Free weeks of homeschooling plus tips for parents

Just to be on the safe side many parents are keeping their kids home or getting out of the city altogether, that means keeping up with their learning.

After being flooded with calls from stressed parents, Ellen Brown, Director of Learning at Complete Education Australia, one of the largest homeschool providers in Australia thinks that the communications parents have received has left them confused and uncertain about what is happening. They just don’t know what is expected from them and how long this will go on.

Home schooling kids needs to follow routines and be applied with discipline while allowing for a bit of fun as well, a timetable as would be applied in school is a good way to structure learning at home.

“For example: Monday: Start time 8am – Maths, English, Art, Tuesday: Start time 8am – Maths, English, Science and so on.

“One really important thing is to have a start time. Without a start time screens can gobble up the hours. Although this is entertaining, kids soon become irritable without hands on activities,” Brown says.

In NSW, the education department has directed parents to get their online schooling resources from the schools directly.

“Most families feel more comfortable when they realise they have choices, even just in the short term and can then decide what works for them. For some, the department or school resources will work well, for others a more individualised or flexible approach where their child can work at their own pace will be needed.”

One pressing question is whether time out of school will mean that kids will fall behind and if that will affect their progress long term.

“I am sure this will not be the case, as schools are working hard to provide the lessons required. Having another choice has really seemed to reassure the people I have been speaking with.

“At the end of the day the most important thing is that they cover the curriculum and have the evidence to show the department of education.

“Try not to put too much pressure on yourself. Kids are all individuals and they all have different ways of learning and sometimes one size does not fit all.”

CEA has provided a free week of its Term 2 homeschool program to all parents for all grades. It can be accessed from their website. The program covers the full curriculum required by the Education Department in every State.