Helping your child learn at home

As a parent you are your child’s first teacher.  Learning happens in the everyday moments you share with your child, and you play an important role in your child's development and learning.   Everything you and your child do together will teach them important lessons that will help them to grow and learn about their world. 

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Things you can do

You can help your child to learn through the little things you do with them, for example:

  • everyday conversations 
  • make-believe play
  • games with numbers or letters
  • reading together
  • involving them in the things you are doing, such as household chores, and talking with them about it

Hungry Little Minds on the GOV.UK website is a great for finding new ideas to try, as well as useful advice and guidance. 

You do not need to set separate time or plan complicated activities that are dedicated to learning.  Activities can be built into everyday life and play.  Your child will want to copy what you do, so try letting them pair the socks when sorting out the washing, or give them a pen and paper when you are writing the shopping list.  

You know your child best. Avoid forcing them into lengthy planned activities if they naturally respond better to a mix of shorter activities.  This can stop them getting bored or frustrated and keep them active, interested and learning through things they enjoy.  Follow their lead wherever possible, if your child has a keen interest in vehicles use this to introduce new experiences such as letters and numbers.  

Supporting your child’s emotional well being 

Routine

Children will feel more comfortable with a predictable routine, so try to make sure they:

  • get up and go to bed at the same time each day
  • have regular meal times
  • turn off any electronic devices, including the television, at least an hour before bedtime

Behaviour 

All behaviour is a form of communication so although some of the behaviours your child exhibit can be challenging, remember that this is often their way of communicating with you.

They may be feeling overwhelmed, upset, angry and unable to vocalise this.  So remain calm, listen and empathise. Label the emotion in order to help your child begin to name their emotions, for example, “I can see you are feeling angry”. Set limits while helping to solve the problem.  If your child lashes out when they are angry, find something that they can hit such as a drum.  

If your child needs some time away create a den or a quiet area they can go when they are feeling overwhelmed.  The way parents and carers deal with these moments will help children to regulate their own emotions. 

Communication and language             

You can support your child’s language development through talking with them and commenting on your daily routine.

Listening and attention is fundamental to children’s early language and communication. Below are some games you could try:

  • Read aloud whenever possible
  • Action songs and rhymes 
  • Make your own instruments by using recycling materials. Play stop and start games or follow a beat
  • Make a sounds game by recording sounds around the home and get your child to show you what the sounds are
  • Rhyming stories. Get children to finish the rhyming string or play rhyming pairs 
  • Fistful of sounds: stand outside raise your hand and close your eyes put one finger down each time you hear a different sound when all five fingers are down open your eyes. 

Keeping active 

Physical skills are important for growth, physical coordination and the movement of the body.   

Young children should be active for at least three hours a day in total.  It is also good to get some fresh air every day.  A recent study in the UK found that children today spend half of the time outside compared to their parents.   

Children need to remain active throughout the day; promoting outdoor play allows them to get fresh air and explore their environment more.  Hands-on learning, the natural environment in the outdoors stimulate children’s senses through what they hear, touch, see and feel.

The National Trust has developed 50 things to do before the age of 11 ¾ . This is a great way to get children closer to nature with activities to do all year round.   

While inside the house, there are plenty of things you can do to keep children active, such as:

  • playing hide-and-seek
  • seeing who can do the most star jumps
  • making an obstacle course
  • playing music and having a dance-off 

Television and digital devices  

There are lots of ways to help your child to learn such as reading together and make-believe play. You can also use what they have watched on television or the internet to help their learning.  Talk with them about what they are watching or use their favourite television characters in other games and activities. 

Digital devices can help some children learn.  If your child does use them, try downloading some really useful apps from the gov.uk website which include great activities suitable from newborn to five that will help them learn. 

Set age-appropriate parental controls on any devices young children are using, and supervise their use of websites and apps.  You can read further advice on keeping them safe online on the ThinkUKnow website. 

Try sharing things your child makes with your friends and family online, and encourage others to do the same.  Your child might enjoy seeing things they have made on the screen, or seeing what other children have done.  Visit the gov.uk website for guidance on helping your child learn at home. 

Home Safety

The home and garden can contain many hazards and risks. Accidental injuries in and around the home are one of the leading causes of serious harm and death in   the UK. However, most of these injuries are preventable. For more information and advice visit the Child Injury Prevention page of the South Gloucestershire Children’s Partnership website. 

Garden Safety

There are six common dangerous plants you should be aware of when you are supervising children outdoors:

  • Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna)
  • Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
  • Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzanum)
  • Monkshood (Aconitum napellus)
  • Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum)
  • Winter cherry (Solanum capsicastrum) 

For more information on these plants and their risks, visit the Woodland Trust Website

Further information

If you are worried about your child’s development, contact your local health visiting team, speak to your GP, or if your child attends an early years setting please speak to their key person.  

If your child has been diagnosed with a special educational need or disability, you can find more information about support and services available by visiting our SEND Local Offer.