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Anyone managed to improve any child's skills during this?

48 replies

Echobelly · 06/05/2020 22:58

This kids at home thing is a 'mare when you're both working and one is not old enough to self-study (and TBH the older one may not be doing as well as we thought on her own and we need to sort that out). DS has a pending ADHD diagnosis and one way or another, definite attention problems, more than usual for an 8yo boy and his writing in particular has been very bad.

Bizarrely, however, looks as though this situation might prove a boon for him - we can't fit much learning in per day and can hardly do any of the stuff the school sends (they're not insisting on it), DH has been doing a lot of work on handwriting with him and it actually seems to be paying off. Honestly, if we can send him back with better, consistent handwriting this whole thing might turn out to be a blessing for his education. Not critical of the school, he's one child in 30 and (having seen the work turned out by the rest of his class) they've all moved way beyond needing to learn to write and they just can't give him that attention. It's sometimes a bit shouty and stressful doing it DH's way, but I gotta say it's worth it. Basically, DS could not remember how to form letters consistently and couldn't get anywhere near joined up but he is mostly forming consistently now and starting to join up - I hope he can keep this up because we have been worried that Y5 (which his also bright but with no difficulties sister found the hardest year of all) from September is going to be massively hard if he can't write fluently.

Anyone else found something that they've actually been able to improve during this time, even against the odds?

OP posts:
Selfsettling3 · 07/05/2020 07:36

Nursery aged child (4 today) has started blending phonics and can now read simple cvc words.

thunderthighsohwoe · 07/05/2020 07:47

DD17mo has learnt a variety of new skills:

Putting things into the toilet
Playing ‘boo’ with the cat
Removing her nappy to pee on the floor, then saying ‘uh oh’

Gatecrashing my teaching videos

Bashing my laptop keys and sending gibberish messages to parents of children in my class
Having very short naps
Running off during our daily walks

Naively, I had originally thought that I might be able to improve her speech during lockdown 😂

TheVanguardSix · 07/05/2020 08:10

Both my 10 year old DD and 5 year old DS have become amazing tree and plant identifiers. They can name nearly everything! It's awesome. Birds too.

DD seems to have become very good at Roblox

Grin And this... mostly this.

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Gobbolinocat · 07/05/2020 08:20

Yes we have a roblox fan here too.
It's actually very creative and it'd forcing dd to be read and spell so she can chat.

But dh has temporarily told dd the website is down to wean her off it.

Handwriting improving here too and tables.
I've joined Reading chest and keen to get going with the books.

BigBairyHollocks · 07/05/2020 08:23

DS has learned to ride a bike, and won his first fortnite game.He also now is happy exercising in a way he never was before.

fudgefeet · 07/05/2020 08:27

My eldest (12) has taught herself how to crochet, do her own french plaits, , manages to find a way to incorporate watercolours into all her school work and can now do a 20 sec handstand. Unfortunately, she still struggles with reading which I hoped we could spend more time doing.

poppet31 · 07/05/2020 08:32

My three year old has a speech delay and his speech has really come on in the last few weeks. He's gone from being able to say a handful of two word phrases to speaking in 4 word sentences regularly. Behaviour however, we'll that's another story...

Rover83 · 07/05/2020 08:33

Nope, they've learnt to entertain each other though and both 3 and 4 (preschool) can find YouTube on the TV. I feel guilty sometimes as my older child has a lot of peers who have learnt to read and write cvc words in lockdown but she just isnt interested and I dont see any benefit of forcing it. Shes going to be one of the eldest in her year so I am aware that one of her best friends is 5 weeks older and started school last year so is being forced to do school work. I'm pretty certain she will thrive when she starts reception, right now we are digging in the mud, playing games and doing whatever she wants.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 07/05/2020 08:36

My ds aged 6 has really mastered cycling without stabilizers as we have gone out every day with his bike.
Also, the same as OP , his handwriting has improved 100 %. As mentioned, it's the 1-on -1 attention that is not possible at school and I have been using more old fashioned ways ie. Learning through books rather than too much online , as I feel he's getting enough screen time.
I've been furloughed, not sure how I would have managed home schooling otherwise.
Massive respect to those parents juggling both. Flowers

Wallywobbles · 07/05/2020 08:38

Eldest 2 seem to have stopped fighting.

Youngest 3 can all cook quite a repertoire of proper food. Everyone cooks once a week, something new.

DH has finally mastered bread. I've (almost) mastered Moodle.

megletthesecond · 07/05/2020 08:39

They can both make bread rolls now. That's it.

Howmanysleepsnow · 07/05/2020 08:58

Ds7, who was struggling to read following speech problems and hadn’t gone up a book band since starting school, can now just about manage a chapter book (we alternate pages). Hopefully he’ll be confident enough to read the questions on his schoolwork soon!
Dd12 has learnt how to use a printer/ manage print queues, email attachments and do google research that isn’t about K-Pop. Apparently at school they just focus on coding...

Echobelly · 07/05/2020 09:13

It's lovely to hear that some thing are still managing to blossom. We do need to work on DS getting on a bike (and me getting back on one, frankly) as that's something he could learn this summer. DH taught DD to ride aged 5, with literally blood, sweat and tears, but then she was one of the first kids in her class to ride, it gave her a real boost and she actually cycled to school quite a lot for a period.

DD (nearly 12) has started emptying the dishwasher unbidden and doing some washing up, but she's almost as bad at the latter as her mother. Blush

OP posts:
DominaShantotto · 07/05/2020 09:17

DD1's learnt how to play chess, make me lattes and play animal crossing excessively.

Some of these skills might be more useful than others - I particularly value the latte manufacture.

Equimum · 07/05/2020 09:34

We’ve been working on handwriting too. We still have a way to go, but when DS focuses, he can not turn out some uniform characters that are easy to read. Like your son, OP, our DS has got left behind and there just aren’t resources to help.

TheDrsDocMartens · 07/05/2020 10:09

Dd3 (9)can work zoom/FaceTime/WhatsApp to call/message friends on my phone /iPad.

Ds(7) has massively improved his maths but will not writemore than two sentences for anything. His writing massively needs practice as it’s barely legible but I’d rather he did other stuff than strop every day over writing.Hes also better at playing alone and has started drawing/colouring.

babychange12 · 07/05/2020 10:12

DS mastered the scooter Smile I'm so proud he cracked it

Echobelly · 07/05/2020 16:47

@AssangesCat - yeah, a bit like our DS. I think he just didn't get that the handwriting you practise is the same as the handwriting you're supposed to do your work in, and we're trying to explain to him that writing 'properly' is actually easier than reinventing it every time

OP posts:
TerrorWig · 07/05/2020 16:51

Mine have got MUCH better at Fortnite and Animal Crossing.

pigoons · 07/05/2020 16:57

My son (nearly 7) makes our coffee every morning now ... and can make scrambled egg on toast (as long as someone else can get the toast out of the toaster)

pigoons · 07/05/2020 16:58

Should say - makes coffee machine coffee - he is not allowed anywhere near boiling water!

Poetryinaction · 07/05/2020 16:58

2 year old - potty trained
6 year old - can ride a bike

DelurkingAJ · 07/05/2020 18:41

DS2 has mastered picking up the cats (he’s 4 and previously we had to watch like a hawk as he’d nearly always put a hand round their necks). He’s lucky they’re both complete softies.

DS1’s bowling (cricket) has come on nicely. He’s also enjoying giving me the maths problems his school have set as ‘family challenges’.

Luckily only DS1 is school age as we’re both working FT and it’s frankly a nightmare all round (both key workers but can WFH so...).

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