Teaching the young ones remotely can be a demanding affair, but the current circumstances have left parents with little choice. As the world continues to fight against the pandemic, schools across the world had to close temporarily, and online learning has become ‘the new normal.’ Parents with kids from preschool through second-grade have it the hardest, especially if they have no previous experience with educating children. However, if you have chosen all virtual learning or the Hybrid model for your youngster this fall, there are a few things you can do to facilitate smooth sailing through this journey. Here are five tips to set your child up for success at home during remote or full virtual learning.
- Create a classroom environment To get your child accustomed to learning at home, you should set up your child’s at-home classroom. You can use items and materials synonymous with classrooms, like whiteboards, calendars, books, play area, etc. Set up a space that your child can use as their learning/study area and undertake their daily educational activities. An area in the home designated as the ‘classroom’ will make it easier for your child to focus their energy on their learning whenever they are there.
- Develop a routine
It is important to develop a routine for your child when learning virtually. Routines instill discipline and structure. So make a schedule that comprises different times for learning, playing, eating, and brain breaks. Doing so makes it easy for children to acclimate to the schedule. Please make sure they are ready for their day at a particular time and that their day ends at a pre-determined hour. - Teach them through play
Education in early childhood is more deeply ingrained when taught through play. Teaching young students concepts and topics through fun ways will cement their learning. It will be easier for you to help your child while they are learning at home successfully. For instance, building blocks can be used to teach them about shapes and their attributes, like triangles have three sides, rectangles have two long sides and two short ones, etc. Play-based learning and exploration is the most effective form of educating your Pre-K through second-grade child. The more fun learning is, the more memorable it will be. - Use online platforms to learn and engage with other kids
Tools such as Zoom and Google Meet have been designed to aid and enhance virtual communications. Although their classroom teacher will use these platforms, you can also use them to set up a daily story time or virtual hangouts with other kids, so your child has room for engagement. Creating small groups within communities and enabling your kid to spend time with other children will make online learning fun and effective. Online platforms can be a tool to teach them the alphabet, letter sounds, numbers, and more. Promoting peer learning while learning at home will not only make them knowledgeable but will also instill in them the confidence to interact with others. - Get support from online tutoring services
There are plenty of online tutoring services that cater to Pre-K through Grade 2 students. If you are finding it hard to manage virtual learning with your youngster and think they are falling behind, do not hesitate to reach out to virtual tutors who can provide additional support to focus on any gaps virtual learning may cause. These services will identify areas your child is struggling with, develop an individualized learning plan, and work with your child to make growth in those areas.