I think one of my favourite Yoruba proverbs is ‘ojú kan ló ń bímo, ìgbà ojú ló ń wòó’, which loosely translates to – it takes a village to raise a child. It invokes feelings of community and can be applied to almost any context. As educators, we become part of your village. Ensuring your child’s success becomes part of the reason we wake up in the mornings. But just as you couldn’t do it all without our support, we can’t do it without yours. So without further ado, here are 7 ways parents can support their children’s learning.
1. Remain Informed – Your children are learning new topics and new practices every day. By remaining informed, you’re effectively positioning yourself as someone they can always run to for support!
2. Ask more than ‘How was school?’ – Think of the school day like your workday, it’s not just about what you learned or what you accomplished, but who you spoke to. What did you eat for lunch? How do we make tomorrow even better?
3. Gameify Learning at Home – 2 + 2 = 4, but how do you visualise this to help your child understand? How would you model subtraction? Better yet, your child just learned about compassion and empathy in school – task them with making 1 person smile today, maybe 2 tomorrow, perhaps 3 on the 3rd day. Learning should be fun and never confined to the classroom.
4. Create Incentives to Motivate Your Child – Learning in itself is a gift, but who doesn’t love a treat?
5. Make Time for Doing Homework Together – After spending a long day learning and reviewing with peers, why should homework be done in isolation? Always take the opportunity to engage with the material your child is learning. And if it’s something you don’t understand, even better. Beyond the support of Lumilearn tutors, try to explore learning resources with your child.
6. Take Your Children on Educational Outings – When was the last time you went to a museum? A public library? Or even an art gallery. Learning is lifelong and omnipresent – Invite curiosity outside of the classroom. Perhaps even make a game of it, ask them to show you something that’s from over 50 years ago, or 100? Ask them to show you a red fish or a blue fish, or an art piece that reminds them of something – you’d be surprised how much your own children can teach you.
7. Celebrate Their Wins – PUT THAT 100% ON THE FRIDGE! (Or even the 85% if it means enough to your child) Remember, the goal is not to chase perfection but instead to help your child grow and support them in their growth.
In conclusion, most of the ways to support your child’s learning revolve around remaining present and accessible. The school day only takes up so much of their time, and knowing that learning continues even at home, will likely influence how they view their academics and ultimately, life. And remember, there’s no effort too small.
Happy Learning 🙂
