None of us had ever thought about schools going completely online but COVID-19 struck and the unimaginable happened. The whole world was under lockdown, and normalcy got disturbed and students’ education was no exception.
However, alternatives had to be found and to ensure that the students stay engaged with academics, schools started teaching online and the physical classrooms were replaced with virtual classrooms on video-conferencing applications.
The world of online education comes with a lot of challenges. Adapting to this new way of learning can be difficult.
Many parents do not realize it, but they can help their children in coping faster with e-learning. We’ve put together a few tips on how parents can help their children with e-learning.
#1 Make a schedule
In traditional school days, students used to have a structured day planned with different classes, but in remote learning, it’s hard to create a structure. In e-learning, students will have to create their own schedule and learn to manage time.
Having a planned schedule will not only motivate students to attend classes but also ensure that even if they lack motivation someday they still have a routine that will make them attend their classes and study.
Parents can also help their kids in both making a schedule and making sure they follow it. Parents can sit with their child and discuss what are the goals he/she needs to accomplish on a daily or weekly basis. You could discuss how much time each of these tasks will take and what other commitments your child has like sports, household chores, other tasks, playing, etc. and accordingly, make a realistic schedule.
Teachers can also be involved in the process, you may ask them their expectations and insights about the curriculum. This will help in creating a bond with the teacher as well as knowing more about how to space your kids’ time.
After the schedule is made, put it in a place where it is noticeable and keep a regular check on your child, whether he/she is following the schedule or not, or if he/she is facing any problems with the schedule.
It will ensure that your child stays in a productive routine and does not lag behind the class.
#2 Designated study space
Studies have shown that having a designated workspace boosts productivity. Remote learning provides flexibility for students to learn from wherever they want but you as a parent will have to ensure that they have a designated space for studying according to their needs.
Ask them what they are comfortable with and accordingly designate a place just for their study purpose. And remind them to sit in that designated place whenever they have their classes.
This place can be anywhere, a desk and a chair in their room or a sofa in the living room or even dining table, just make sure that all the things they might need during the class, like headphones, paper, pen, highlighters, and other office basics are easily accessible in the study space.
Also, make sure that the space is clean and organised which will ensure that there are no distractions for them.
#3 Explore online learning platforms
Your child is going to be immersed in an online learning platform throughout their online education. So knowing how the platform works is very crucial.
One thing that you can do is getting familiarised with the platform and helping your child navigate through it, teaching him/her how to log in to the class, how to submit assignments and other basic stuff. Make sure that your child is comfortable in navigating through the platform and also knows how to use communication tools like unmuting themselves, built-in messaging features or any other interactive functionality of the platform.
Many online platforms offer a separate portal for parents to monitor their child’s performance, so explore if there is one on the platform your child is using. See if there are any guides or materials for parents and make sure to go through them so that you know how to support your child.
#4 Communicate with your child’s teacher
Communication is essential, especially in these times when teachers can’t know if the child is learning and understanding. Making a connection with the teacher will be beneficial for your child’s academics.
Talk to the teacher(s), ask them about their expectations from the child, get more details about the curriculum, keep yourself updated about what the teacher is teaching and keep the teacher updated about how your child is doing with studies, encourage them to explain things again if your child didn’t understand any topic.
Also share your child’s success stories with her, for example, if your child completed his/her daily study target or was very productive, tell the teacher, your child will love appreciation coming from different directions and it will also boost his/her confidence.
Conclusion
Keeping up with online learning can be a very challenging task for students, they might need some extra time to adapt to this new way of learning. So most importantly, be understanding and give them some time and space to settle down.
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