COVID-19. It’s safe to say it’s consumed our daily lives. Our workplace, family life, day to day decisions and the foreseeable future. It’s impossible to determine what the future holds, and it’s increasingly more challenging not to be scared by the potential consequences of the virus.
School closures have already occurred, and there is pressure for more (if not all) to shut down. If the schools shut, it’s most likely going to cause a new wave of panic…what if my child falls behind?
This concern is warranted of course, but I am urging parents of young children to not be hung up on this. Please don’t feel obliged to sign up to every teaching aide or purchase every app to ensure your child continues to make progress. This method will only get your child so far, and fails to provide a holistic approach to education.
Instead, bulk your day up with activities that encourage conversation, inquisitive thinking, questions and investigations. Encourage your child to design, create, manipulate and communicate. Block out parts of your day to be mindful, take it easy, laugh and play. Learning is something that should take place every day we are on the planet, through real life experiences. These real life experiences aren’t difficult. They aren’t strenuous. But boy are they important to your child’s development!
Read. Read. Read.
Colour in.
Write with your child. Write a letter to a loved one. Write a story about this time that the world ran out of toilet paper.
Have your child go out into the garden and create a ‘potion’ that could cure COVID 19.
Design and make a poster about washing your hands.
Sing songs. Dance. Make music. Play dress ups.
Cook. Make healthy treats, make special treats. Decorate cupcakes. Sit down and eat meals as a family.
Do puzzles together. Create treasure hunts. Make maps. Go for a drive.
Play make believe games.
Make toys out of your recycling.
Throw, catch, kick and bounce a ball.
Simply talk with your child.
The list could go on…
School is a hectic environment and teachers are under the pump to deliver and teach a curriculum jam packed with content and indicators. If I am being truthful, there are not enough hours in the day to get through what is expected. If the schools shut down, your child will learn best if you provide hands on, higher order thinking learning opportunities. Devices and apps can only teach you so much. Technology is fantastic in many ways; however, it fails to give young children the chance to authentically develop their fine and gross motor skills, communication skills and relationships, as well as many other skills that are essential to being a human who isn’t in self isolation.
Do not disregard technology as a method of learning. Be sure to use this resource to assist and foster learning and ALWAYS supervise your children when they are using it.
Do what’s reasonable, look out for each other and wash your hands. X
It's A Work In Progress 