The pandemic has brought about a lot of changes. One of them is that students all over the world are getting used to getting their education in a new kind of classroom – their home.
As a parent, you’re also probably struggling to adjust to this new way of learning. In fact, you’re probably wondering…
- How can I make remote learning for preschool fun and effective?
- How will my kid make friends from their online school?
- How can I motivate my kid to learn?
- How can I help my child cope with all the uncertainty these days?
These worries are all understandable, especially these days when many children are struggling and a lot of parents don’t know how to help.
If anything, you’ve probably heard from many parents that kids struggle to stay enthusiastic and lost their interest when the lockdown started; or that many kids start to isolate themselves from their peers or other social interaction. Other students develop social anxiety because of losing touch with their peers and families.
This is just one of the many stories we’ve heard during the past few months after classes shifted to remote learning platforms like Zoom, Google Meets, or Google Classroom because of school closures. And it’s really not surprising how many kids and students are having a hard time transitioning from in-person learning to distance learning.
Impact of the pandemic on kid's learning
Research shows that the child’s environment at school has a huge impact on the motivation and social development of kids. Not only that, available data shows that kids are spending more and more time on their computers and devices. This increased screen time in kids and students is a result of both school and leisure.
The result? In the United States alone, it was estimated that one out of every three elementary school students has lost skills in reading and writing. An author from the Washington Post named Alice Kuo said: “Their worlds have been turned upside down at a time where their brain is growing and changing faster than the speed of sound. All because of toxic stress.”
The suggestions above are geared towards you so that you can parent your children more effectively. Now let’s look at several ways you can help your child succeed.
Here are five game-changers that will help you build a study routine for your child as they engage in remote learning classes.
5 Game-Changers That Will Help Remote Learning for Preschool Enjoyable
Plan your kid's routine
Things are easier to manage when they are planned and organized. Make a regular schedule for your child just as if they were in school.
Set aside a specific time for school work, chores, entertainment, family time, and other important things. You can be flexible with the schedule as needed.
Of course, older kids may not need a lot of supervision, but you encourage them to create their study routine and check it afterward. For example, you can get them a student planner or student journal that they can use to plan their routine for the rest of the school year.
Ask your child: Why do you think it’s a good idea to organize and write down your schedule and put it in a place you can easily see?
Cultivate self-discipline in your child
Growing up means realizing that you have to push through with finishing your work even if you are not motivated to do so. Help your child not to procrastinate.
It is really easy to make excuses and do the work later. Instill in your child the idea that being industrious is important. Allowing students to learn at their own pace is also important, but make sure they do not fall behind in class for the rest of the school year.
Ask your child: How can you work in the same space and at the same time each day to practice self-discipline?
Create a space for learning
Having a designated study space is perfect for concentration for most students. You can put all your child’s study materials all in one space. Try to create a comfortable space to study that is conducive for learning but not for snoozing!
In some households, it can be a challenge to have a dedicated area for your child’s class. You can ask your child to study in the kitchen or set up a study table in your child’s bedroom.
Planning ahead will surely help your child adjust to their new learning environment as they cope with the challenges of virtual school. Make sure that your child’s environment is free from distractions.
You can try and mimic the school or classroom feel. Set up a whiteboard or blackboard at home, or make a mini-library by setting up a bookshelf. Try to make your child feel like they’re a student in class or in school.
Remote learning became the norm and so many students, especially high school and college students, joined the trend of posting their study desks spaces online. If your children show interest in setting up their own study nook, encourage them as extra support.
Ask your child: How can you make your study area conducive for education?
Help your child to focus
Teach your child to focus on one class or subject at a time and to avoid multitasking. Sure, multitasking may look like the smartest way to get a lot of things done in a little amount of time, but that is not the case.
So see to it that your child understands that by doing several things at once, they are more likely to make mistakes and would take a longer time to complete their work. As such, they consciously make the effort to concentrate only on what is in front of them.
This means avoiding looking at their phones or getting caught up with social media. Eventually, your child will realize which things are unproductive and not beneficial for them.
Ask your child: What can you do to train your mind to concentrate on your tasks better?
Set up break time
Emphasize that getting their school work done comes first and free time comes after, but encourage your kids to be out in nature more, as it will also benefit their physical health. Make sure that you give your child time for a walk, to play, exercise, or engage in other physical activities.
Spending some time with a hobby can be refreshing for students. It gives them time to relax and can even improve creativity and talent.
It is very good for kids to spend more time outside. For the most part, they need physical activity to release any pent-up stress and anxiety. In fact, did you know that research shows that people who spend time in nature have less cortisol, lower blood pressure, and better overall health?
Ask your child: What hobbies do you have (or do you want to have) to keep your lifestyle active?
But you’re probably wondering: What about the parents?
The truth is, kids are not the only ones suffering because of this pandemic. Parents are too! (We see you nodding…) And the proof is in the number of people availing of mental health services.
So as parents, what can you do to maintain your own sanity? You can:
- Keep up the professional standard of work while working from home
- Separate your professional work from housework
- Keep your mental health in check.
- Take time to build on your kid’s skills.
A Final Note
Remote learning is anything but a routine. Granted, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution for every person. Your child can succeed with the help of some strategies such as:
- establishing clear boundaries between education and playtime
- keeping in constant communication with the school, teachers, and other students.
- asking questions
- utilizing real-life experiences as a learning opportunity
Being at home provides a lot of experiential studying or hands-on learning opportunities. These help children to hone their abstract or critical thinking abilities and concrete experimentation.
You can do these activities with your kids as an example:
- Helping their math and arithmetic skills by letting kids help to budget the family groceries
- Learning fractions, temperatures, and scientific theories while baking.
- Enhancing literacy skills by reading books, watching plays, or documentaries
- Learning about the natural world during break time while walking in a park
As a family, find ways to keep in contact with your community. This means keeping your distance physically but not socially. You can choose to create virtual learning pods for your children so that they can still socialize and parents can break up the responsibility of monitoring their children.
By sharing your load with others, remote learning can be less stressful. As a parent, you must be overwhelmed by all your responsibilities. You are responsible for navigating all the different apps needed for online learning, such as Zoom, Google Docs, and such.
Each family will face a unique set of challenges, but for sure all families will benefit from having an organized schedule, a designated area for work, a clear focus on the tasks at hand, learning how to take a break, and taking advantage of real-life learning experiences.
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Comments (1)
Petesays:
January 2, 2024 at 11:08 amI don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.