Family Guidance-Supporting Your Child in Remote Learning From Home
Below is a list of commonly agreed upon guidelines from educators across the country to assist parents and caregivers in supporting their child’s learning from home during this unprecedented time of school closures.
Consistency helps students focus, so start with a daily schedule because kids learn most easily when they know what to expect. Daily routines should have a mix of learning activities, physical activities and recreational activities.
Aim for one to three good academic hours each day during the week (depending on the age of your child). Remember that the schedule at your child’s school consists of other blocks of time, such as recess, lunch and class transitions so a six hour school day at home isn’t necessary.
Having one or two designated areas for learning in your home is a good idea. Have your kids pack up their materials into a basket so they can put them aside when the “school day” is over.
Structure academic activities around kids’ attention spans. Most elementary-school kids can work on assignments for around 25 minutes before they need a break. Use a timer or time-management software to arrange breaks, which can also become transitions to new tasks.
Listen to your child. If they say, “I don’t get it,” or, “I’m tired and I can’t do this,” hear them out. Once you’ve heard how they’re feeling, ask them to explain to you to the section that’s confusing.
For daily duties that have to happen anyway, such as cooking, incorporating reading, math or science can enrich the experience for kids. Cooking can be a science lesson (let’s talk about how yeast works), a math lesson (what’s a half cup plus a quarter cup?), or a reading lesson (does this label say “baking soda” or “baking powder”?).
Outdoor activities like taking nature walks around your backyard or the neighborhood can benefit everybody’s health. Talk with your child about what they notice along the walk and what they wonder about what they’ve noticed.
This is also a great time for family time...get out a board game, cook together, read a story, do a craft, build something with Legos. Get your hands out, get your imagination out, and play.
Screen time may be necessary to engage in virtual learning, but children don’t need to be occupied every moment of every day with technology.