Sep 1

Sep 1 A Parent’s Sanity-Saving Guide to Distance Learning: Tips and Resources

“Encourage and support your kids because children are apt to live up to what you believe of them.”

— Lady Bird Johnson

This is not an ideal or easy time for any of us. Throughout the spring, I worked with families on an individual basis, helping them to make the most out of ’Distance Learning, ’ which I still believe, as mentioned here, really should be called, ’Emergency Learning.’

I encouraged parents and care-givers to try to look at it in a positive way, and realize that although remote learning is certainly not what any of us want, there are things we can do to help our kids succeed and help us all stay in a healthy mindset.

We really don't know what to expect in the 2020-2021 school year. Many districts have decided to begin the year with remote learning, some are planning to be face-to-face with a Virtual Academy option for families, and others are working on hybrid-plans, allowing kids to be in school part-time, and still participating in at-home learning in some capacity.

As I reflect on my own experiences this past spring as an educator, mom of two, and wife of an educator, there are a few tips and resources I really believe will make a difference in keeping us all sane if we happen to find ourselves participating in remote learning this fall.

Set Up a Workspace: This doesn't necessarily mean a desk. It could be a card table set up in a living room, a part of the kitchen table with supplies stored in a nearby bucket, or any area in your home that works for you. Some families liked having their kids all together so they could easily see what everyone was doing, while others needed to separate kids to prevent distractions. Many children from my class last year really enjoyed decorating their little space and even made caddies out of shoe boxes for their supplies. I love what a mom shared here on Facebook to keep her kids organized and free from distractions. If your child was distracted during their learning last spring, you might want to think about purchasing a pair of comfortable headphones. Earbuds work too!

Be Aware of Official Schoolwork Recommendations: Although this will differ from district to district, research shows that the time children should be spending on official schoolwork is 30-90 minutes for kindergarten students, 45-90 minutes for first and second graders, and 60-120 minutes for third, fourth, and fifth graders. If you are feeling like your kids have too much time on their hands, and are looking for additional meaningful activities, or feel your child would benefit from more practice in a certain area, there are lots of free resources available. I really love the math worksheets from this site, this idea with free printables for Readers’ Theater, and as I mentioned in this post, along with lots of additional options for digital and screen-free learning at home, Art Hub is awesome for keeping kids engaged and also inspiring creativity!

Set up a Schedule and Stick to it: This will be not only good for your children, so they learn to be disciplined and manage their time wisely, but also for your mental health, because knowing that everyone will be done at a certain time will help you get through the most difficult days. Some kids really like having their own calendars to write down when their assignments are due, and then they plan time each day leading up to the due date to work on it. Timers can also be useful so children will know certain times are for specific tasks. I like this 60 Minute Visual Timer because it's quiet and because the visual design encourages independence.

Schedule Exercise Every Day: Exercise and physical activity are great ways to feel better, boost your health and have fun. Check out these awesome exercise videos you can do with your kids.

Schedule Brain Breaks: In addition to exercise, allow for 5- 20 minute brain breaks throughout the day. During this time, kids can stretch, go for a walk, make a snack, listen to music, call a relative, clean their room, or whatever other options you choose together.

Encourage Independence: Help your children take responsibility for each day’s learning by asking beginning and ending the day with certain questions questions that require them to answer with more than just a nod of the head. Some examples for the morning are:

What assignment are you most excited about today and why?
What is your most challenging assignment or task for today?
What do you have planned for today during brain break times?
Is there anything you need?
How can I help to make your day great?

And examples for the evening questions:

What was your greatest accomplishment today?
What was your biggest challenge?
How did your teacher help you?
How did you show kindness to others?
How far did you get on your assignments?
What can we do to make tomorrow better?

Remain Connected to Your Child’s Teacher: It’s always a good idea to reach out and ask them questions as they arise. Staying in close contact will be essential and avoid miscommunications as time goes on, especially if you have more than one child at home. Remember to let the teachers know if something is particularly enjoyable or effective for your child. We are all constantly working on improving our strategies with everything about remote learning still seeming so brand new, and appreciate positive messages along with all the questions and concerns.

Give Yourself Lots of Grace: Trust yourself. Know that your best is enough. You are truly the most important teacher your child will ever have. You can do this!

Thank you so much for visiting the blog today. I hope you found this post worthwhile. I truly appreciate your time and attention.

If you would like to connect further, please feel free to leave me a comment, message, or email and I will get back to you in a timely fashion.

Yours truly,

Jennifer