My top tips for the holidays
We are now over a week into the school holidays and is your young person bored? Are they stressed by homework? Are you struggling to get them to do their homework?
Here’s my top tips for taking some stress out of learning maths in the holidays
1. Make it fun:
There are lots of fun activities that you can do at home and talk about the maths involved. From making shapes, mathematical drawings to quizzes and apps (I’ve got a guide to maths apps if you need one).
That’s why I came up with the 12 days of Christmas Activity booklet suitable for ages 5-16. Have you got your copy yet? I’d love to see some pictures of what you complete.
2. Find the maths that is in the everyday tasks
Need to work out how long to cook the turkey for, get them to write and solve an equation. Does the change in rules mean you are cooking for a different number of people? Get your young person to multiply a recipe up or down. Get them to measure a pint in ml, so they get used to unit conversions.
You might not realise it but these skills are needed for the Maths GCSE, and you can help prepare them by getting them to apply their knowledge.
3. Take a break!
One of the reasons that your young person may be stressed about work is that they are exhausted by it. School terms are tiring, and both their body and brains need a break. When there is a lot of work to do, or exams coming up it can be really difficult to switch off, but they need to understand that the learning that takes place afterwards will be more effective.
Studies have found that during rest periods our brains consolidate and solidify the learning. Rest doesn’t have to be sleep, we just need to take a break from learning. Although sleep does help, so encourage those lie ins!
Balance rest with going back over learning because otherwise we forget everything (remember the forgetting curve?). But without rest learning is not so effective
How can you encourage your young person to take a break over the holidays?
4. Schedule time for formal learning and homework
Most young people will have formal homework and learning to do over the holidays. Some will want to get it done quickly, others will leave it to the last minute.
If homework is normally done in your house at a particular time or day you could consider keeping to that routine, so that they are ready to return to the routine at the start of term.
Giving your young person specific times to do their homework in gives them notice and prepares them mentally for it.
5. Discuss learning with friends
Outside of the pandemic I would have suggested getting together with their friends to do their homework. Chatting about learning consolidates knowledge.
You could schedule a video call for them to chat about how they are getting on with their homework, or even to do homework together. Having that connection with their friends is important too.
I’d love to know which of these tips you find useful.
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