Ah, homeschooling. It seemed like a good idea at the time… right? Now, I’m not going to lie, following #HomeSchoolFail has provided me with some much needed comedic relief over the past few weeks…

All jokes and quadratic trinomials aside, Monday marks the final week of Term 1 for NSW students. With school attendance sitting at less than 10% for the last fortnight and NSW Catholic schools bringing holidays forward a week, feeling like it’s a holiday is completely fair enough.

However, the evolving reality of covid-19, means distance learning is likely to extend into Term 2 and judging by the number of emails and messages we’ve been receiving from parents, factoring those quadratic trinomials is becoming increasingly hard to ignore.

The truth is, no one knows what the next few months will bring in terms of the delivery of education and ultimately, that is going to have a huge impact on your child (and your stress levels).

So here are our top five tips for surviving homeschooling your child compiled from some of our best in-home and online tutors who, as a prerequisite for working with us, must survive a six-student Year 3 English class (I wish I was joking).

1. The “Jones” School Curriculum Structure.

A big part of school is the structure.

By 9:10, you need to have fought tooth and nail to get your kids up, dressed (finding a clean pair of socks) and out the door laden with today’s sport’s clothes, last night’s homework and that dreaded recorder that they love hankering out a tune on. By 10:20 they’ll have discovered today’s nutritious and plastic-free snack for little lunch before going on to create an irremovable grass stain on their brand new school shirt at big lunch. By 3 o’clock they’re done for the day and as you battle the afternoon traffic on your way home, their response to “so what did you learn today?” will most likely be an inaudible grunt.

Love it or hate it, structure and routine is vital for getting stuff done and that applies to learning as well. The whole ‘distance learning’ transition has been difficult for both students and their parents which is why establishing a routine of some description is vital to continuing their learning and managing to get your own work done.

A six-hour homeschool day is probably unrealistic for a lot of children and the reality is that without the distraction of thirty-something other kids you probably won’t need to spend as much time as they otherwise would covering the same amount of content. That being said, there is no reason that your child’s day can’t have a bit of structure (we’re not talking military precision either). Start and end the day at a consistent time and schedule consistent, timed breaks so your child has something to look forward to. Then, you can fill in the blanks with their set school work for the day. This way, everyone knows what’s going on and everyone can see the light at the end of the homeschool day.

Some A2Z parents have recommended daily sticker planners as a great way of getting younger primary school students to get their work done. If all else fails, I’m told that the promise of 30 minutes on an iPad is also a very persuasive tool.

2. Break It Down.

Let’s be completely honest… most families don’t have a qualified teacher who is up-to-date with the NSW curriculum (it seems to change more than the weather these days). So breaking down content into manageable and logically connected activities makes it much easier for students to grasp and retain information. Given that

“Math has changed a lot since I was at school”.

- said every parent I have spoken to this week

it also makes it a lot easier for mum and dad to teach it.

It’s always best to let your child go through the content first on their own (and you can have a Google if need-be) so they can build a good fundamental base for their learning. Then, tackle a question together, using it as an example before leaving them to finish off the questions by themselves.

We know that with their new teacher all to themselves, it’s often tempting for students to ask for help as soon as they get stuck. It is always a good idea to encourage them to have a go at figuring it out themselves before you step in.

3. Focus on the Basics.

One of the most common complaints that we get from A2Z parents is about the lack of emphasis that is put on learning the basics at school and I’ve got to say, we agree. The number of students who join our high school and even HSC classes that don’t know timetables, basic punctuation or sentence structure is a bit of a worry.

This time at home may be the perfect excuse to whip out those timetable charts and spelling lists to get your child focused on the basics. It is also a perfect time to get them a book to read if you don’t mind the shipping delays.

4. Let Them Be the Teacher.

One of the best ways to consolidate learning is teaching what we know to someone else. Often, new ideas and concepts will make sense in our heads and it is only when we go to explain them to other people that we realise that we don’t quite understand them as well as we thought. That’s why students need to apply their learning and get feedback on it to really absorb and remember information.

Earlier this year for example, a young student that we teach had a class project where he needed to give a speech to his class in order to teach them how to make a paper airplane (I was informed by his mum that it was “not going well”). After we (well mostly me) worked out the “correct” way of making a paper airplane, we set about writing his speech and making his first paper plane… well kind of… it was a work in progress… I left him that week with a set of instructions to teach his sister how to make a paper airplane as homework. The following week, I was presented with two wonderful looking planes and a certificate from his speech in the other.

Moral to the story, get your child to teach you what they’ve learnt. It is the fastest way for you to identify any weaknesses (without hovering over their shoulder all day) so you can devise a plan to address them in the future.

5. Try To Remain Calm.

Look, we know that’s easier said than done. Between your own work, trying to keep some semblance of order (and tidiness) and your child’s school work, it’s safe to say that most parents have a lot on their plates at the moment.

It’s important to remember that even if you don’t manage to finish all 50 math equations, the Shakespeare reading and the geography homework is scribbled on the back of an envelope, it’s all good.

Teacher get it (they have the joy of doing this x 30 students), but unlike you, they chose to do this and are formally qualified with years of experience. Just like you, they are trying to work out how to deliver hands-on lessons through online platforms and keep up with the deluge of emails being sent their way.

So just remember while you’re zooming to the google hangout via the blackboard trying to remember how to add surds, it’s not the end of the world. As long as they’re learning something, that an achievement in itself.

A2Z Tutoring is a leading provider of in-home and online tutoring services in the Sydney area. As a company, we believe in making education more accessible, affordable and effective for every family, which is why our amazing tutors tailor all our lessons to your child’s needs. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can deliver an incredible tutor near you straight to your door.