Kids
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Home Schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic
Home schooling
Over the last few months, due to COVID-19, I’ve built a little experience with home schooling. I’ve had the children crying, refusing to work. I’ve cried as a bad mother unable to get them to work and I’ve stood back and reflected, this is temporary it will be okay. Their teachers will sort it when they are back in school. Then I start my cycle again, I’m mum, they need to work, we need to do this together.
As a working mum with two wonderful children I am grateful to their teachers for the timetables and worksheets. Every day I try and get my eight year old to do Maths and English. They are subjects that with worksheets from White Rose Maths and Oak National Academy he can do without my help. Though, there are things that he will still be confused with and this is okay, we try and discuss it later. Tuesday’s and Fridays are my days off, so I try and schedule the learning that he will need more of my attention, on these days.
My daughter age six is working with daddy. but will often refuse. So, Saturday’s she is working with me. Hence, I now work a six-day week. This last Saturday she reduced me to tears as refused to write about a beach. To me it was interesting, to her she just wanted to play. I’m hoping it is because it was still technically school holidays. Though she has Monday’s off, so it was a fair deal.
Last weekend we had a lovely lesson learning about soil. With the help of You Tube videos and then getting muddy in the garden, my daughter enjoyed it.
Reduced to tears
So, who else has been reduced to tears by a child or children refusing to co-operate with home schooling? The feeling of not being good enough. I’m not a qualified teacher but I’m working my hardest to support them. One problem though is I’m enjoying it too much. Yes, mum needs to get the balance right and step back from doing things for them. They need to make mistakes and it’s not a competition.
The frustration of having learnt something but the child can’t remember it. Or the need to write poetry but the child refuses. If you have read my blog you will know that I have a passion for poetry. So, when my child refuses to write words that rhyme I get upset. Helicopter parent steps in, and I know this is not good. I’ve told my children that we need to work on their poetry together. I’ve always enjoyed making words rhyme.
If you are a parent feeling overwhelmed by it all, maybe look at what the school have set and then print off the timetable or create one. After that set yourself realistic goals. For example, I know my son is still playing on the IPad between 9.00 and 10.00, so it’s after 10.00 that I will mention school to him. I’m sorry but we have not done any Joe Wicks.
The children doing circuits around the garden on their bikes, playing football and climbing the garden fence is PE.
Our schedule
Here is our schedule. It is set more by the children than myself, and it is flexible.
10.00 – 10.30 – start home school – Maths and English
11.30 ish morning break – toast and a drink
12.00 – home school
13.15 – lunch time
14.15 – home school – Science, Geography, History – Subject work set
15.15 – 16.00 – finish schoolI try and get English and maths completed in the morning. Then the more interesting work in the afternoon. Today we were learning about oceans and he coloured in a worksheet. He was happy with this plan.
Useful websites – some you may need to subscribe to.
Twinkl – I created a free account to download worksheets
White Rose MathsTime Table Rock Stars – I purchased a family account, which is currently £6.00 annually. We have this through school, but on the family account I can adjust the tables that are asked. Their teacher changes the tables asked on the school account. On my daughter’s school account the questions are very limited. On the family account I’ve changed it to focus on the two times, five times and ten times tables.
Numbots – appears to only be available through your school at present.
You Tube – many educational videos.
BBC Bitesize
Pinterest for design technology ideas – art and craftPurple Mash – we have it through school
I’m sure there are many more that I’m not aware of. Please add others that you recommend in the comments.
To help consolidate work I have made videos of my children presenting their work with my tablet. I can recommend video merge app and Video panda compression app these are essential if you intend to email them to school or / and family. Video panda in my opinion is amazing. Video merge I’ve had a few issues, but have managed to join video in the end. The compression (and joining if necessary) might take a few hours but incredible results. For example, over 600mb reduced to under 20mb and still acceptable quality, (this is just my personal opinion).
Home learning essentials
(Please note the following contains affiliate links. Anything purchased will earn me a small amount of commission which will help to pay for my blogs)
My son needed more exercise books, and we needed more paper for the printer. We then needed Pritt Stick and more pens.
A few months ago I purchased two Amazon Kindle kids, They have been worth every penny as both children will read them. My son is unlikely to read a paperback book, but with the Kindle he can not see how long it is. He is now reading his way through the works of David Walliams.
If you are needing a new printer I can recommend a Mono laser printer. They work out less expensive as they do not need a colour cartridge. Mine is connected wirelessly across WIFI to my tablet.
Reflection
To all COVID- 19 home schoolers – Remember the time now with our children is precious. If you feel you are failing at home schooling then don’t beat yourself up. Your children are possibly learning other skills. Is your child reading more? Whether it’s a magazine’s or their kindle. Are they Lego building and problem solving? Maybe, playing in the garden or helping around the house?
My daughter is creative. She refused to do her writing on Saturday but here is her cardboard box dolls house. She is learning in her own way.
Try and stay positive, try and not get angry and cry like I did last Saturday, it really isn’t worth it. I’m sure however successful we are with home schooling, we are all trying our best. All living with different situations and different stress. I hope this post has been in some way useful.
For more see Quarantine poetry, looking back on today
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The School holiday is almost over
School holidays
Why is it that despite the school holiday being stressful that I’m feeling sad that it is Friday? It is amazing that we all have such a great love for our children that we seem to take everything from them and still want to spend time with them.
If my friends treated me like my children do sometimes then I am not sure that we would still be friends. Though an adult is unlikely to play hide and seek in a ‘Currys Store.’
My two have just walked into the kitchen saying ‘mummy I’m hungry, I want food now’. If an adult, this might be met with ‘get it yourself’. With my children we can have an argument about their manners or have shreddies and milk across the kitchen. Two independent children, happy to help themselves and even happier to make a mess.
So, what have we achieved this school holiday? Monday was telephone calls and two visits to ‘Currys PC world’. Both children took off their shoes and vanished in the shop. I could hear them shouting but I could not see them. Have you ever had a similar experience?
‘Time Table Rockstars’
Tuesday was more relaxing, and daddy was at home. A day at home with daddy usually means that very little gets done. However, we have achieved practice on ‘Time Table Rockstars’. On his school account his total is now 125000 total coins. On the family account he now has 31000 total coins. I set up my account along with his and I only have about 6000 coins so his is an impressive result. Good work for a school holiday.
My eight-year olds rapid recall of his tables is something that I struggle with. I do know my tables, but I have to think about the answer or use my fingers. My son is very quick, sometimes responding within two seconds and often getting it correct.
Competing with others playing it around the world, I am amazed how quick some children / or people are at it. We had a session a few days ago where I got twenty-six answers, my son twenty-five and the leader ninety-nine. They were answering in less than a second.
I can remember learning my time-tables, I found it hard. My dad wrote them all out for me and I still struggled to remember them. I have realised that my six year old has not learnt her two times table yet, so I have written her an answer sheet. She is now getting more correct and enjoying it more.
Visit to the town and library
On Wednesday, we finally got out of the house and walked into the town. A visit to the library had my daughter creating an ‘Alicorn’ holding a pizza, with the help of the library staff. Apparently an Alicorn is a Unicorn without a horn, however looking at hers, it does appear to have one. She then created some animation with it.
My daughter also chose a new book to read. I’m not sure if she will actually read it as it looks a bit hard, but the want to read it is there at least. (Please note, anything purchased through my blog, will earn me some commission which will help pay for this blog. Please also note, that you can support me with anything you purchase from Amazon as long as you use my link, thank you)
A trip to the town also meant Chips and a run in the park. Walking home the children wanted to visit the pet shop. We were warned to not put fingers in the hamsters cage. My six year old put her fingers in and stroked it. She was consequently bitten, she was fine, and the pet store owner put a plaster on it. The hamster has now been moved to a higher shelf.
We all arrived home exhausted and a little wet as it rained. However, we had had a good day, and the hamster bite was soon forgotten.
Thursday
Yesterday, Thursday, was another wet day, spent indoors, and more ‘Time Table Rockstars.’ Right now anyone who walks in my house will know its school holidays. The children and their toys and stuff have taken over the front room and I’m too tired to do anything about it. I’m sure you know this feeling, other things take precedence and as long as they are safe and happy the mess is okay for now.
My daughter managed to do some fine art work on my son’s bedroom wall yesterday afternoon, (typical for school holiday). I have washed it off now, but you can still see her handprints and some of the blue painlt has now come off to show yellow paint underneath. We think this was created with foundation or tanning moisturiser, possibly found in the bathroom cabinet. Yes, the mum stress continues, I wasn’t sure whether to scream, laugh or cry. At least she is creative, just a shame about our walls. She will not keep her creativity to pen and paper, it is everywhere.
Today
Today, Friday, I’ve told my eight year old that we need to look at his homework. I’ve told him that instead of playing Roblox he could ask ‘Google’ about York. Yes, the school holiday is almost over.
So, now I am going to disturb my son from ‘Roblox and do some research with him. As you can see we have done ‘TT Rockstars’, he tells me he has forgotten his password for ‘Spellzone’. I will be asking about this on Monday as I hadn’t heard of it before. I’m suspecting that this is because he is good at his Maths but finds spelling a little harder or less enjoyable. I know if I find something hard then I am not keen on doing it.
I’m hoping my daughter can write about her holiday whilst we are researching. We still have their school reading books to read as well. I don’t want a stressful Sunday afternoon where we still have to complete it all.
Anyway, I’m now going to boil the kettle again for more tea and then disturb the party in the front room. They are listening to ‘Alexa’ singing ‘George Ezra’ and playing on their gadgets. Yes, time to make myself, once more unpopular. Yes, the school holiday is unfortunately almost over.
For more see, 7 ideas for school holiday and our dramas
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