With schools closed until the beginning of April, students are facing two weeks of home learning.
Senior leadership team members from Amity School Abu Dhabi share their top tips on helping your children to focus and get the most out of their online learning.
Principal Adrian Frost, vice principal, head of primary Jo Vigeron and head of foundation stage Julie Engles share their top tips to help you help your primary school child to learn outside the classroom.
A learning-friendly area
Make sure your child has a quiet place where they can concentrate on their home learning and ensure that they have all the necessary equipment (books, paper, stationary etc) to hand.
Help them make a plan
Some children can concentrate for longer periods of time than others. Break up work into manageable chunks. Give children regular breaks. Use the ‘now and next’ strategy e.g. first you do this for 15 minutes, then you can choose to do something else for 15 minutes.
Keep distractions to a minimum
This means no television or loud music. Some children can concentrate whilst listening to background music, but others may need a quiet space.
Encourage children do their own work
If they make a mistake, that’s ok! Ask them, “Can you see anything you might need to change?” Ask them to check their work. Encourage them to use dictionaries, spelling mats and any other resources they have been given by their teacher. Do help, but please let children have a go so they are fully engaging with learning. Use resources you may have at home e.g. magnetic letters for spelling, spelling in the sand, using rulers as a numberline, dictionaries.
Be a motivator and monitor
Give lots of praise! Talk to them about their home learning. Give encouragement, check completed work, and make yourself available for questions and concerns.
If there are problems with the home learning, get help
Please send your class teacher a message or email if you have any questions about any of the learning and or technical issues.
If you’ve got secondary school children, you can get some top tips to help them with their distance learning here.
