Learning at Home

Find a quiet space for your child to work. Make sure pencils, an eraser, a calculator, and other important tools are at hand so time isn’t wasted trying to find them. Making sure your child has everything he or she needs means less resistance and fewer excuses. If you are able to only use the space for learning, it will help with focus.

Children do well with structure—having a solid study plan in place will help keep your child on track. Dividing study time into manageable chunks is important for keeping your child’s mind fresh and engaged.

Setting goals gives your child clear directions for what needs to be done, and boosts confidence when he or she accomplishes these goals. Talk about what his/her teachers are asking of them for the next 2 months, and how they will accomplish this.

Regular movement improves overall health and reduces stress, making work much easier to accomplish. Consider study breaks that involve exercise (and join in the fun)! Simply searching online for “brain breaks” will supply numerous, fun options!

Whether you call them maker spaces, hacker-spaces, or DIY (do it yourself) labs, the idea is the same—a place where kids can tinker, invent, and build with everyday things found at home. Being creative can help children work through emotions at such an unsettling time.

To get started on your maker space, here are five types of household materials to collect:

• Art and craft supplies - Paint, wire, buttons, scissors, paper, old magazines to cut up, and other odds and ends provide endless possibilities for creative projects.

• Building tools - Screwdrivers, pliers, and a few other basic construction tools come in handy. Wood scraps and duct tape can be used to support handmade structures.

• Cardboard - Boxes, toilet paper and paper towel cylinders, egg cartons, and other cardboard scraps from around the house.

• Fabric scraps - felt, mesh, ribbon, yarn, and string are perfect additions to a maker space.

Scheduling some individual time with your children can have many benefits. First, it can help your child relieve stress if you encouraging conversations about thoughts and feelings your family is struggling with. Having conversations about their fears and uncertainties both validates their feelings, and prevents them from having fears that are unfounded. Second, it can give you a time to problem-solve family issues and them a time to be able to volunteer to step up to new responsibilities. Finally, it can be a good time to share jokes and just laugh together.

• Engaging Families to Support Distance Learning During COVID-19 School Closures (Oklahoma DoE)

• General Resources for Parents

• Resources for students with special learning needs