Most, if not all parents, spend a great deal of time deciding what kind of education they want their children to receive. For many, this decision is integral when finding a neighborhood to live in so your children attend a great school.
Part of that school experience are teachers who oversee your children’s education. As the parent, you expect teachers to provide the structure and resources for learning. You check in with your child to make sure work is getting done and ensure they are getting the most out of their school experience.
But, as we creep ever closer to a year of long-distance learning, we all know there have been challenges that have accompanied this transition. Most parents are not trained educators, so it can be difficult to facilitate the structure and environment for long-distance learning.
Here are five tips to help your child navigate remote learning.
Establish a Schedule
One of the benefits of kids physically going to school is that they are on a schedule. Kids know they have to be ready by a certain time to catch their bus or be ready for drop-off.
You can help kids get into school mode by keeping them on a schedule, even at home. Make sure they are up by a certain time and have eaten a healthy breakfast to be ready for the school day.
Then, if virtual lessons are at an assigned time every day, schedule times, or “periods” for their other activities. This will help keep your kids structured and should aid them in their time management and help them stay on track.
Designate a Learning Space
Tempting it may be, especially for teens, but staying in bed for school can be counterintuitive to their learning.
A dedicated space for learning can go a long way towards helping your children get into a school mindset. It’s also important to have this space to separate your children’s play/entertainment areas from their learning areas.
Stay Active
This is important for all of us, but especially for young children. Many studies have shown how staying active helps children to excel in school.
Keeping your kids active while doing long-distance learning will go a long way to keep them energized and motivated. Schedule one or two times for your children to exercise or play outside.
This time can be a great way to connect with your kids and have fun together – plus, you get a break as well!
Minimize Distractions
This is a unique challenge to long-distance learning because children are learning from home. Because of this, they have all the comforts of home while doing schoolwork.
Teachers aren’t supervising students most of the day, so kids have no qualms about checking social media or playing on their phones.
A dedicated learning space can help reduce distractions by designating those spaces phone-free. Distractions are also why study spaces should be separate from spaces near a TV or their video games.
Check-In About Long-Distance Learning
Communication with your kids is more important than ever. Long-distance learning presents its own unique set of challenges on top of navigating the challenges associated with learning.
Talk to your kids before and after their school days to address the agenda for the day and how their day went.
These check-ins will go a long way towards staying invested in their education and their emotional wellbeing. If your kids are struggling with long-distance learning, talk to their teachers for further guidance. It can also be a good idea to invest in resources to boost student learning so that your children excel while remote learning.
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