Learning promotes wellbeing and development, so it is important to set aside some time each day for learning activities, even when your child is feeling unwell. There are many ways to keep young people engaged in education while they are away from school or kindergarten. Keep your child motivated by involving family, friends and hospital staff. Try to maintain some of the usual routines and activities that your child would be involved in at school or kindergarten. Make learning opportunities fun through games, creativity and hands-on experiences. 

Try some of these simple activities at home to promote literacy and numeracy development.

Literacy 

• Journal writing 
• Keep a diary with important dates, reminders, birthdays 
• Reading with or to your child
• Library visits to borrow new books, magazines and resources
• Listening to podcasts and audio-books 
• Making photo albums and scrapbooks
• Send letters and emails 
• Watch films and documentaries
• Write film and book reviews 
• Research an interesting topic and create a presentation, poster or report 
• Creative story writing 
• Literacy games and apps on iPads and devices 
• Discussing issues in the news 
• Planning family events, holidays or activities 
• Make a movie or presentation to show classmates 
• Visit museums, galleries, parks, zoos, libraries and cultural centres 
• Learn a new skill with your child such as a different language, sewing or painting 

Numeracy 

• Board games, puzzles, quizzes and card games 
• Problem solving challenges 
• Play numeracy and Maths games and apps on iPads or devices 
• Make decorations for a hospital room or special occasion 
• Design and build models using Lego, blocks or recycled materials 
• Borrow numeracy resources and books from school or kindergarten
• Involve your child in cooking, shopping and budgeting 
• Create timetables, timelines and journey planners 
• Design and create your own board game or card games with rules and scoring systems
• Learn to code using online apps and programs 

Online learning tools 

• Fuse Education
• ABC Education
• National Geographic for Kids
• Literacy and numeracy tips for parents

Tutoring

Tutoring can be an effective way to help students who have fallen behind their peers due to illness and long term absence from formal education. Private tuition can be very expensive and is therefore not an option for many families. Before spending money on private tutoring speak to your teachers about whether your child will benefit from tutoring and in which learning areas. There may be free or more affordable services that you can access through your school or local community. 

• Enlist the help of your extended family, friends, neighbours and people in your network who may be willing to offer their time to help with homework.
• University students and recent VCE graduates often provide tutoring at a discounted rate.
• Many schools offer 'Homework Help' or supported study groups, staffed by teachers after school. 
• Local libraries and community centres often provide free homework help or volunteer-run tutoring programs for school-aged students. 
• Find out if your school subscribes to online learning tools such as  Khan Academy or  Edrolo.
• Search for tutorials and videos for specific topics on Youtube and  TedEd.

Regional Education Support Network (RESN) 
Provides free online tutoring support for VCE students who live in regional Victoria.

Monash University Student Tutors 
Search for undergraduate tutors from Monash University.

Ronald McDonald Learning Program 
A national program that assists school-aged children with serious illnesses and injuries to catch up on missed education following treatment and recovery.