3. Mix academic tasks with preferred or non-academic activities
Ensure that your child gets adequate breaks from academic time. Create your schedule alternating an academic task with a non-academic or preferred task. For example, if your child begins their day with a 30-45 minute language lesson, they should then engage in a drawing or art activity for about 20 minutes, they should then go back to an academic task such as math. Continue this rhythm throughout the day.
Observe and consider how much work your child is able to complete when they are focused. This should be a good baseline or starting place for how long your child should spend in one academic sitting. If you know 20 minutes is long enough, then allow frequent breaks during or between tasks. Or if you know your child can work for longer periods or time and complete more than one lesson in a sitting, allow them to pace themselves.
Include longer breaks a couple times a day such as outdoor time (PE 50 minutes two times a week during your child’s normal school week), lunch time (typically 45min-1 hour at school), computer time, family time, games, etc.