Homeschooling can offer you the chance to educate your children in a nurturing environment and it could help your youngsters to fulfill their academic potential.
However, as education specialists Oxford Home Schooling point out, when you’re teaching your kids, you need to be sure that they are getting the best possible schooling outside the traditional classroom environment. One possible barrier to this is distraction. In busy family households, there can be lots of things that take youngsters’ attention away from their studies. To help ensure your children don’t experience too many distractions, take a look at the following tips.
Noise
Excessive noise is the nemesis of homeschooling parents. From TV and radios to vacuums and barking dogs, there are a host of sounds that can put kids off their studies. To minimize noise levels, set up your study area in a quiet part of your property away from the hubbub of the main living space. Ideally, this will be a peaceful bedroom or study. Also, avoid doing loud chores like vacuuming during the school day, even if you’re leaving your kids to get on with independent study.
Technology
Technology is now an important learning tool, but it can also be an unwelcome distraction. If you leave your children alone with PCs, laptops, tablets or smartphones, there’s always a risk that they will get distracted by games and social media. With this in mind, it’s best to supervise computer use and to set some study periods that don’t rely on these devices.
Younger siblings
Younger brothers and sisters can be a big distraction too. It can be almost impossible for older children to learn if toddlers are running around and demanding attention in the background. One way to limit these distractions is to save your younger children’s toys for school time. This will help to keep them occupied while their older siblings get on with their lessons. Also, reserve the most demanding learning sessions for your toddler’s nap time and try active play first thing in the morning to help burn some of their energy.
Other people
Neighbors calling at your door and phone calls from friends and family can also disrupt the school day. To help ensure your children’s learning sessions run smoothly, make people aware of your homeschooling hours and encourage them not to disturb you unless it’s an emergency. This can help you and your kids to stay on task during lessons.
Overcoming distractions in the home will always be a challenge, but by following tips like these, you stand a better chance of creating a focused environment for your children to learn in.
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