Home education is something many Australian parents are doing with their kids these days. However, these last few hectic months have seen thousands of unexperienced mums and dads plunging right into the deep end of the world of home schooling. It can be overwhelming to have to suddenly take on the sole responsibility of educating your children without any preparation or practice. Wombat Books understands this is a difficult time for a lot of parents, so they have put together some book packs along with activities to keep students motivated to learn when at home.

Screens and technology have become an integral part of adapting to our modern environment, making them a big part of our everyday life. Screen time has increased as more of our day is spent looking at a computer, phone, and television for work and school, which can sometimes distract families from the true essence of learning and growing. This is where Wombat Books wants to help. As a children’s book publisher, they want to encourage children and adults to take a break from screens in favour of the valuable experience of reading ‘real’ books. This is not to devalue digital and interactive books, which are great in assisting children with language delays and inspiring independent learning. But real, handheld books and activities keep the intimacy with you and your child, and kids can see and mark their progress.

Wombat Books have packs available for prep and early childhood, including books such as Jack and Mia, Eric Finds a Way, and Spider Iggy. There are also packs for grades one to three including books like Gemma gets the Jitters, and Puggle’s Problem. Each pack includes a variety of books to read, and some have printable activity sheets and ideas to have fun with afterwards. Some also have teaching notes about the author and some discussion questions. There’s some special packs as well for the creative kids, the ones who wants a challenge, and the lively chapter book readers. You can find these on the Wombat Books website under ‘Home Education.’

It is encouraged that parents and family read to and with their children. Reading from a young age is fundamental in child growth as the activity develops literacy and vocabulary skills and encourages a vivid imagination. In a school environment, this can result in advanced language and comprehension skills and a quicker transition into independent reading without pictures. From a child’s perspective, reading along with parents and family members also enables a more curious and engaged experience where questions and visual associations are encouraged. As parents elaborate on what’s on the page to their children, they will have a richer understanding and the opportunity to consider the world from a different point of view. Parents can also benefit from this activity as they can spend more quality, cuddly, and engaging time with their children.

Although we live in an ever-increasing technological society, this traditional way of reading ‘real’ books is still encouraged. It’s important to remember that being involved with your child’s education and spending quality time with them is always important. As students return to school in the coming months, Wombat Books encourages you all to put time aside to read to or with your kids, and stay involved in their learning progress and development.