How to Support Your Child’s Educational Journey While They’re At Home
Let’s do some math, but don’t worry, there won’t be a quiz on this later.
Did you know that, according to 2007-2008 National Center for Education Statistics data, the average school day is just over six-and-a-half hours long? If you add that to the recommended eight hours of sleep we’re supposed to get per night, that comes out to 14.5 hours of the day. This leaves around nine-and-a-half hours when your child is awake and not at school. That’s a lot of extra time!
So how do we make the most of that time?
As parents, your journey becomes intricately woven with the growth and development of your children during their educational journey. You become their cheerleaders, confidants, and guides on this path of exploration and learning. But even the most skilled guides need help finding their path now and then. In this article, we’re going to go over some of the ways that you can support your child’s social and educational growth on their journey,
Communication Is Key
Remember to keep those lines of communication open. We want to create an environment where they feel comfortable discussing their feelings, challenges, and achievements. School can be a stressful time in their lives, and we want to give them a space where they can feel free to share without fear of punishment.
A key part of this is practicing active listening because it lets your child know that you’re interested in what they have to say. When they’re speaking, give them your full attention, make eye contact, and be sure to reflect or repeat back the things they’re saying or feeling so you can make sure you understand.
At MUSE Global School, we focus on the Process Communication Model (PCM). Created by Dr. Taibi Kahler, PCM is a communication tool that helps people understand how and why people communicate. While PCM is a part of our curriculum across all grade levels, we also offer regular workshops for our parents!
Encourage Curiosity
Education is more than just memorizing things out of a schoolbook. Be sure to create an environment where your child can embrace their curiosity. Curious children learn and retain information better and often do better in school. Studies also show that curious children become happier adults!
And the best part? Encouraging curiosity in your child is easy. Even simple things like spending more time together as a family, taking trips to the museum, and good old-fashioned unstructured play can do the trick.
Make Better Use Of Screen Time
In this world of smartphones and tablets, cutting out screen time completely isn’t feasible. Still, too much screen time – as well as exposure to poor-quality programming – has been linked to things like insufficient sleep, behavior and attention problems, and delays in language and social skills.
Unfortunately for us, there’s no magic number when it comes to how much screen time children should have. What the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization both agree on is that, no matter the length of time, children should be consuming “high-quality programming.” Experts recommend working with your children to create a family media plan and following the rules you set together.
Support Their Education
No one likes doing homework, but it still needs to get done. Be actively involved in your child’s education by helping them with homework, projects, and other assignments. If they need more specialized assistance, contact the school or find a tutor. Most importantly, offer your child praise and good feedback to help boost their confidence and improve their learning experience.
Be sure to ask your child about their classes and any problems they might be having. If it’s something you can help with, great! If not, encourage your child to reach out to their instructor for the help they need.
Respect Their Individuality
Every child is different, and it’s important to celebrate those differences. Recognize your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Support their talents and interests, even if it’s not something you like. Encourage them to explore their identity and evaluate what it means to be the most honest form of themselves.
Helping your children embrace their individuality will bring them the confidence they need to succeed. It will also help them build self-efficacy, one of the Five Pillars on which MUSE Global School is built!
To learn more about how MUSE Global School goes Beyond Academics or for any other information, click HERE. Ready to join the MUSE Global School family? Learn how to apply HERE.
