Even if the classes this year still seem to be on the virtual arrangement, learning doesn’t have to be hampered. Your kids can still be successful despite this change of platform. Unlike in the classroom setting, however, a great burden of your kids’ learning is now on your hands. As their parent and, now, their teacher, you’ve got to learn how to understand the unique strengths of your children and find out what works for them so they can maximize their learning abilities in spite of the new platform.
Online classes from providers like tutorme.com are certainly the norm today. Because of the challenges brought about by the pandemic, children and their families have had to make this switch. While this may be challenging at first, it’s something that you can actually enjoy as an entire family. There are some things you can do to ensure that your kids don’t miss out on the benefits of online learning.
Your kids need to know that you’re there to support them throughout the whole learning process. Because this is something new for children, it’s natural for them to feel intimidated about online classes. Just think about the anxiety they have when you first drop them off at their physical schools. It takes time for them to get used to being by themselves. The same applies even if they’re learning through the screen.
First off, there’s the intimidating feel of technology right in front of them, and how they can navigate the new communication platforms. Then, there’s also the absence of hugs and smiles that teachers usually give kids upon entering the classroom.
It’s your job now as a parent to fill in these gaps. Your kids will likely feel more comfortable when you’re there for them. Be there to answer their questions and help them get used to the technology. Your support will help them breeze through these changes more effortlessly.
If you had to make the transition to working from home, one of the tips you may have received is to create a home office that’s free from any distractions. The same holds true for your kids’ study space. Remember that kids are easily distracted, so you’ve got to do an active part in ensuring that distractions are lessened.
Here are some tips for you to achieve this:
3. Be Gentle With Your Expectations
It’s also very important that you’re able to keep your expectations for the kids realistic so they won’t suffer through this whole change. For instance, you can start with the screen time. Remember that they have a very limited screen time, compared to older students.
Your child’s teacher should assist you in giving activities and expectations way ahead, so you can keep day-to-day expectations at a minimum. Remember that they’re still young. Don’t get them so worked out, because you’re just at home.
While you’ll want to be with them and support them, give them ample space, too, to discover things on their own, and don’t micromanage them. Just be there to monitor their progress and help them reach their goals. This is the best way to keep the interest of your children and keep them from feeling like they’re being railroaded.
Another very important tip is to make it fun for them. Kids love technology, but they also hate boring classes. Find ways to combine technology and education in a way that they’ll enjoy and continue to use their resources to achieve their educational goals.
For example, it’s very easy for kids to get bored when they spend too much time on classes. Remember that while there’s interaction with their teachers and classmates on the screen, this still doesn’t compensate for the absence of physical interaction. Once your kids are bored, then they’ll no longer be able to learn as effectively.
From time to time, you can even give your kids a reward—still,through the online platform—such as taking them online shopping! Not only can this keep school fun, but it can also improve your kids’ motivation to study. You may also switch activities up, from serious reading or writing to lighter activities,such as arts and crafts.
With the online learning platform, brain and eye breaks are also necessary. High levels of screen time aren’t good for the health, specifically the eyesight, of the kids. Moreover, they also need to have breaks to relax their minds from all of the stimulationthey’re getting from the online classes.
Because they’re technically by themselves physically, it’s going to be very difficult for these kids to sit down through an entire class. Young children will need to have a break at least once every half hour or so. These breaks can include a change in scenery, location, and, most importantly, snacks.
Another important consideration when helping kids with online classes is their level of interaction their teachers. It’s important that there’s a one–on–one interaction between a student and a teacher, even if this is only through a virtual platform. Yes, there may be other students and learners, too, but this shouldn’t stop the possibility of a one-on-one interaction.
Hence, you should also check from time-to-time to see if your children’s teachers are giving them enough attention. This means teachers taking turns doing one-on-one sessions withstudents to ensure that the needs and questions of each one are addressed.
Conclusion
Now that schools are given the challenge of giving opportunities for learning to their students from a distance or through the online platform, parents are also faced with the challenge of being more involved now more than ever. Especially for those parents with very young learners, online learning needs the involvement of the entire family. The tips above will guide you through this new mode of learning so you can make it more fun and less daunting for the children.
