Are You Prepared for Virtual Learning? 6 Tips for Successful Learning at Home
Whether children will return to school or not this fall is a topic that is hotly debated. While the CDC has set guidelines for returning to school, many districts have not yet made the distinction whether or not they’ll be opening their doors to students this fall – while others are anticipating to continue with remote learning.
We were really looking forward to attending kindergarten this fall, but we know that life sometimes takes you to unexpected places and you just have to roll with it! So, we’re finding ways to make this year special while we prepare for kindergarten in our new normal, and here’s how we’re doing it:
1. Create a learning environment
Just as you would set up a quiet and comfortable place for you to work from home, your child needs the same for their year of school at home. Diane Kilcommons, the owner of a tutoring program in Illinois called Huntington Learning Center, says that a spacious desk in their own room is ideal, but the dining room table works as long as their space is free of distractions.
2. Develop a daily schedule
Schedules are necessary for children to feel secure (something we all need more of right now), know what to expect out of the day, and understand what’s expected out of them. Children have pretty structured days while they’re in school so the more you can mimic their school day, the better.
3. Provide opportunities for your kid(s) to stay social
See if you can coordinate with other parents to get your children in a virtual recess. It can be difficult to align so many schedules so if you’re unable to do virtual recess, try to connect with a new student every day – or every other day, whatever works for you and your child! Keeping them connected with their friends will help to ease some FOMO (fear of missing out) they might be having.
4. Stay active
Don’t forget to add gym class to the schedule – both of yours! This can be a great opportunity for you and your child to have some bonding time while they’re attending school at home and you can squeeze in a little bit of exercise yourself! Win-win.
5. Regularly communicate with administrators
Keep in touch with your child’s teachers to ensure you’re on track with the rest of the class. Reach out to them if you need help, too! Attending school at home is probably something that neither you nor your child ever anticipated, so ask all the questions that you have and accept all the help you need!
6. Celebrate the transition!
The first day of any grade is a big deal! It should be treated as such even if your child isn’t hopping on the bus for a big day of learning at school. Get them in their first day of school outfit, take lots of photos, and maybe have them call their BFF to talk about their feeling about starting a new year at home.
Even though we’ve been in this “new normal” for months, I don’t know if we expected it to last for this long. Every day is a learning process for us and our children, so remember to give yourself (and them) grace while going through this transitional period. And enjoy all of this extra time that you get to spend together! They grow up so fast.
How are you preparing for virtual learning at home this year? I’d love to hear your best remote learning tips so please leave a comment below so we can make this school year one of our children’s best!