With COVID cases rising and more classes quarantining, perhaps your school district is revisiting virtual learning options. Or maybe you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of alternate educational opportunities for your kid.
Whatever your aim, virtual education can work for your child. Follow these five tips to support your kid with their online homework, and they’ll stay on track each day.
- Establish Rules and Daily Goals
Outside of the standard framework of school, your child might struggle to concentrate on classwork or focus during Zoom sessions. To help keep your kid on track, set up clear rules for virtual learning and individual goals for each day. Have your child collaborate in this process, so it’s more likely they follow the rules they create.
Additionally, use precise language so they understand the rules they’re following. For example, “during Zoom lectures, I’ll close all other tabs, and I’ll turn off and put away my phone.” Or, “during study sessions, I’ll try a math problem three times before coming to mom for help.” Write down rules and keep them in a visible place so you and your child can refer to them.
Goals can be created daily or can be associated with specific classroom assignments. Have your kid consider setting goals about becoming more efficient with getting in-class work finished or getting specific scores on tests.
- Create a Learning Space
Try setting up multiple workspaces for your kid. Get a desk for your child to log in to their Zoom lectures and a comfortable chair for them to read and study for class. If possible, let your kid pick out these locations to feel they have ownership of their learning space.
Guarantee your child gets into the habit of working in these spaces. When your kid begins their day in their workspace, they’ll more easily transition into the mindset of learning and more likely focus on their school work.
- Create a Routine
Help your child stay on track by creating a learning routine. Kids of all ages thrive on routines. However, schedules in education are essential to help children engage in learning. When kids are in virtual learning environments, it can be challenging to feel motivated to complete work. But with an established learning routine, kids can flourish in a virtual setting.
As a parent, help your child by establishing a routine. If you have a younger kid, get a whiteboard and draw a sizeable weekly schedule. Your child can write in their tasks and assignments for each day. If your kid is older, teach them how to use a planner to plot out each day and organize their projects and extracurricular activities.
- Follow Your Kid’s Interests
To keep your kid on track throughout the day and motivate them to complete their schoolwork, seek their input. Ask them which subjects they’d like to work on first. Do they want to tackle their favorite subject or the most challenging one? If your child has specific interests like Minecraft, music or cooking, consider using these activities to spark further motivation in their learning. Contact your child’s teacher for ideas on utilizing your kid’s interests in their education.
You can also use your kid’s interests to motivate them to complete their homework. For example, if your child loves cooking, consider offering a cooking class as a reward if they meet all of their online homework on time for the week. Try utilizing non-screentime rewards to motivate your child to achieve their educational goals.
- Praise Your Child
Support your child with specific praise for their school work. Give them detailed feedback to show them you’re aware of their effort. If your kid has room to grow, use a growth mindset to help them understand they can learn from challenges. Rather than take critique as a negative, help your child shift their perspective to develop their understanding of themselves from the experience.
Try These Tips
Virtual learning and online homework assignments can be challenging for some kids. However, when you set up designated learning spaces for your child, establish clear rules and daily goals, create a routine, follow your kid’s interest and praise their growth, you’ll overcome these difficulties. You’ll support your child’s online education and keep them focused and learning.
