Whether you are a parent or student, adjusting to the change of home learning can be quite a challenge. These are unpredictable times for everyone, so with this in mind we have gathered seven tips to ensure you are making the most out of the current predicament. Hopefully, some of the advice below will help.

Create a learning space

It is important to find or create a space in your house where you feel comfortable and ready to start learning or teaching. We can all become easily distracted, especially at home. So try to create a separate work area in your home where there is little distraction and noise. Wherever it may be, if you are a parent, explain to your child that during school hours this area will be where they conduct their schoolwork – the ‘home classroom’.

Get in the school mind-set

Sticking to a routine of home learning is psychological skill. Adapting to working and learning from home can be hard at any age but keeping to a routine can make all the difference; do all the things you would normally do on a school day. Set the alarm, have breakfast, get your pencil cases and equipment ready and enjoy some exciting home learning. If you really want to get in the zone, you could even wear your school uniform during school hours!

Making a timetable

No doubt, if you are a parent, you’ll also have responsibilities throughout the day. Setting yourself or your child a learning timetable can help to alleviate some of the hardships of multi-tasking. Why not follow a similar subject timetable to the normal school day! Plan by picking a definitive time to start and finish, and allocate each timeslot a subject. Good practice is to make sure that the timetable is always in sight.

Find at the bottom of the article examples of what a timetable could look like.

Take breaks

Even though adults are willing to work for a long period without breaks, learning is different. Regular breaks throughout the day, short breaks and lunch breaks, are not simply downtime for relaxing, but essential to help with consolidating learning. We all need breaks to rest, stretch eat and move about, and that goes for any ages from nursery all the way to teenage years and adulthood. Breaks reduces stress, increase productivity and help to boost brain function.

“What do I do next?”

To support parents to be able to work without interruptions whilst their child is at home, and if you are student finding yourself hitting the wall of boredom or confusion about what to do now, we have a practical tip for you. Have you ever thought about creating a short list called ‘what to do when I don’t know what to do next?’ The list includes things like reading a book, writing a story or watching a documentary. For secondary students, you could spend time finding resources and learning on BBC Bitesize, doing quizzes and going through school notes. Give it a go and let us know if it has been effective for you.

Make the best use of technology

Technology can be great; it allows us to engage with the world in ways we may not have explored before. There are endless amounts of learning resources out there waiting for pupils and students to complete, with academy websites being updated all the time. How about educational apps, educational YouTube channels and even educational games. Consider using technology in your next home learning session – just use it safely!

Evaluate and give feedback

Feedback is an essential part in all types of learning, including home learning. Whether you are a student independently learning, or parent teaching, take some time at the end of the day to evaluate your efforts. Help yourself or your children to feel good about the hard work put in under these unfamiliar circumstances by giving daily positive feedback and set goals for tomorrow. Good feedback won’t only help you understand the subject being studied but will give you clear guidance on how to improve your learning. So, how did you do today? Remember, home learning takes resilience and patience so don’t be hard on yourself.

Example Primary school timetable

Secondary school timetable