I often get asked by parents if they should be doing more learning at home when their child is also attending school with the worry that they will confuse or overload their child. 

My answer is always yes, supporting your child's education is key but doing it in the right way is also really important. Adding gentle, supportive learning at home can make a powerful difference, not because schools are failing, but because children learn best when school and home work together.

Home Learning Builds Confidence

Even with the best intentions and great skill in differentiating learning, balancing the needs of many children at once is not easy. Time is limited and lessons must move at a steady pace to accommodate the whole timetable. As trained professionals, we know that the best learning takes place when it is child led and centred in areas of interest and although great teachers will aim to accomodate this, it's sometimes just not practical in schools but can be acheived at home.

When adding in small pockets of support at home, children can revisit tricky ideas, practise skills without pressure and ask questions they might not ask in class. Even a few minutes of focused support helps learning feel safer and more manageable.

Learning Takes Time 

Skills like reading, spelling and writing are embedded over time and often the differing needs and timescales , especially for children who need more time to process information, are not able to be catered for within a busy classroom. This is the point where gaps in learning can emerge and children can switch off or fall behind. 

Short, regular activities at home strengthens what has already been taught at school. It helps children move knowledge from short-term memory into long-term understanding, which is where real progress happens.

Every child learns differently

In a classroom, teaching has to follow a shared structure, but at home, learning can be more personalised. This may sound like a tall order for parants who are not trained teachers but really, it's about knowing your child and tapping into what you know enthuses them and how they like to learn.

Some children need hands-on resources; others learn best through talk, stories or creative play. Home learning allows you to meet your child where they are, using approaches that suit how they learn, not just what they are learning.

Emotional safety supports learning

Having taught many children and supported many families over the years I can confidently say that children often mask their true feelings and have hidden self beliefs about their own abilities. 

When learning happens in a calm, familiar environment, children are much more likely to take risks, make mistakes and persevere which is exactly what we want for sucessful learning. This emotional safety is just as important as academic support and it will really benefit your child when learning outside of the home.

Home learning does not mean recreating school

Supporting learning at home does not mean worksheets every evening or turning your kitchen table into a classroom, yikes...please don't do this!

The most effective home learning is:

• short and consistent

• playful and engaging

• focused on progress, not attainment

Reading together, talking about stories, playing word games or creating something together all count as valuable learning.

Small steps make a big difference

You do not need to do everything. Even ten minutes a few times a week can help your child feel more secure, more capable and more positive about learning.

When children feel supported at home, they carry that confidence into the classroom. Confidence is a key ingredient to learning at all leavels throughjout life and I can't over emphasise the importance of spending time on building it.

Supporting learning at home should not be about adding pressure, it should be about  giving your child the time, space and encouragement they need to grow.

Partnership  is key!

During my teaching career, I  was a model teacher within our county, which meant that other teachers were sent to me to learn new skills. When teachers were struggling with meeting the varying needs of the children in their class, my biggest piece of advice for my colleagues was to build great partnerships with parents.

Although teachers are very busy people, they will want to hear about what you've been doing at home and your thoughts on your child's learning. A strong triangle of communication between you, your child and your child's teacher is extreamly important and beneficial to your child's overall health as a learner.