Must Try Tips for Kids Learning at Home

By Laura Henry-Allain MBE

Storyteller, educationalist, producer and consultant

When we think of early learning within the home environment, it’s easy to visualise a child sitting at a desk with a parent in full teaching mode. However, this is far from the truth; many parents encourage their child to learn through play and other experiences within the home environment.

Your child has been learning from birth, even from within the womb, for example recognising language. When they are born, they begin to make sense of the world and research informs us that children under two have already developed 50% of connections compared with an adult brain. As a parent you can support your child’s learning and development with a range of activities and experiences that are readily available and cost little or nothing.

You know your child and what works best for them in terms of their likes and dislikes. Depending on their understanding and interest, you can involve them in different activities and experiences.

As an example, involve them in the planning of making a birthday card – the materials you will need, and the doing – making the card. And don’t forget the recalling – tapping into your child’s memory of how you made the card. This approach supports your child’s critical thinking and enables them to talk for meaning.

As a note, when talking with your child, to support them with their curiosity, if they ask you a question allow them to problem solve by themselves and develop their independent minds. For example, “Why, do we not have the sun every day?” Your response could be: “That is an interesting question, what do you think?” You and your child could then research the answer together online or in a book.

The more your child is able to experience at an early age, the more informed they will be about the world that they live in, which will support them in their all-round learning when they start school.

Top Tips For Learning at Home

Extend school learning at home.

If your child attends daycare or a kindergarten, connect with their teachers and share what you are doing at home. Equally, ask the teachers to share with you what your child likes doing while in their care and build on this at home.

Encourage independent play.

Fill an empty box with a range of crayons, pencils, paper, ribbons etc. for your child to use, making sure that it is easily accessible. This will help them to self-select what they need independently.

Share different places and experiences.

Take advantage of free activities and experiences within your community and further afield. If your child lives in a city, let them experience nature, it could be in a park, or at a beach or on a walk and vice versa.

Build social emotional skills.

Build up their social skills and arrange play dates, either in your home, another child’s home, or a mutual place. This will help your child to build their social skills, learn to take turns and develop awareness of how to play with others.

Ask them questions.

Take advantage of your child’s bedtime routine. Discuss their day and use open-ended questions. For example, ‘What did you like the best about our visit to the library?’

Laura Henry-Allain MBE is an award-winning international storyteller, educationalist, producer and consultant.

She is the creator of the well-loved, award-winning JoJo and Gran Gran global series, developed and produced by CBeebies, and is the series’ associate producer.

Laura is also executive producer on a few shows that are currently in development, including Daddio & Co. Her other children's books include My Skin, Your Skin, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu, and My Family, Your Family, illustrated by Giovana Medeiros, which enables children to talk about relatives, love and belonging. Laura’s new children’s book Maya and Marley celebrates the world of two siblings and will be published in July 2024.

Laura is the vice president of The British Association of Early Childhood Education and a board member of the Children’s Media Foundation.

@LauraHAllain