We know many of you have already had lots of communication from your schools on the topic of ‘learning from home’ but we thought we would share some words from leaders in the education industry below. Our new normal will see all students who are able to be supervised at home and learn, stay home, except for vulnerable students and children of essential workers. This decision to operate under a home-based learning model will apply for at least the first five weeks of Term 2, and a further decision will be made regarding the second half of Term 2 by mid-May. See below Education Queensland Term 2 calendar.  No doubt there is some nervousness and trepidation in the air as families prepare for this big step. We've put together some tips to equip you with some tools to navigate this period of home based learning.

Home Based Learning Survival Tips

Morning Blast! - A great way to get your child ready for some focussed learning time is to give them the opportunity to move their bodies before sitting down.  There are a multitude of health benefits to stimulating the brain and the body before learning, including; improving your child's mood, on - task behaviour and concentration. Delta Members, why not try some of our fun activities by accessing our Online Portal and choose a quick 5, 10 or 15min workout, guaranteed to help your child move, learn & grow.  Don't forget to check your email for your access code! Not a Delta Member? That's ok, you can Pre-Register Here for access to our online gymnastics world. Designated Learning Space - The use of a designated learning space helps establish boundaries between learning and home. It doesn't have to be a separate room, you can establish your space by the items you need. It could be a different chair, laptop, books, pencils etc which all signify the work being done at the time. This will help to put your child(ren) in the zone of ‘when I am here, I am learning'.   What Should You Wear - Some schools have stipulated that students must be in uniform between school hours. Wearing a uniform can make mornings easier, as you nor your child has to decide what to wear for the day. This will also help your child distinguish between school time and free time and somewhat continues their normal school day routine. First Week - Treat the first week as an orientation, or 'starting school' week. Don't worry if it doesn't go to plan. It will take time to understand what's best for you and your child(ren). Set A Routine - Your routine doesn't have to be 9:00am - 3:00pm. Set a routine that you can adapt to your family's situation. Maybe mornings are too hectic because you have conference calls to make for work, so the afternoons would make more sense to work on academics. Be realistic, flexible—and most importantly, gentle with yourselves. Monitor & Keep Track of Expectations Given By Your Child's Teacher - Schools and Teachers are operating differently at this time. Maybe it's completely online learning, maybe your child has folders to work through— Jeanine suggests you sit with your child when you are able to have focused time together (even if it's five minutes or less!). Maybe Sunday afternoon, or Monday morning after breakfast is planning time and you can schedule in your focused time together for the week. Whatever works for you! What a perfect time to teach time management skills, introduce checklists, calendars etc —you may have some trial and error figuring out what tools will work best for your family. Don't be afraid to reach out to your child's teacher for help or clarification. Give Your Child The Opportunity To Have A Say In Their Learning - This will give your little students a sense of autonomy and ownership. For example, ask them which subject they would like to work on first—math or reading. Little do they know, they'll eventually have to complete both! Even small things like giving them a choice to use a pen instead of a pencil can make a BIG difference. Google and YouTube: Your New BFF's - Don't know how to teach something specific or you want to give your children some extra practice? All you have to do is type the grade and topic in the Google search bar and you'll get links to many different website options—even free ones. YouTube has a plethora of videos to utilise, although parents should screen these themselves first. You can also use Safeshare.tv or Viewpure.com to take away advertisements before and during the videos. Use This Time To Focus On Life Skills - Cursive writing, reading and following recipes, writing a letter, taking care of a plant, completing a research project on a topic of their choice, doing laundry — now is the time to teach or reinforce these life skills (all of which have some sort of academic tie-in). Remember this won't last forever! Be patient with your children, their teachers and most importantly, yourself. You've got this!  Some Helpful Resources: 

• Education Queensland learning@home - https://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/learning-at-home
• Education Queensland Welbeing of Students - https://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/learning-at-home/wellbeing-of-students
• Early Childhood Education and Care - https://earlychildhood.qld.gov.au/
• Motherly Blog - https://www.mother.ly/love/its-okay-for-school-to-come-second