Make learning from home work.

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak is a global health emergency that has filled many of us – parents, educators and students alike – with concern. Undoubtedly, it has already had an impact on education: as of 10th March, sixteen countries have implemented nationwide school closures. The Chinese government, which was the first to employ rigorous quarantine measures, have also been making great use of remote education (delivering education via cable/satellite or online).

As of 11th March 2020, only a few select schools have been shut down in the UK. But with the number of coronavirus diagnoses growing each day and countries like Italy going into lockdown, there are rising concerns about how the government can address the educational needs of millions of children during the quarantine. Learning at home might be the only option. – and the good news is that this could be a chance for your child to make great progress.

How homeschooling could be used to your child’s advantage

Much of the news around the coronavirus is necessarily sombre: but here at Mentor Education we strongly believe that there’s no need for your child’s education to be disrupted. If your child has to be educated from home for some time, this could even be used as a catalyst for individual improvement. 

Here are a few of our top tips: 

• Use the time effectively and try new, innovative approaches to study. Students can do lots of practice papers, explore different forms of learning (tactile or interactive, for example) and even venture outside the curriculum (such as reading widely around their subjects).
• Reflect and assess academic performance in detail. School in years 10 – 13 can be a real treadmill and this could be a valuable time in which to press pause and self-analyse, before zeroing in on those areas that require attention and improvement.
• Catch up! If you’re already aware of problem areas, this would be a great time to go back over past materials or catch up if there’s anything your child has missed.
• Consider online tutoring. Mentor Education are pleased to offer a variety of tutoring options, including online tutoring, which provides a high-quality experience of one-on-one coaching and could be extremely useful if schools are closed for a period of time. This could be a short-term option during the coronavirus outbreak or could be extended beyond the current circumstances to provide continuity of learning. Your child will be matched with an experienced tutor who will be a great fit for their personality, learning style and academic interests, and who will be well equipped to help them meet any challenges.

A final thought: when your child is learning at home, the most important thing of all is to keep them engaged! The temptation to go into holiday mode and break routines – sleeping late, spending more time on devices/watching television – is strong, and this must be resisted. Not only could it be beneficial to make the most of the time if schools are shut (thus ensuring your child returns to school in a strong position), but also it will be that much harder to get back into action for summer exams/tests after a dormant period. 

Whatever you decide, Mentor Education are here to help. Our online Academic Assessments will give you insight into any problem areas and help ensure your child is concentrating on the right elements – particularly if having to work from home – and our tutors will help them catch up/work through any challenges, whilst remaining engaged and focused. In addition, we offer an Easter Revision Course which would be a perfect way to work through any issues and get back into the swing of things ahead of summer exams. Please get in touch today for a no-obligation discussion about your needs.