Helping your child improve their confidence

Psychologists encourage homeschooling parents to treat confidence as a habit that can be nurtured like any of their children’s other habits. Some young learners believe themselves to be naturally ‘unconfident’ at doing certain tasks. Confidence, however, is a skill that can be learned like any other, through practice. People who consider themselves to be confident in a certain situation, have at one point, embraced their uncertainty. Through practice and taking action, it is possible for someone to change their perception of how they performandtoachievetheirgoals.

Feeling in control

If a child feels they are in control of their learning, they feel more confident in their ability to succeed in their studies. One way of improving a child’s confidence is to create an agreed structure to their learning. Familiarity and repetition can help a child adopt a resourceful mindset and aid their learning. The structure of the learning will vary according to the subject and the level being studied.

Positive Language

Whenever you are reviewing your child work, try to use positive language as much as possible, even when correcting their errors or commenting on their poor performance. Try reframing the idea of ‘mistakes’ into something more encouraging. If you highlight an error, give a constructive explanation that leaves the child feeling enlightened rather than deflated. By the same account, it’s important not to be overly positive and to praise mediocrity. By using positive language honestly and effectively your child will know how they have genuinely performed in a task and will respect your feedback.

Replacing Limiting Beliefs

As a parent/carer, it’s important not to accept the word ‘can’t’ as a reason for your child’s shortcomings. If your child is struggling with a particular concept or process, help them break it down into small, manageable chunks and take the time to explain the minor details if you are familiar with the subject. It is often the minor details that make all the difference. Ask your child to explain exactly what they don’t understand about what they are studying and give a clear, concise explanation of the practice if you feel comfortable.

Self-Expression

Encourage your child to express their opinions on everything relating to their studies including your suggestions. Encourage your child to ask questions that they may not otherwise get the chance to ask if they were at school for risk of embarrassment or due to time constraints. By letting a child know that their opinions are just as relevant as yours, they will develop a stronger sense of self-worth, knowing that their thoughts are valued.

The Confidence Effect

When a child starts to see an improvement in their learning, their confidence grows and they will able to apply the techniques they have learned in one subject to another, consequently improving their grades in all subjects.

When somebody is confident, they are more likely to do well in their studies and career. A lack of confidence can hold people back from reaching their full potential.

Transferring from attending school to home educating can be complicated, and if not managed properly can result in a significant loss in learning and severe disruptions to your child’s education. Every parent or carer's dream is a smooth transition that will keep their child engaged and enjoying their learning. Here are some quick and simple tips to help managethetransition.

Help establish routines: Most human beings tend to perform better within some form of ‘structure’ or ‘routine’. If they are going to have lie-ins, encourage them not to overdo it. Encourage them to wake up at reasonable times to discipline their bodies and maintain their daily routines. And if possible, let them get out of their pyjamas to create a more ‘work ready’ mentality. Consistency is key. It may be a rocky start, as it is highly unlikely that they will have perfect routines from day one. Keep encouraging them to plan and prioritise each day until they have created some real momentum and routine.

Help them create their own timetable and stick to it: They could mimic the typical school/college structure to pace their day’s learning schedule as much as possible. Support them to maintain a variety of study sessions and extra-curricular activities in their personal timetable. Advise them to break the sessions into small manageable chunks. Their total learning time may be shorter than if they were at school/college but that is perfectly understandable and having a flexible approach to timings creates less pressure.

Allocate specific learning workspaces within the home: Identify several quiet study areas for them to choose to work from throughout the day. Some prefer to rotate the kitchen/dining table, lounge and bedroom to establish some form of variety. Others would rather have one specific learning space they call their ‘study room’ Whatever they decide to go for, let it be a learning space that’s free from distractions.