Teach kids at home interactively
You're at home with the kids, attempting to teach them another math concept. You look at them and they seem bored. Can you blame them? Hours of writing formulas and taking notes is bound to zap the energy from anyone. You think: There has to be something to get them excited about learning again!
Fortunately, there is. Kids like to get up and move. They like to participate and put their knowledge to good use. For this reason, you should infuse your lessons with opportunities for interactive learning for kids. Here are a few ideas for making the learning environment an active place and teaching kids to brainstorm:
Start with engagement
Before you dive into the lesson, begin teaching with an activity. It should summarize what your kids learned last time and lead into the day's new material. The activity you choose should get your children involved. For instance, you might pose a question and have your kids brainstorm. Or, present a problem and have them complete it.
Of course, sitting at a desk and doing all this isn't exactly thrilling. Get the kids up and moving with whiteboards. A wall covered in dry erase paint can be a brainstorm canvas where your kids can jot down ideas and erase them when they're done.
If you don't want to dedicate a whole wall to brainstorming, use a Foam WriteyBoard. They're easy to stick on walls and remove and won't damage the paint.
Invite participation
Instead of simply lecturing, invite your kids to participate. That may begin as a discussion, but also include writing on the whiteboard. You might pose a problem or idea and ask your kids a question about it. Then, have them demonstrate how to solve the problem on the whiteboard.
Frame this activity like they're the ones teaching. Your kids can explain step-by-step what they're doing. That way, they hear the process as they speak aloud and you can see how your children are reasoning.
Learning at home can be interactive.
Provide space
After you pose a question, your child may need time to figure out how they'll approach it. Give your son or daughter time to try solutions on your whiteboard. They can make mistakes, erase them and try again. Set a time limit on this solving period. When the time's up, your child can present his or her answer.
Experiment
As much as possible, incorporate hands-on learning into your lesson. Aside from having your child write on the board, this could also include conducting an experiment, having him or her work on a project or asking your student to perform something. Moving, using their hands, drawing, etc., all help children get excited about learning.
Connect class to life
Students are more engaged and likely to participate in class when they feel the information matters. Show your child how the concept connects to real life to demonstrate the value of the knowledge. For instance, you might write a math word problem that uses your child's favorite TV show character. Or, go on a field trip to a science museum to see how math and science concepts work in the real world.
From using a whiteboard to conducting an experiment, you can learn how to teach kids at home with more fun and interaction.
Make learning more fun.