How to create a space for learning that will help your kids get the learning done!
There are certain tools in every primary classroom that kids love!
I mean, who doesn’t love a brand new, nicely sharpened box of pencils? Or a brand new box of crayons… Creating a space for your kids to enjoy completing their school work will help them get excited and motivated to get their work done. There are a couple of things that my teacher/mom friends have shared with me that seem to be working. From trial and error, we have all learned what works and what doesn’t work for us.
First and foremost…it can look different for all of us! What works for you may not work for me. And that is ok!!!! Check out the pictures below. These are various ways teachers, moms, and working moms have managed learning in their homes. They each have created a space for learning that works for them! And yes…Barbies can equal learning (fine motor skills are used for getting them dressed, creative and imaginative play, they could even write a story about them.)!
Daily Schedule vs. No Daily Schedule
Decide what works best for you! Running my day at home the way I run my classroom is just not going to work…when kids are at home they cannot and should not be structured all day. At the same time, a “free for all” kind of day is not what works for my kids. If it were up to them, they’d be on technology all day. Kids need structure and they need boundaries. The challenge is finding the happy medium.
Tools that kids are used to seeing at their school desk:
- Table Caddy filled with pencils, crayons, markers, glue, scissors. Make it really fun with smelly markers…these are always my students favorite!
- Books to choose from for reading silently or out loud.
- Binders, Clipboard, or space to organize their work-if you have more than one child in more than one grade level this is a great idea. My kids’ work was sitting in their regular school folders, but it was piling up fast. I have put their learning packets into a binder that they can flip through as they work. This way the finished work just stays in it.
- To do list: many teachers use “to do lists” and checklists to help students keep track of their own learning. This is a great skill for teaching independence. You can simply use a chalk board, notebook, planner, or sticky note to help your kid stay on track. I’m getting tons of emails from their teachers. I go through them each night and make a list for each child for the next day of learning.
10 Tools that will make learning feel like play…
and keep them occupied for some time.
Most families are trying to get their own work done while juggling different grade levels, keeping up with your house, and trying to have fun during these special moments at home. There are many “toys” that are also great learning tools that you probably already have at home. If not, you can click on any of the links below. I have attached a link to amazon that will allow you to get them shipped right to you without taking the time to search and/or go out into this germy world…lol.
Playdough– my kids, even my big kids love to sit and play with playdough. This will develop their fine motor skills, they can roll snakes and build words or sentences, create a character and write about it, and if you have more than one child they can build a town or village and play with their lego men or little dolls and figures. Let’s get them using their creativity, while you are getting your work done!
Boogie Boards– These are the coolest thing!!!! These are little boards that kids can write and erase. Think of it as a cooler chalkboard with no mess and fun colors! Check it out! These light up boards are another version of the boogie board….so cool! This will make practicing spelling word or math facts even more fun!
Water Colors– with everyone painting windows and doing art, we have gone through our water colors. I’ve recently learned about water color pens and liquid water colors. New art tools are always exciting to have and these are easy to cleanup!
Pot holder kit-kids can use an easy loom to make pot holders…how many of you had this when you were kids? These are always fun and will boost their confidence when they see you using the pot holder they made!
Magnetic Blocks– kids love playing with magnets. They can build, create, and design. They could even write about what they created. You could give them a challenge. My kids have these and love them. Click on my link to get a promo code discount on this product.
Kindle Fire 7 – Many families are running into the problem that they have multiple kids and only one device. Much of their work is online with many different recommended learning apps. Many districts have computers that are assigned and sent home, but there are many who do not. So many of my friends have had issues with their kids using the family device all day. Although at my house we limit tech time, we did end up purchasing a Kindle Fire for each of our kids. They are inexpensive now and give the kids a way to Zoom with friends and do educational apps that teachers are recommending without fighting over who gets the family iPad. We bit the bullet and bought them.
There are so many fun toys and tools that promote learning. What are the great ideas that you are using in your home to make learning at home a success? I’d love to hear about them!!! Leave me a comment below!