Tantrums, blaming parents, neuroses, and anxious states – all of these “charms” are what modern children have to deal with when it comes to distance learning. For kids, everything is new: the learning process, and the mastery of technology. Due to the fact that traditional learning is not currently possible, children experience stress from something previously unknown that has been thrust upon them.
Features of distance learning for children
Quarantine is a kind of confinement of a child within four walls, where they may experience fear and routine that needs to be quickly diluted. In the opposite case, a child may show aggression, not listen to their parents, fight, or withdraw into themselves. All of this becomes the result of constant stress and misunderstanding that schoolchildren have encountered. Therefore, every parent should know how to motivate their child to learn at home.
There are several effective and working options. Let’s take a closer look at them:
- Maintaining calm. The phrase “Calm parents raise calm children” has always worked. Everyone understands that children are unable to learn remotely without the help of adults – parents and teachers. Parents, who have additional responsibilities, often become nervous and try to solve the problem with yelling and punishment. This cannot be done. Specialists recommend talking to children calmly, without undermining the emotional health of both parties. With an elevated tone, the child will not only fail to absorb the material, but will also become more anxious and agitated.
- Proper preparation of the study area. Whether the child is studying in a separate room or a designated area – it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is to know how to help them study at home and maintain order around them, so that the child can focus on their work. It is equally important to monitor the proper functioning of the laptop or computer and the stability of the internet connection – factors that can interfere with the learning process.
- Choosing clothing. A child should not be learning in pajamas or a tracksuit. Such clothing will not set them up for the working process.
- Getting familiar with the platform used for learning. Responsible parents often wonder how to help their child with distance learning. To get ahead of any potential surprises, it’s worth registering on the school’s platform and studying lectures, completing test assignments.
- Proper daily planning. A child should not fall out of the working process even if it is taking place at home. It’s desirable to create a daily routine for the child that is similar to the school schedule, so as not to disrupt their familiar routine. Waking up and going to bed should be on a schedule. The child should get sufficient sleep to gather strength for the whole day. Additionally, sleep will help to deal with stress and anxiety, which children are prone to during distance learning.
- Maintaining a working environment. It’s very important to ensure that the child is not distracted by outside processes. Yes, it’s difficult to do at home, but it’s worth trying. It’s recommended to turn off sounds on phones, turn off notifications on PCs, and move pets to another room, so that the child won’t be tempted to pet them while writing dictation.
- Help with homework. Parents who are considering how to help their child learn remotely should not do the homework for them. Many children are used to the fact that their parents not only help them, but also do everything for them – this is wrong. Such actions on the part of parents make the child irresponsible and hinder them from acquiring full knowledge.
- Breaks between classes. Children who are used to doing everything and only then resting are raised incorrectly. School lessons last 45 minutes, which includes roll call, information delivery, and many moments related to the learning process. It’s impossible for a child to sit still for 45 minutes. So there’s no need to experiment at home – let the child have the right to a well-deserved rest. During a 10-minute break, the child can stretch, drink water, and do some of their own things. But prolonged breaks should not be allowed.
- Following advice from educators. If any problems or misunderstandings arise during the learning process, it is worth seeking help from the teacher. Currently, various recommendations and instructions are regularly issued in the field of education, according to which teachers should respond to students’ questions.
- Physical activity and personal hygiene. It’s important to remember that the child should exercise in the morning and throughout the school day. In addition, the air in the room where the child is studying should not be stale – it’s important to ventilate the room in a timely manner. Parents who are addressing the issue of how to help students learn remotely should learn techniques for relaxing their eyes, which may be strained from being behind a computer for too long.
- Consolidating the child’s successes. To keep the child motivated, all their successes should be recorded on separate pieces of colored paper and hung in front of the child’s eyes. This helps both parents and children see the work they have done and understand how well they are doing.
- Their own system of rewards. This item is included in the list of life hacks for distance learning. Any, even the most perfectly crafted schedule, can be disrupted by a sudden assignment. Teachers often send additional work after classes, so the child resists doing it. If parents develop their own rules for rewarding their child for completed work, it will become an additional incentive, as everyone loves surprises and gifts. For example, if a child memorizes a poem outside of class time, they can go to a cafe with friends.
Every parent strives to learn how to help their child adjust to learning at home. It’s not difficult at all if you approach the process in a timely and responsible manner.
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