Top tips for parents who now teach

With South Africa in Level 4 lockdown and parents still having to take responsibility for their children’s education, Ponnie Moodley, director of Nkowa Education, takes a look at how parents can help their children stay on top of their schoolwork.

The first set of learners (Grades 12 and 7) will return to school only on 1 June.

Begin with goal-setting

Beginning with the end in mind sets up your child for success.
• Formulate a to-do list.
• Include school assignments, and home-management issues and chores.
• Having a general family list and an individuals list will ensure everyone contributes to keeping your home organised.
• Prioritise tasks from most important to least important.
• Review and update the list at the end of the day or week, while delegating new tasks if and when needed.

Establish a daily routine

Children need consistency where they can predict what is expected of them on a daily basis.
• It facilitates quick transition between one activity and another.
• It sets a tone to instil self-discipline and self-drivenness.
• Follow the normal school timetable and roster as closely as possible to help things run smoothly during this time of uncertainty.
• Include a variety of activities that target physical, emotional and mental-health activities.
• Make changes, and adapt the routine to the needs of your family and individual members.

Formulate a self-discipline plan

Aim to make your children self-disciplined, where they take charge of their own learning.
• Help your children to be intrinsically motivated by encouraging and praising them.
• List the maximum of five realistic expectations and post them on a wall to refer to constantly.
• Discuss incentives and rewards that are awarded at the end of the week, as opposed to on a daily basis.
• Make it visual and fun for young children, in order for them to be motivated and inspired.
• Include school and household expectations that are tangible, realistic and age-appropriate.

Address the needs of the whole child

The physical, psychological, emotional, social and cultural development will impact the academic development of a child.
• Establish a sense of community and be aware of cultural nuances, accents and body language.
• Giving clear boundaries, including what are acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, will set the tone for family life.
• Model positive verbal and non-verbal behaviour, as children mirror adults’ mannerisms.
• Celebrate diversity and complement the different learning styles and characteristics with appropriate activities.
• Incorporate different pathways to learning, integrate individual talents, and challenge your children.

Set up an ideal study space

Have a designated area for your child to study as it brings an academic atmosphere into your home.
• Find a peaceful, quiet area – either in a communal space or a more private room.
• Remove all distractions such as phones and loud music, while keeping other digital devices for study purposes only.
• Play calm or classical music that will help concentration, and will not interfere with studying.
• Consider lighting and temperature that will enhance comfort and focus.
• Have all your supplies at hand and readily available as this will prevent unnecessary movement.
• Personalise the space to fit your child’s needs, and display motivating or informational posters on the surrounding walls.
• Be organised, and clean up between activities and at the end of each day.

Master the basics skills

Before venturing onto more complex concepts, it is very important that children master the required basic skills first.
• Simple Mental Maths that target single-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication and division will help build the necessary foundation.
• Once mastered, older children can move onto double-digit Mental Maths exercises, formulas and theorems.
• For language skills, concentrate on phonics and syllabication as this will help your children read more fluently and understand what they read.
• Reading aloud and to each other will help children enunciate, use a variety of tones, and know when to pause.
• Exploring various character education traits will help children understand the importance of being honest, having integrity and using effective communication skills.
• Note-taking, study strategies and exploring mind maps will give children more control over their studies.

Develop good work ethic

Instilling good work ethic is the most important indicator of career success and future excellence.
• Try to stick to your daily schedule as much as possible.
• Practice punctuality, and cultivate the need for self-discipline, integrity and good values.
• Avoid distractions like social media and checking emails; instead, reserve those for designated times and during breaks.
• Be task- and not time-oriented, while also managing your time wisely.
• Take responsibility for your words and actions, as these can have irreversible consequences.
• Be prepared to receive back from others, and always spend time on self-reflection.
• Stay balanced by getting enough sleep, exercise and relaxation, and following a healthy diet.