Lost Education To Be Recovered At Home
A growing concern voiced by many teachers is the level of disruption occurring in the average class. Ranging from the severe to a simple case of horseplay at the start of the lesson it has a dramatic effect in draining the teaching resources as well as impacting on the development of children in the class All is not lost as parents can affect a striking recovery plan that helps their child and the teacher.
Edward Lazear of the Hoover Institution found that, “If, on average, each student disrupts the class just 1 percent of the time, the time available for learning drops to 74 percent for a class size of 30.” Even the best teachers can only do so much, and many have cited disruption as the most stressful element of teaching. It is no wonder that the “teach to test” syndrome is one consequence of a school’s need to grasp some vestige of achievement by streamlining the teaching content to hit targets Regrettably this results in a veneer of knowledge, presenting a smart image on the surface but with little depth. Now it is possible for parents to use educational games at home to give greater practical support in the teaching activities of their children.
A sea change in the parental influence and control of a disruptive child is perhaps distant. A parent who doesn’t care is difficult to convince otherwise and the offspring understandably lack guidance, positive influence and a sense of direction. Moreover many disruptive children fail to see the consequence of their actions. Unfortunately this hurts the innocent students who wish to be taught.
The medium term fix requires a change in social attitudes. More immediate action can come from activity at home as research has shown that what parents do at home support to support learning can account for 80% of a child’s academic success. ( PTA magazine )
In the classroom the lesson length is a key component in the learning strategies of the school. The teaching time at school, matched to the needs of the National Curriculum, amounts to 196 days a year. Time lost in any lesson is irrecoverable and it is the whole class including the innocent that suffer. But over 47% of the year is actually spent by the child at home – weekends and holidays, which presents a huge opportunity for parents and grandparents to join in.
Teaching in the classroom involves the structured introduction of maths, English, science and ICT etc. through the key stages of the curriculum. Learning development is greatly enhanced through practice; applying the relevance of what is being taught. Increasing emphasis of learning outside the classroom is being promoted by schools, education authorities and the government and this is where parents can play a huge part. Many teaching activities, in the form of educational games, are ideal for use at home. By allowing the parent and child to practice the lesson using maths games, English games and science games that follow the curriculum and classroom learning programme a child learning retention can be greatly enhanced.
The hands-on involvement of the parent in a programme where teacher, child and parent interact in a fun and highly productive manner is a real benefit. Educational games played at home are a great way to reinstate the involvement of parents that started in the foundation of their children’s learning. As previously mentioned research in the UK ( reported in the PTA magazine in 2007) shows the effect of what parents do at home to support learning can account for 80% of a child’s academic success. This compares to school being directly responsible for around 20% of factors leading to academic achievement.
In a class of 30 with a small disruptive element the lost learning time is staggering. The solution at school will take time; the solution at home can be immediate. And the active involvement of parents in the schooling process can help mitigate certain disruptive forces.
Alistair Owens Keen2learn
Alistair Owens believes modern fun based education increases interest, understanding and helps re-engage parents in an interactive role at home using these educational games and educational toys can substantially support their child’s progress at school. He has developed an Intel award winning web site http://www.keen2learn.co.uk that promotes an extensive range of classroom games and educational learning programmes for use in schools and with parents at home.
