How does online homeschooling work?Tips and explanations from Amy, mother of two
“My husband and I both speak English, but our children (6 and 3 years old) go to a Dutch school. We usually book a Babysitting Angel who speaks Dutch, to stimulate the language learning outside of school. When we started homeschooling, I was concerned they were going to lag behind in terms of language. That's why we've organised a weekly video call with Naomi.”
How has that worked out for you and the children?
“It's working out great for my 6-year-old. She helps him with his homework. I really appreciate that because I don't have to be his teacher every day. Naomi listens to him read and corrects his pronunciation. That's not really something I can do. It comforts me knowing someone is speaking Dutch with him. They talk and work together for over an hour.”
“For my 3-year-old, we looked a little longer for a way to make the most out of online videocalling. Her attention span is shorter, because she's younger. But last weekend, we found the optimal way! My child plays computer games on Zandkasteel, while Naomi watches along on Google Hangouts. They talk to each other about what is shown in the pictures and which colours they used. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked out. Naomi also read books to them online. This time, she read books that were visible on our screen too, instead of books at Naomi's home. Boekpakket has many fun books and they're all free right now. With the 'old' method, my 3-year-old could focus for 20 minutes. Now, they've talked for a full hour!”
Do you have any other tips for parents or Angels?
“I have a stand for my phone that's very useful for homework sessions. I put my phone on a stand aimed at the study books. My son can move it around, and so they don't really need me. For the 3-year-old, a computer works better. The big screen seems to hold her attention more and she can see the details, such as pictures in a book, a lot better.”
“I've tried to encourage my friends to keep booking their Babysitting Angels. Not only is it great for online homeschooling, but it's also good to be able to speak to other people through a video call.”