When you may already be dealing with work, family and trying to run a household, having to don your teacher hat in the name of homework can feel a bit like the last straw. For many parents, the idea of suddenly switching from the washing-up to understanding equations or remembering about the Treaty of Versailles is - well - it's a bit of a mental stretch.
Research shows that parents and carers often feel clueless about their kids’ school subjects.
LV General is a parenting influencer and a dad of 2 and he's spoken to an educational expert for some top tips on how to help when you quite literally don't have a clue.
LV General's tips
- Stay positive and encouraging
If you’re negative, your child will mirror that and be negative themselves. So try to be positive - even about subjects you found difficult yourself. Show that you’re supportive of their learning - and they’ll want to keep at it.
Don't try to offer unsolicited advice - listen to them and hear what they have to say. By talking to them about the different subjects they're tackling and giving them time to share how they feel about those subjects, you're helping them work through their thoughts and spot the things they may need help on.
- Don’t take over
As tempting as it is to reminisce about your school days, it's best not to compare. You may have had a very different experience. Try to be relatable and talk about the times you have found work hard and how you got through (as long as they're positive stories!)
It isn't your revision - so let them do the work - don't grab the book and start trying to work it out. Encourage them by, for instance, working through it together. There's more on independent learning from LV General here.
- Use online resources and activities
They shouldn't just use a search engine and hope for the best. On the internet there are many trusted sites that are often recommended by your child’s school - like 鶹Լ Bitesize, which has lots of stuff for both primary and secondary kids, they’ve got revision guides as well as games that are designed to help them learn whilst having fun.
Three ways to use 鶹Լ Bitesize to help your child
鶹Լ Bitesize has a wealth of videos, guides and games covering the curriculum to help your child learn at home - here are three ways to get stuck in…
Learn & revise
A great place to start - discover everything Bitesize has on offer for your child, no matter their age.
Bitesize Study Support
If your child is daunted by revision, study and homework - these tips and advice may help make their workload feel a little more manageable.
Bitesize Secondary Games game
Level up! Lots of fun to help your child learn - with science, history and language games.
More from 鶹Լ Bitesize Parents' Toolkit…
Parents' Toolkit
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