EASY WAYS TO MAKE LEARNING FUN FOR KIDS
With some children struggling to keep up at school having missed so much due to lockdowns, parents may feel powerless, but Emma has some simple strategies you can use to help them
veryone learns differently; some kids like to take notes in class, while others prefer to just listen. Some feel their understanding drops into place when they look at a diagram, others need a friend to explain things to them. The way we all process information isn’t the same, so many kids will have fallen behind because their learning style doesn’t thrive when being taught online.
GET MOVING
Fortunately, you can help them cover lost ground – the key is to make learning fun. A new study has found that combining basketball and maths helped kids learn and stay motivated. They had weekly classes, where they performed calculations associated with basketball drills – things like counting how many times they could sink a basket from three meters away versus one and adding those up. It upped mastery and maintained motivation for maths.
BE CREATIVE
This is “Kinaesthetic learning”, and means kids take in information more effectively when they are allowed to move. Games are a fun way to help your kids. I used to play a card memory game with my boys by writing countries and their capital cities on blank cards so they could pair them together – they didn’t even think it was educational, they just loved the competition. If your child needs help with reading and writing, make a list of characters together, and bring them to life by drawing and colouring each one, come up with a plot, then help them write the story, and keep adding extra chapters. Another really simple tactic is to pop the subtitles on their favourite TV shows, as research shows this vastly improves reading, writing and spelling abilities.
SIT WITH THEM
If your child is worried they are struggling or have fallen behind, reassure them this isn’t their fault and that they aren’t letting you down. They often feel more confident when a parent sits with them as they do their homework. This will also give you an insight into areas they need to improve on, so you can help, or ask the school if extra tutoring is available if needed.