Not all children are academically gifted. Each child is unique and will have talents that lie in different areas.
Image source: Tima Miroshnichenko in pexels.com
For every child that excels academically, some children are excelling at sports, art, music, or showing their compassion for others. There is no one right or wrong way for your child to excel, and be able to support them on their education journey whether they are struggling learners who need more support in some subjects or they need to learn in different ways than is taught in mainstream education, as a parent you can help them however they need it.
But what are the best ways to support your child’s learning journey?
Tutor
If your child is struggling with retaining information and is falling behind in their school work, you can get them a tutor to give them that little bit of one-on-one time to help them focus on the specific areas they are struggling with. A teacher in a busy classroom can only do so much, so supporting this with a tutor who can work exclusively with your child each week can be extremely helpful.
Make It Fun
Learning doesn’t have to be boring, and reading from textbooks only, there are so many ways your child can learn and even more ways you can help them. Make it as fun as possible, and use different types of media such as movies and music to help them learn. Let them get creative and take charge of things themselves, and involve them in learning around the house; cooking can be great for reading and counting, while cleaning can be a practical way to learn about chemistry and how different chemicals react together. Get them outside and explore to support their learning, or take them to free local museums, the library, or exhibitions. Anything that grabs their attention and makes it fun for them, do it.
Let Them Make Mistakes
No one learns anything by being perfect all the time and never making mistakes. While it might not be easy, let your child make the mistakes and use this as a learning opportunity. Of course, you want to ensure the lesson they are learning isn’t putting them in harm’s way, but there is no issue with letting them get things wrong before helping them find the correct answer or the right way of doing things. This will support their critical thinking and problem-solving skills and help them to become more resistant in the process.
Relaxing Is Vital
This isn’t a direct learning opportunity, but you need to allow your child time to switch off and relax; they don’t need to be on it 24/7 or have every single second of the day filled with educational opportunities. Allow them the time to kick back and relax, to allow their brain to switch off and have some downtime. Relaxing is an integral part of their brain development and is essential for good mental health. So, free up some time to do nothing or have some non-education fun, incorporate regular sleep routines, and watch your child thrive.
Supporting your child’s education isn’t always about the obvious learning opportunities. It’s about seeing what your child needs and helping them to reach their potential.
