Teacher's tips for class at home

Teacher of schools, it is a real job and if we ask parents to do the class at home, it is neither easy nor obvious for everyone. So to make your life easier, we asked a pro for advice and tips.

Thanks to Fanny who teaches in TPS / PS / MS for her precious advice

From PS to CM2 how many hours of work should be planned per day for children?

In kindergarten, purely academic "work" (math, written language, graphics) should be between 1h (PS) to 2h (GS) maximum. But beware, in kindergarten, a board game or a puzzle are considered to be work. It’s not just about making "written records".

For cycle 2 (CP, CE1, CE2), a total of 2h-2h30 seems correct. And we can push up to 3h or 4h for the most motivated for cycle 3 (CM1, CM2, 6e).

Then you have to adapt to the children. Some will not take a long time to get the job done while others will. And if the child picks up, no need to insist because he has not made his quota of hours, we change activities or we postpone to a time when he is no longer available.

Organize the day

Here is an idea of ​​a timetable that can be set up for kindergarten children (PS to GS):

Here is an idea of ​​a timetable that can be set up for elementary school children (CP to CM2):

In the morning, you must focus on the basics, that is, the essential areas (math, French, reading) to be sure they will be done every day. Once these fields have been worked on, we can move on to languages, history, geography, sciences …

In addition to the documents sent by the master or mistress, some online resources that can be used

Here is a list of sites that can be used by children alone (with adult supervision of course for the little ones). Please note, these sites may not all function properly due to the explosion in traffic.

– "My class at home" by the CNED
The CNED offers free resources for children from the small section to high school. For the PS / MS section, a small booklet with tracks is available to get ideas for activities. And from the GS, learning is organized by week with a precise timetable and downloadable sheets as well as digital resources. It is therefore turnkey and very practical.

"Calcul @ tice"
This site offers lots of small online calculations to work mental calculation. You have to be fast, it's fun, free, and the activities on offer range from CP to 6th grade.

The videos of "la Canopé"
The Canopé network provides free videos for cycle 2 and 3 (but you can also watch some from cycle 1). They are very well made and widely used by teachers (personally I am a fan). You will find various themes such as French, math, civic and moral education, science, music, modern languages.

The “Lumni” site
The Lumni site, formerly France TV Education, brings together videos for teachers but which are available to everyone, from the small section to the final year. There are all areas of school, it's a real gold mine, free and very easy to use.

The “pepit” site
This is a Belgian site that offers a multitude of small online games that are easy to handle. It is suitable for children from 4 to 12 years old. You will find math and French (including exercises on sounds and the soundtrack that goes with it).

=> 10 free and super well produced podcasts for children <=

Some special cases

With a child who has academic difficulties,
Do the essentials with him: reading, numeration (mental calculation, pose of operations), French (the structure of the sentence, conjugate verbs, a little spelling). Go to the most important, even if everything is not done. It is better to do less but consolidate the bases rather than scattering in all areas at the risk of losing them.

With a little kindergarten boy, to keep his attention
Using nursery rhymes seen in the classroom or at home is a great way to get the child's attention. You can also take short breaks by listening to music, telling a story, doing breathing exercises or yoga postures.

A little one needs to be regularly on the move in order to be able to concentrate afterwards (the interest of half an hour of daily motor skills at school and recess). So it is absolutely necessary to program periods of motor skills during the day (if you can go out in the garden it is perfect, otherwise hide and seek in the house, dance like crazy on music …). Let our creativity speak!

With several children to manage at the same time
We do as we can. We help a child with the work that requires the adult while the other child does independent work and then reverse. For the little ones, we can offer them a free-standing or construction puzzle while working with their older brother or sister. Spatially, a space for everyone can be a good idea for everyone to work in peace (although it is not obvious when there are little ones who need surveillance). And why not take advantage of the little one's nap to work with the eldest … and offer the eldest to work with his younger son certain things.

And when we telecommute at the same time?
We must leave children in independent activity (which they can therefore do without an adult) on our teleworking beaches. And take defined breaks to take care of them with activities that require the adult's presence. Working during the nap is also a good idea (when the kids are doing it). And keep the time for meals and afternoon tea all together, without working to relax.

One last tip to all parents

Do your best and it will be perfect!
We, the teachers, are well aware that you will not be able to reproduce the usual class days. The important thing for your children is that they maintain a rhythm of work and that they can continue to activate the concepts already learned. Do not hesitate to contact the teacher if you have any questions or difficulties, we are here for that!
And also take time for leisure and relaxation with your children, this is important.
… And then if they watch a little more TV than usual, don't feel guilty, we do the best we can.

Bonus: download and print your timetable to organize your family

You can find Fanny and lots of good ideas on her blog or her social networks

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Video by Clara Poudevigne