she says parents need to remember they are their children’s first teachers.

“This is a new experience for thousands of parents for sure, though they can succeed,” she says. “Parents don’t always credit themselves with the amount of education they already do.

“If it settles that niggling voice asking ‘what have they learnt today?’, parents can keep a short diary of what the children have done each day so that when they look back, it becomes obvious as to what lessons have been taught over the course of this outbreak.”

When it comes to structuring the day, Chelle, who works training teachers at Coventry University’s Scarborough campus, says families should explore what works best for them.

“Aiming for three hours of concentration is a good start to parents planning for any one day. These can be scheduled throughout the day in half hour slots or one-hour sessions,” she says.

“For teenagers, especially those high achieving children who have been suited to our system of schooling for most of their school career, having a timetable might help them.

“There is nothing wrong with a timetable each day, learning from online sources, textbooks or school virtual learning environments and keeping as close to the school routines as possible.

“The anxiety of losing that, particularly for those who should have been sitting exams, can often be reduced through allowing them to complete textbook work and enabling them to have increased reading material.

“Just remember the choice to flexibly home educate or maintain strict routines should be in the interests of the children, not the parents wherever possible.

“Schooling may reduce a parent’s anxiety in this present climate but may increase a child’s anxiety.

“If an adapted holiday club environment is better for the children, then I would advocate that. Happy children usually mean parents are getting most of it right, though that doesn’t mean we can’t pull the plug on the computers and iPad every now and then.”

Chelle says parents shouldn’t be afraid of allowing older children to help younger siblings and advises involving children of all ages in the planning of work.

“Children, even young reception class children, will tell you when they’ve already mastered a concept, sound or word, so listen,” she says.

“If something doesn’t work, stop. Home education is the perfect time and place to try different methods of learning.”

Though it will undoubtedly have its challenges, there are real benefits that families can take from the learning journey they now find themselves on.

That could be having more time to communicate and connect, doing more activities together or parents gaining a greater understanding of what their child has accomplished already in education and where they need help.

“Time together mustn’t be underestimated,” says Chelle. “A parent teaching a child how to understand a maths concept, reading a favourite story, making up PE lessons or supporting art are memories children will enjoy for the rest of their lives.

“We already know how important it is for parents to be engaged in their children’s learning and parents can learn a few things from their children during this dedicated time as well.”

The key to a successful and happy learning experience during such unprecedented times is to “relax and have fun”, she suggests.

“Make up games and use the home as a learning resource. Play with the children in those delivery boxes that can be used to build forts and dens. Write letters and do activities that we used to do as children.

“Adults can take the time to really engage with their children if they choose to and that is crucial.

“I’m using this as an opportunity to share just how tricky life was for my grandparents (their great grandparents) and how lucky we really are to be living a life that is almost entirely down to previous generations’ sacrifice and hard work."

There are a range of online apps, resources and programmes available to children and parents, as well as physical books. Among Chelle’s recommendations are CGP, Khan Academy, Night Zookeeper, IXL, Ted Talks, Mathletics, MEL Science, National Geographic, Audible, Twinkl, Coursera and Big Life Journal.

Her top tips for educating at home include: allowing children to lead from their own interests; giving them regular healthy snacks such as carrot sticks and fruit; limiting the length of time for sustained concentration by allowing children to return to tasks; making the most of fresh air, safe outdoor space and the once-daily permitted outdoor exercise; and having fun.

“School as we know it doesn’t exist right now," she says. "Let’s just see how amazing our children can be without it.”

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