 The Summer school holidays are a great opportunity for children to recharge the batteries but for many parents of young children there is a concern that some of the learning that took place throughout the year will be lost over the long break. It is true that children can regress during the Summer holidays, especially younger children who are just starting to grasp certain concepts and require further consolidation.
Never fear, here are 5 simple tried and tested ways to encourage your children to keep learning throughout the break whilst also having fun: 1. Buy your children books for Christmas on topics they enjoy or better yet, visit the library every few weeks to restock with some new reading material. Read with them but also encourage them to read alone or to a stuffed toy for enjoyment. 2. Get your children involved in planning activities. Perhaps they could use the internet to search for fun things to do. Ask them to create a schedule of activities using the computer. They could even plan transport by looking up timetables and matching up activities and travel times. 3. Go on a day trip or two to a museum, wildlife park, art gallery or live performance. Take time to discuss things your children learned or enjoyed about the experience. 4. Encourage your children to keep a written diary or journal of their thoughts and feelings. If they are young, they may prefer to just write a sentence about what they did that day and draw a picture. 5. Give your children a small amount of money to manage as their ‘holiday budget’. Encourage them to plan their expenses, work out costs, change and keep track of money remaining. This is a great way to practise mathematical skills whilst encouraging a sense of independence. Remember, although it is important to keep progressing, it is equally important that children get to have some freedom to relax during the break so they can be nice and fresh for the brand-new year of learning ahead. Have fun and enjoy the holidays! As featured in: Glenmore Gazette, Emu + Leonay Gazette, Jordan Springs Gazette & Oran Park Gazette - December 2017
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Home schooling is becoming an increasingly popular educational option in Australia. Under the Education Act 1990, home schooling is education delivered in a child’s home by a parent or guardian. Currently over four thousand children are being home schooled in New South Wales alone with approximately a third of those students living in Western Sydney. There are numerous reasons why parents are choosing this alternate setting as the preferred method for their child’s education. According to the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), the top reason for electing to home school is due to philosophical reasons. Additional reasons cited include: special learning needs, behavioural, religious, bullying and other non-specified. Regardless of the reasons why parents choose to home school their child, families in this state are required to register with NESA, develop a learning program based on the curriculum and monitor their children’s progress. There are many organisations and support networks available for families who home school; parents are encouraged to connect with other home schooling parents to share ideas and resources, support one another and provide opportunities for children to socialise. Another interesting alternative to regular home schooling that is getting a lot of media attention currently is the concept of ‘unschooling’. This somewhat radical approach operates under the premise of children learning through every day experiences and learning naturally without the conformities of the curriculum. This model of education does not currently meet registration requirements in NSW. If you are considering home schooling your children it is important to consider the positive and negative aspects in order to make an informed decision. As the teacher you will need to be patient, prepared and deal with the possible misbehavior of your children whilst encouraging them to learn. Conversely, you will get to spend extra time with your children, have a more flexible lifestyle and be able to cater for their individual needs. Home schooling can be very stressful, but it is also very rewarding. This option is not for every family. Parents who are not prepared to make the commitment to be an effective teacher should avoid it. As featured in: Glenmore Gazette, Jordan Springs Gazette & Mulgoa Gazette - November 2017
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AuthorSara Drebber is an educational consultant, teacher, writer and mother of three. 
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