How Do We Learn At Home?
The Coronavirus pandemic meant many students had to leave the classroom environment and learn at home. While things have mostly gone back to normal, home learning is a way of life for some students.
There are many reasons someone might choose to learn at home, including bullying at school, being part of a family that travels regularly and special needs that are better met with a targeted learning programme.
This post will look at how people learn at home and reveal some top tips to ensure students can succeed out of the classroom.
Learning At Home: The Best Way to Succeed
Whether it’s a student studying for exams, or a person balancing work with distance learning, doing it from home isn’t always easy. Luckily, our tutors have put together some fantastic tips so you can succeed out of the traditional classroom environment.
Separate Study From Leisure Time
If you can dedicate a specific room to your studies, it can help you separate it from your leisure time. Sitting in your living room might not be productive because you’re more likely to get distracted by the lure of the TV.
You should also leave your mobile in another room and treat your study time as if you’re in a classroom environment. By doing this, you’ll be able to focus more and appreciate your leisure time when you finish studying.
If you live in an apartment, there’s nothing wrong with taking your laptop to the library or going to a quiet cafe to study. Think about how you prefer to work and integrate it into your study time, and you’ll find you fit more in and retain the information.
Do What’s Best For You
The best thing about distance learning is the flexibility it offers. You can fit it around your job or family commitments, so there’s no need to study during the regular hours. Whether you’re a morning person or a night owl, you should always learn when you’re most alert and focused.
For some people, this might be first thing in the morning, while others might prefer evening study. As long as you’re taking the information in, it doesn’t matter, so don’t be afraid to go against the grain.
Manage Your Time
Timetables are an invaluable tool for home study because they give you the structure you might not receive out of the classroom. Look at your daily schedule and set aside blocks of time for each subject.
Doing this enables you to keep on top of your studies instead of becoming overwhelmed. Time management software can also help you manage your home learning schedule and will help you evaluate which subject areas require more study time.
Use Active Learning Techniques
Active studying might seem like you’re giving yourself more work, but it’s a handy technique that we use all the time. All you need to do is ask yourself questions before, during and after your study session.
The following questions will help you to evaluate your learning and highlight areas that might need more work:
Before
● What am I going to learn?
● How much do I know about the subject?
During
● How is this information fitting into the bigger picture?
● Do I understand it?
After
● What can I take away from this session?
● Do I need to review anything?
Don’t Neglect Your Wellbeing
Your health and wellbeing are central to a positive home learning experience, but many people neglect essential things such as sleep and eating.
It isn’t easy to fit work, family and learning into your daily routine, but distance learning offers more flexibility. Nutrition and sleep are essential for your physical and mental wellbeing, so always make an effort to ensure your brain has everything it needs to focus.
Tips For Teaching Young Learners At Home
Home learning can be a challenge for anyone, but parents particularly struggle to support their children through homeschooling. These tips will help you to ensure your child enjoys the experience and keeps up with their education.
Accept That Home Isn’t a Classroom
Learning at home is different to being in a classroom environment, so there’s no point in trying to make the house seem like a classroom. Instead, focus on creating boundaries and set aside a room that will become the central place of education.
Set Rules & Stick To Them
Homeschooling has a degree of flexibility involved, but a child should also be aware that they need to be learning between the regular schooling hours you set for them. Many people approach home education without thinking about how easy it is for children to get sidetracked.
Setting rules at the beginning will minimise arguments, and both you and your child will know what you’re doing.
Don’t Be Afraid To Go Old School
With all of the technology at your disposal, it’s easy to rely on the internet for everything – but nothing beats a practical learning experience. Children love hands-on learning, which creates some brilliant opportunities to get outside and let them experience history, nature, science and other subjects.
Trips to museums, wildlife sanctuaries and seeing a play are all fantastic learning experiences, and young people will usually pay attention if they can see and experience the lesson.
Seek Support From Home Tutors
We all have unique skills and abilities, so most would agree that you can’t be good at everything. Learners of all ages can benefit from using home tutors for subject areas they’re struggling with because tutors specialise in the subject.
At Fleet Tutors, we regularly encounter adults and children that need a little more support and deliver bespoke learning programmes to ensure our students succeed and become more confident with their studies.
The Bottom Line
Learning at home doesn’t have to be a chore, and many people have been able to broaden their qualifications and improve their career choices through distance learning programmes. Whether you’re an adult, teenager or supporting a child with their home studies, you can succeed if you put the above techniques into practice.
If you’d like to know more about home tutoring, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team. We’re always available to offer advice and support so that you can make the most of your education.