Well, here we are again, back to home learning.

We know that online lessons can be a challenge and it can sometimes be difficult for parents to assist their child to participate. For younger children, the degree of parent interaction will be greater, and this is hard when you may be working yourself at home, and/or have myriad chores to keep on top of.

The psychologists at I Can Read have some suggestions to try to help you make your child’s online learning experience a little easier and less stressful.

Here are our top tips for successful home learning.

1. Create a quiet space for your child.

We know this is difficult during lockdown when all the family is at home, but it is one of the most important issues your child faces. Distractions of family members, pets, noise in the background, all contribute to reduce the effectiveness of their online lessons. If the lesson is presented by a teacher, these distractions at the student’s home will make the teacher’s job much harder too, especially if there are several students participating in the same lesson. It’s also a good idea to clear a desk or table of anything that could serve as a distraction, so the only thing your child has to focus on is the screen, the lesson, and their notes.

2. Give them privacy.

If your child is fortunate enough to have a one-to-one lesson with their teacher, please get out of the way and give them some privacy! Just as your child would not want you to witness them making a mistake in the classroom, nor would they want you to hear them make a mistake a mistake at home. Just as parents are not present in the classroom at school, we need to respect that dynamic and allow children the freedom to express themselves without feeling conscious of the family listening in.

3. Be mindful of the camera and microphone.

If there are other students participating in the lesson, do remember that they will be able to see you and you will see them. This has implications for the privacy of online lessons, and should be avoided, so it is important to remember not to enter the room, or study area while lessons are in progress. It is also extremely distracting for other students to see you or other members of your family during a lesson or at the beginning of a lesson. Also be aware of noise levels in the home, as your child may be required to unmute their microphone from time to time in order to participate effectively.

4. Get lesson-ready.

Get into the routine of setting up the computer and logging into the lesson well before it starts, to avoid any log in or connection hiccups. If the teacher has to wait while you get everything working, this takes up valuable lesson time. Much better that your child is online and waiting for the teacher, than the other way around, which also gives them a little quiet time to get into learning mode before the lesson starts. The best idea is to show your child how to log in to the lesson so that your assistance is not required, in which case you can be in another room for the duration of the lesson and leave student and teacher to it! Remember, the teacher wants your child’s full attention, and your child will benefit far more from the lesson if he or she is able to give his or her full attention to the teacher.

5. Start an end-of-the-day habit.

Home learning can be tiring and requires more focus than you might think, so at the end of their school day, it is tempting to let your child leave their desk straight away and relax, but just a few minutes preparing for the next day will prove invaluable.

Ask him or her to check what lesson they have first thing the following morning and to make sure they have all the materials they need set up and ready for the next day. Then throughout the day, at the end of each session, to repeat the process and assemble all required items for the next lesson.

It is not advisable to have students leave the lesson to look for a pencil or a book, for example, while the teacher looks at an empty chair and is obliged to wait! If there are other students in the same lesson, they will be obliged to wait also, unless the teacher continues the lesson in your child’s absence, which means he or she will miss part of the lesson.

The result is that everyone concerned will feel frustrated and this will affect the whole lesson.

6. Always be positive and encouraging about online lessons.

Remote teachers are doing their best, and they want their students to try their best also. We can all appreciate that online lessons are not ideal, but they are better than no lessons at all. When your child has finished the lesson and has logged off, then praise him or her, ask if there is any homework, and show how glad you are that he or she is taking their lessons seriously and wants to learn. Ask them to talk about their day and be sure to tell them how their positive attitude makes you proud!

7. Monitor your child’s wellbeing.

First of all, make sure your child is getting enough sleep. It’s tempting to let them stay up a little longer because they don’t have to get to school, but being tired will have a significant impact on their learning ability. Make sure they are awake well in advance of their daily lessons, have had time to eat and digest breakfast and keep well hydrated during the day.

Between lessons, encourage them to go outside and get some exercise and fresh air.

It is also a good idea to check on the temperature and aeriation of the room. Too cold and they won’t be able to concentrate, too warm and they will become lethargic. An open window and a little sunlight can do wonders for their concentration. 

Should your child find the challenges of on-line learning unpleasant or emotionally difficult and you are unable to persuade him or her to take part, please don’t be impatient – just allow your child to take a break and then suggest attending for  shorter periods until he or she gets used to it. Discuss strategies with your teacher so everyone is on board with a plan to engage your child effectively.

Keeping in touch with their friends is also very important, so coordinate with other parents and try to arrange a time every couple of days for your child to catch up with friends online.

8. Have some fun!

Being at home all day is tiring for the whole family, so give your child something to look forward to in the evening. Whether it’s going for a family walk, playing a game, watching a family movie, or reading a book together, this family time is very important and rejuvenating.

We hope this helps you to get the most out of this difficult time, and if you have any other ideas you would like to share from your own experience, please feel free to post them on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you.

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