Traditional school days provide students with a lot of structure—this is hard to replicate in a virtual learning setting. For some students, the flexibility of learning online is a natural fit. However, for other students, especially young learners, managing this increased autonomy is a challenge. Students participating in virtual learning need to build their own routines and effectively manage their time in order to stay on track. Having a well-thought-out, specific daily schedule is key, and parents can be a huge help not only in building such a plan but also in making sure that it is followed.

Caregivers (parents, tutors, etc.) can start by sitting down with their student and intentionally discussing what he or she is responsible for accomplishing in their online course work on a daily or weekly basis, how much time those tasks will realistically take, and what other commitments (sports, arts, work, family engagements, etc.) they need to consider. Bring your child’s virtual teacher(s) into the conversation too—teachers can offer valuable insight into the curriculum, their own expectations, and how time will need to be budgeted. Once you’ve talked through everything on your child’s plate, help him or her write out a weekly schedule with designated work time for online courses. Be sure to hang up the schedule in a noticeable place, like on the refrigerator or next to any other family master calendars, to help keep your child accountable and establish an effective routine.

Learning online from home removes many of the systems of accountability that students are used to in the traditional classroom—achieving the same level of success will likely take a higher level of intrinsic motivation and self-directed effort. Just like time management skills, this motivation comes more naturally for some students than for others. Regardless, acclimating to online learning platforms, getting accustomed to self-pacing, and working through the normal, productive struggles of learning more independently can be challenging. Parents and other caregivers can make a big difference simply by demonstrating the ubiquity and importance of these skills in the “real world” beyond school.

Talking to your child about your own work and goals is a great place to start. Tell them about difficult projects you’re working on, new skills you’re trying to master, and challenges you’ve faced. For instance, do you have a big presentation coming up at work? Tell your child about the extra time you’re putting in to prepare. Are you in the process of taking up a new hobby? Tell your child about how you’ve had to try and fail. Take time to sit down with him or her while he or she is working on online coursework to tackle some projects of your own. These don’t have to be big talks or perfect examples (and don’t expect to hold your child’s rapt attention), but demonstrating your own hard work and motivated attitude will help your child take a similar approach while learning online.

The right workspace makes a huge difference in students’ mindset and ability to focus. When participating in virtual learning, students have the ability to complete their work where they want, so it’s important to put thought into what kind of environment is truly most effective for them and make sure that they have a designated space at home.

If possible, avoid using the same space where your child may sleep. The place where your child sleeps should be the area associated with rest, not studying. In addition, studying in bed can limit focus, decrease productivity, and interfere with sleeping.

Think about your child’s personality and needs as a starting point to create a workspace tailored to him or her, and be sure to have a direct conversation with your child about where and how he or she will be most comfortable completing online coursework. If your child thrives on quiet, make sure that he or she has a desk and comfortable chair in the room. If they need a little more interaction and hands-on accountability, a desk or table in the living room or kitchen may be a better option. No matter what the workspace looks like, be sure that your child has easy access to the materials and supplies that he or she will need to be efficient, like good headphones; a wireless mouse if he or she will be working on a laptop; and plenty of notepaper, pens, and other office basics.

Just because students are learning online doesn’t mean they are learning independently! Virtual teachers play an absolutely critical role in e-learning—and maintaining open, frequent communication is key to student success. Parents and other caregivers need to take part in this ongoing dialogue to make sure students stay on-pace and get the appropriate help when its needed.

School or district leadership will likely set some parameters around what communication will look like between students and teachers when the switch to virtual learning is made. This may be anything from daily live video lessons to once-a-week phone check-ins—many different approaches can be effective. Be sure that you are aware of what the expectations are for your child, and proactively reach out to their instructors as questions or concerns arise. Don’t forget to share successes as well! When you see your child reaching goals, making productive changes, or hitting important milestones, tell the teacher about it—it’s guaranteed that your child will appreciate the positive feedback coming from multiple angles.