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Win Learning Resources goodies worth over £200 *NOW CLOSED*

(391 Posts)
NatashaGransnet (GNHQ) Thu 11-Jun-20 09:44:24

We've teamed up with educational toy and games company Learning Resources to offer a fantastic bundle of prizes to one gransnetter worth over £200 - perfect for grandchildren who are being homeschooled.

More details on the prize can be found HERE and T&Cs HERE. We will pick a winner after 11am on 11th July.

During the coronavirus lockdown, many grandparents have (virtually) stepped in to support parents and children with home learning. It’s been an important way to stay connected but it’s also been a huge help to parents.

So to enter simply tell us... What have you found has worked for your grandchildren with home learning, and has this, and having to stay in touch virtually in general, changed your relationships with your grandchildren?

You must be a registered Gransnet user to enter. Sign up to Gransnet HERE if you haven't done so already.

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galleyman Thu 11-Jun-20 16:53:41

Have not been involved in GC's home learning as I'm self isolated and distant from them. As my 'local' GC's parents are key workers the children have been attending school I have not seen them since Christmas.

Mazamet07 Thu 11-Jun-20 16:54:36

Real-life practical learning, works like a dream: make a sundial in the garden, learn about shadows, light and dark; learn about forces by making different sized parachutes, race toy cars over various surfaces; set up a shop, build lego bridges of different designs and strengths..

albertina Thu 11-Jun-20 16:55:17

I am in an unusual position in that I have come to live with my family during the pandemic. I normally live 400 miles away and see my Granddaughter about 5 to 6 times a year.
She is 13 and has found the separation from her friends very difficult.
She has school work to do but isn't keen to do it. She didn't want my help so I stepped back but one day last week she did ask for my help with a piece for history. She had to look at source materials about Victorian cotton mills and make decisions
about the veracity of eye witness accounts of the poor conditions and drawings too. She had no idea what it was like in a mill like that so I found an episode of a tv drama called North and South where the heroine goes into a mill for the first time. Quite an eye opener. She understood much better.
This week it's WW1 trench warfare. For that I have used an episode in Downton Abbey showing the hero on the Somme in 1916.
I can't force my Granddaughter to do this work but I can help her understand concepts that are hard to grasp when you are 13.

Donnylover Thu 11-Jun-20 16:56:01

Making learning fun will get you a long way! Patience is a very useful tool as well!

maciv234 Thu 11-Jun-20 17:07:25

a good routine everyday

quizqueen Thu 11-Jun-20 17:18:11

I have been doing the daily maths section of home schooling with my granddaughter over Skype to give my daughter an hour's break from childcare during the day. Also, although she's been furloughed, she's been expected to keep in touch with clients whenever they need/want to talk.

Davymet Thu 11-Jun-20 17:38:55

Having a schedule of work Mon/Fri.

padleys Thu 11-Jun-20 18:25:19

My Son and Daughter-in-law have done a grand job of homeschooling, havent been able to see them or cuddle them, because we are sheltered, but ive missed them so much, i use zoom everyday to say hello to them, and i know our relationship hasnt changed, but they and we miss our time together, as i used to have them everyday after school

MrsRobert60 Thu 11-Jun-20 18:37:11

We sing songs and read stories together on a weekly videochat. Little and often so it doesn't become a chore. It gives parents a tea break.

chris2468 Thu 11-Jun-20 18:43:27

a bit of autonomy, they chose a project to research and because it was their choice they made great finds

Bumboseat1 Thu 11-Jun-20 18:46:47

I’ve been in contact with my grandchildren on WhatsApp reading each other stories and singing great fun

sheebasima Thu 11-Jun-20 18:58:48

Yes by giving them a reward for their achievements

Wendyfaint Thu 11-Jun-20 19:10:03

Making and decorating rice crispie cakes via whats app

simontink Thu 11-Jun-20 19:40:27

We have still being helping with our grand children due to my daughters work committments and lacey only being 4. We did not see her for the first 6 weeks and used messenger, but she was getting more upset and actually thought we had died at one stage.
We have done home learning, mainly things like numbers shapes and alphabet. We have done short spurts and spent lots of time doing outdoor activities like bug hunting and flower pressing. They really are precious years

fevertree Thu 11-Jun-20 19:46:04

My 5 year old grandson isn't too interested in FaceTime interaction. So I resorted to (drumroll) writing to him in the old-fashioned way and mailing a one page newsy letter to him (usually with a treat included) just like my grandmother used to do for me. He then sends me a recorded video message with his news, in return. Or if I'm lucky, he writes back.

Andrea1 Thu 11-Jun-20 19:47:16

Make things fun and interesting and lots of time spent outdoors

Lorraine1602 Thu 11-Jun-20 19:51:38

I’ve tried to help online, but as they are both young, 1 and 4, I’ve not been able To do anything with them. The best I could do, was give my 4 year old grandchild 10p for every item he found on a nature hunt, put to one side for him until a later date.

Harris27 Thu 11-Jun-20 19:58:43

I’ve sent little texts to the older ones and little parcels I’ve ordered just to show I’m still here and haven’t gone away. I feel as if we needed to keep the connection going. Especially when the little ones are missing schooling and learning. Face timed and zoomed.

becky80 Thu 11-Jun-20 20:42:43

Having a routine each day has helped my grandchildren (and their parents) with home schooling along with regular breaks and time outside.
Using facetime for keeping in touch and reading bed time stories has helped us to feel connected whilst we are apart.

Zigzag123 Thu 11-Jun-20 21:14:53

Encouragement and praise

mazgoli Thu 11-Jun-20 21:26:13

For one of my grandsons (aged 7), he has all of the daily school activities on sheets and is allowed to pick when and in which order he does things. This seems to give him some control over his day and has worked really well. He's become quite the gardener too, just recently his Mum called to say he'd rushed out into the garden to move his tomato plants into the sunshine. He also thought he might tape a cherry tomato to the stem to give me a surprise next time we facetime!
His cousins seem to work better with quite a rigid and intense timetable in the morning and then freetime after lunch.
I have been doing spellings with them over facetime which has been great fun and quite chaotic sometimes as signals are lost and frames freeze.

Cs783 Thu 11-Jun-20 21:37:05

Our tiny tots seem to love having a very willing and devoted audience on the other side of the screen. It’s great for them to have all this unpressured attention. Their focus and language skills rock!

Sunshine9 Thu 11-Jun-20 22:55:16

Having a structured timetable set in place. When we have a planned itinerary my grand children are better at getting their work done and good at concentrating. They have really impressed me at how well they have all adapted

Nandalot Thu 11-Jun-20 23:02:47

As others have said, have a routine. Break up the activities so that you are not doing any one thing for too long. Outside time is important. Use the morning for the more intense subjects and the afternoon for more creative activities, science experiments etc.

Turtlecat Thu 11-Jun-20 23:21:00

Set a routine and make it as fun as possible, baking/maths, decorating the baking/art etc. Try to do the more challenging ones in mornings or on days when not so many tasks. Lots of 'well done' and a home-made 'I did well' chart.