Learning Begins at Home | Bangkok Mothers & Babies International

September 17, 2018

Learning is not something confined to the school environment but instead happens continually, throughout the day. Here are some ways our children learn at home and ideas for how to encourage greater development.By Ashima Kapur Kids attend school to acquire knowledge and skills appropriate to their age and we, as parents strive hard to identify schools matching our perspective of how and where our child should learn. We often take our research seriously, for example, we’ll seek guidance from other parents -- to gain feedback about various schools and their curriculums. But there is another aspect which should be considered -- the fact that a child spends an almost equal number of days at home as they spend at school. Most of the international school calendars in Bangkok have 176 to 180 school days. A child spends just as many days at home. Even on school days after approximately six hours of schooling, a child is home for an equal number of hours. It is time to think that a child’s learning not only takes place at school but also at their home. Whatever input a school provides a child bridges the inputs and stimulation provided at home -- not only by parents and caregivers, but also by the extended family such as siblings or cousins, if any. So, the home is equally important for a child’s learning, though often not in a structured, formal way.

Learning in the home environment

Home is a relaxing place for kids -- an environment which more informally shapes a child’s personality and honing their skills.Each subject taught at school is beautifully interwoven into our everyday lives. There is technology (i.e., science) involved in everything, be it an air conditioner in our bedroom, microwave and refrigerator in our kitchens, or a television in our living room. A child learns how these things work, and if any of these technologies need fixing, then the child learns how and who needs to be contacted to fix them.Children also develop language skills when they talk to adults and kids in the family, visitors, and neighbors, and when they attend social gatherings. All these interactions in the home help build a stronger vocabulary, including a foreign language, if used. Watching (age-appropriate) TV programmes and listening to news helps a child learn about the world, which it could be argued, becomes Social Science. Social and emotional skills also get developed when a child interacts with other children or adults around. How to exhibit emotions when sad, angry, excited, etc., is something children pick up at home as well.A child’s involvement in age-appropriate household chores helps in developing various life-skills that stay with the child forever. These chores could include counting and drying laundry, preparing beds, etc. It can also help a child in setting a professional goal later on in life. Areas of interest could blossom into possible careers or important skills they need in their careers later on. Going to a supermarket to do everyday grocery shopping may appear simple but helps in developing selection skills, reading products and comparing with the costs, addition, packing, etc., and thereby doing a lot of reading and math.Playing indoor and outdoor games with the family helps in creating stronger family bonds, apart from various skills learned from the games.All these points combined imply that a home environment equally participates in a child’s acquisition of knowledge. There is a lot of informal learning which is happening outside of school and needs to be credited. As a parent or a caretaker, we should provide a nurturing home environment, one which is conducive to a child’s informal learning.

Some things to do at home

Here are some suggestions of what each parent or caregiver can do:

Involve the child in various household chores such as preparing their own bed after waking up, folding clothes, and keeping in their closets, etc.
Take the child to do grocery shopping and let them decide what they would like to have for meals and later on allow them to cook it too.
While doing this, the nutritional value, freshness and family budget could also be discussed with the child.
Talk to the child about your own childhood experiences, such as what you used to do as a child during summer break.
Exhibit behavior you want to see in your child as they copy actions more than words. For example, healthy anger management and stress management.
Take part in physical activities, such as yoga or walking in the park together, to instill good fitness habits.

About the Author

Ashima is a mum of a 8-year-old boy. She is from New Delhi. She lived in Bangkok for 11 years, and has worked with the UN, INGOs and NGOs in India, Canada and Thailand. Ashima is assisting the BAMBI editorial team and is enjoying her contributions to BAMBI activities. She is fond of singing, dancing, drawing , painting, gardening, and meeting new parents to exchange and learn the best practices of child care.

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