Every Parent Should Use These Strategies To Grow Their Child’s Knowledge Outside Of The Classroom
At every age, learning is most effective when it is treated as an ongoing part of life. Rather than limiting the learning process to the school day, parents should always aim to teach their children outside of the classroom whenever possible. Doing this facilitates growth, curiosity, and innovation. This is even more helpful when your child is struggling in a particular subject. By using real-life examples — and the many resources that now exist online — you can take your child’s learning to a whole new level.
To get you started, Matheaze Tutors shares four of the best strategies for helping your child learn, grow, and excel outside of the classroom.
Introduce your child to online STEAM classes
Is your child showing an interest in science and technology? If so, be sure to check out the many quality STEAM courses that are now available online. From pre-kindergarten all the way to college, STEAM (which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) programs can foster your child’s love of related subjects. This is achieved by making learning hands-on and incredibly fun.
In an afternoon, you can help your child create a glass of “lava,” make elephant toothpaste, or begin learning the basics of coding. These fun experiences help clarify complex topics, and create a genuine passion for science, technology, math, and learning.
Plan a day at the museum
Museums hold incredible potential for teaching your child about important subjects of all kinds. Across the nation, you can find museums that hold ancient artifacts, display world-class artwork, and ones that are tailored specifically to the learning needs of children.
If there is a museum near your home, make plans to take your child there for the day. Prior to your arrival, explore supporting resources (such as guidebooks, audio tours, and scavenger hunt sheets) that can further enhance your experience.
Let nature do the teaching
Outdoor learning experiences can teach your child about a number of subjects. Because there are so many facets of nature, you could spend hours using the outdoors as a classroom.
At almost any age, observing wildlife in your backyard is a fantastic way to learn about animals. Children in pre-kindergarten all the way up through high school can benefit from this activity. From there, brainstorm ways to use nature to teach your child about subjects such as art, science, and math. Also, before venturing outside, you can let your child decide what you should wear based on the weather conditions, the terrain in your yard, and how much sun your yard receives. Doing this will help boost their thinking and observing skills.
Introduce real-world examples
One of the more fun and practical ways to teach your child is through the use of real-world examples. This strategy can be helpful for subjects from math, to critical thinking, to reading.
If you are looking to help your child in math, consider using money as an example. From adding to multiplying, your child might understand concepts better when thinking about them in terms of dollars and cents. To teach fractions, consider the use of ingredient ratios in baking. Not only will these examples help later on in life, but they will also be useful for classroom learning.
Each week, make it your goal to enhance your child’s learning experience in some way. Plan one or two activities to do either after school or on the weekend. When you consistently work with your child in this way, he or she can more easily overcome educational challenges and will become a lifelong learner.
Matheaze Tutors provides exceptional in-home and online tutoring solutions for students from early elementary to college. Get more information on available tutoring programs today.