In the past several weeks, learning for students has vastly changed as the typical classroom setting has shifted to an at-home environment. Parents, family members, students, and educators have all been adjusting to these changes and creating new norms for at-home learning. For parents and family members: here is a list of tips that can help you create good learning environments for your students at home.
Set a regular everyday routine. Creating a daily schedule with your child can help reinforce regularity to your child’s (and your) day. You can include subjects such as math and reading as well as fun activities.
Set a simple reading routine or goal with your children. The goal can be as simple as reading one book together each day or having a family reading time together for 30 minutes a day. Having a regular routine for reading time can create consistent exposure to new books, vocabulary, and reading skills.
Don’t try to recreate the classroom exactly. Use your home spaces for learning activities. There is no way to replicate the classroom environment exactly. Instead, this is a great opportunity to use the spaces in your home and make them applicable for learning. For example, a cooking activity in the kitchen can teach a child math skills and a great way to make learning fun!
Increase the hours of sleep. Use the time now that students don’t have to travel and don’t have extracurricular activities in order to get enough sleep. Increased sleep can help improve students’ focus and energy to learn throughout the day.
Ask your student about their opinions, thoughts, and feelings. One of the best ways to create the best space to learn for your children is to simply ask them! Your student may have ideas about things they want to do or learn about. It’s important to also ask how they’re feeling about all of these changes and adjust the environment to match their feelings as well.
As you build a regular learning space for your student, it is important to remember that nothing will feel perfect. Nobody is expecting you to be exactly the same as your child’s teacher (or multiple teachers). This is a season to breathe, use the new learning time and space creatively, and to be gentle on yourself as you and your student learn together what the best ways to learn for your student are!
Resources:
