The COVID-19 pandemic is not showing any signs of slowing down. Countries around the globe are taking steps to control the virus from spreading. Lockdown restrictions have been eased, but educational institutions have postponed exams or canceled in some cases. They have been instructed to keep physical classrooms closed at least until September in most nations.
Students need to be ready to continue learning from home during the second half of the year. So, parents should be able to keep kids occupied in learning and mentally engaged. Here’re tips that can help guardians in making learning enjoyable and productive for high-school children.
Dedicated space for learning in the house
As the COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the way educational institutions deliver education, kids might have to continue learning from home for several years.
Children may or may not have their room, but parents can surely help in creating a small learning space. Studies have already pointed out that providing a dedicated learning space for children at home can prove extremely beneficial. It can help in motivating them, as well as in improving their focus and creativity.
A study desk can be a convenient option for kids as they need to spend considerable time studying throughout the day. Experts advise parents to ensure the desk remains away from the TV. The computer or smartphone that the child uses for online learning should not have entertainment or social networking apps installed.
A disturbance-free space, away from distractions, can prove ideal in any corner of the house. Some kids may find it comfortable to sit in the corner of the home’s covered balcony, while others might prefer placing their table and sitting in the corner of their room. Thus, it is advisable to plan the same considering the child’s preferences.
Remember, the learning space should be used for studying, and not for eating food, snacks.
Setting a daily routine for studies and other activities
While at the school, kids spend time as per the institute’s properly planned schedule. Educational institutions can easily set the daily timetable for online lectures with the help of school management system software. Tutors suggest parents should set a daily routine for their kids while they are at home during the pandemic.
Allot time for eating, sleeping, learning, indoor exercise, and watching their favorite TV shows or video series on streaming sites. The routine can be changed every week so that the kid won’t feel bored.
Such a routine can help in keeping children calm and occupied throughout the day. Getting a printout of the daily routine and sticking it on the clipboard or fridge can be a good idea.
Goals need to be realistic
On a regular school day, children do manage to sit and learn for eight hours. However, that may not be possible while at home. Thus, most of the schools schedule online lectures for three hours or less. Parents can divide the remaining three to four hours of the day into small capsules of time for revision.
Planning a break of ten minutes after every thirty minutes of studies can help. Goals need to be realistic, don’t expect your child to stick to the screen or textbook for hours continuously.
Let your child use multiple learning resources
Besides live online sessions, schools also provide learning materials in the form of e-books, podcasts, and videos of past lectures. Some institutions also use gamification for teaching. Kids can play these educational games via the school portal and apps. For children without access to a laptop or a PC, schools send lectures in text format via email and WhatsApp.
As all these resources are integrated with the online education system, teachers can make them available to all the students as per the devices that they plan to use for studies. Parents can choose the most convenient resource for ensuring continuous learning.
Engage with the child’s teachers
Remember, learning from home is not learning in isolation. Teachers ensure every student’s participation in online classes and discussions during video conferences held after the lecture.
Parents should encourage children to discuss their problems with teachers and classmates via phone calls or other school messaging tools. It helps them in clearing their doubts and queries after the module.
Parents should not hesitate to contact tutors in case of any concerns or even to highlight the difficulties faced by the trainee. Thankfully, most of the schools have dedicated apps for parent-teacher communication.
Ensure your kid follows the school curriculum
Parents’ participation in studies can help children improve their academic performance and overall score as per several studies.
Thus, guardians should not only participate in revision but ensure children are following the school syllabus scheduled by the teacher. Both kids and parents should not spend much time studying something that the child may not need to know.
These days, most schools help parents with tools and plans for homeschooling. Plus, interacting with teachers, and checking the planned schedule in the parent-teacher app can be the best option.
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