It’s unfortunate that the world is battling one single enemy right now—Covid-19, and many countries, including ours have gone into a lockdown as a measure to minimise the casualties.
Schools, are one amongst the many things that have been closed down. But does that mean the learning has to stop? No.
In fact, it’s time we take the learning to a whole another level, with the help of digital platforms, as well as utilising the resources and time you get at home.
Conventional methods of teaching in school focus on the learning various languages, subjects, sports, arts and a few other activities. But there are a whole lot of other skills the kids can learn, when they cannot go to school every day.
There are a number of websites and interactive portals where children can learn the usual subjects. The schools can also use online tools to deliver the lectures and assign the home works.
But what else can a child learn during this lockdown that adds value to their lives as they grow up? The answer is lifeskills.
Yes, the parents and even schools can use this lockdown period as an opportunity to teach the children some important skills that will be useful to them throughout their life.
They can learn activities like cooking, cleaning, and decorating the house, which will help them take responsibility and be independent as they grow into adults. The parents can teach the kids how to make a variety of dishes based on their age—a simple sandwich for the younger ones whereas a more complex meal for the older ones, ask them to clean and redecorate their room, etc. They can also be asked to make their own art and craft pieces to place in their rooms.
Moreover, the kids can also learn about hygiene, and administering first aid in case of emergencies.
One other thing that will definitely be useful for the children as they grow up is how to manage money, and groceries. This is one important skill not even a lot of adults master, and isn’t widely taught in schools. So, this lockdown can be used as an opportunity to teach kids how to manage their expenses, savings, and how to go about taking care of groceries and supplies at home. This can be one skill they’ll be thankful for, their entire lives.
Many parents worry that the children may be deprived of physical activity during the lockdown. But this can be worked around through activities like Yoga, Zumba, or even dancing.
In addition to all these, the kids can read a lot more books, take time to learn about the culture and history of the country, and even spend time researching things that interest them.
So you see, there are many things that parents and schools can do to ensure that the kids learn during the lockdown while staying safe. Because as they say, learning is a lifelong process. It never stops! Not even for a virus, or a lockdown!
