Petronela is a parent of three children, all of whom attend one of our partner primary schools in Hertfordshire. Petronela is Romanian and speaks English as an additional language, and her children speak Romanian when at home. Petronela uses Learning with Parents with her youngest daughter, Olivia, who is 6.
How confident were you in helping your child with home learning before using Learning with Parents?
Before Learning with Parents, being a mother of 3 children, I didn’t always have the time to research what to do to support their learning. The platform gives you the exact topics they are doing at school, which is very helpful because we get information from the teacher about what they are doing each term. Every week we know exactly what they are learning, we have the topic and then the activities for her to practice at home. I think it’s very helpful.
When you do the activities at home, what does that look like?
Most of the time I use my phone as it’s easier to show the video and record audio and take the photos. 99% of the activities we do inside – we use toys or things we have around the house.
I just do the activities with Olivia – it’s my time with her. (To my other two children) I say, “Now it’s my time to do Learning with Parents, you can play, it’s my time to have with Olivia.”
What changes have you seen in Olivia since you started doing Learning with Parents together?
In the beginning, we were both a little bit insecure, we weren’t sure how it worked. At the beginning she didn’t want to take photos. She wanted to do the activities but not take the photos. But now over time, she is happy to take the photos. Sometimes she pulls silly faces.
She’s more confident and doing better than she was at the beginning. She’s very happy – She knows from her teacher that she has to do the topic and then she says, “Mum, let’s do Learning with Parents, let’s do Learning with Parents!”
Do you have any favourite activities, any special ones you remember?
I enjoyed the last one! It was challenging for me, it was maths and it was adding. We had to add a triangle. I think we like Maths more, as it doesn’t involve so much writing. I don’t have to correct the spellings and say, ‘You have to write this letter and that letter’.
I like Maths the most because we use objects. I like using the objects like pasta and LEGO. It’s easier, as we have lots of them and don’t have to find too many things around the house.
How has using Learning with Parents changed your understanding of what Olivia is learning in school?
It’s changed a lot. It’s changed for the better for me. Usually at the beginning of the term we have a meeting with the teacher and they tell us we are going to learn about this, this, this. But you forget about it, you can’t remember every week.
Olivia doesn’t always tell me what she’s learning in school. Sometimes she’s tired or doesn’t remember. But having Learning with Parents, you can see properly every week what they are doing.
My understanding is so much better. I am from Romania, my school was so different from how it is in England. Even the adding, the times tables – they use different methods and it’s good for me because I am also learning at the same time.
How do you feel about supporting Olivia’s learning now you’re using Learning with Parents?
I’m happy. I’m very happy to know that I can help her. It’s easy for me, it doesn’t take too much time. It’s also great because it gives me time with her. I really like doing it with her.
What is the best thing about using Learning with Parents?
It’s good seeing the children doing the activities in the video. It’s important to see it modelled, to see others doing it. It makes it easier for you to do it instead of just reading the instructions. I like the videos the most – the way the videos are done.
What is the best thing about using Learning with Parents?
Last year, Olivia won the Learning with Parents toy monkey Mathscot for doing the most activities in the term. She was really excited and it made her want to do more.
“For me, we want to do this, so we find the time to make it a priority.”
