Easy Parent Tips to Make Online School Easier for Kids
- Written by Oli Kang
Online school is now a reality for many children and parents. And things aren’t always great!
First of all, small children aren’t very eager to sit in front of a screen and watch their teacher (I’m not sure adults are more compliant either).Second, it takes a bit of practice to adjust to this new upside-down normal. After all, when kids are at school, parents have the chance to focus and solve all the tasks they can’t when the young ones are around.
But now, they’re always at home and require constant supervision!Still, before you consider hiring private tutors for your children, there are a few ways to help the juniors adjust and take studying more seriously. This way, you get to enjoy a few hours of calm in the house, while they work hard to become the next president or astronaut.
Create the Right Space
Every child should have their special learning space, away from distractions. As such, it’s best if each kid has their own desk, computer/mobile device, office supplies, and preferably headphones with a microphone.
Also, make sure they are in different rooms, so they can’t hear each other and disrupt their focus. Speaking of focus, install apps and software that blocks notifications and access to gaming sites, YouTube, Instagram, or other social networks that can become extremely tempting when you’re bored.
Lead by Example
Kids learn by observing the adults in their lives. So, to show them that online education can be fun and interesting, why not take a class as well?
It doesn’t have to be something extremely difficult, but it should have real-life applications. For instance, a hair & beauty class is a great opportunity to expand your skill set and show off your progress to the kids.Help them Understand the Platform
Most online education platforms for children are user-friendly and the little ones are quite perceptive. Still, the multitude of menus and functions can be scary or off putting.
As such, it is important to sit with them and create a fun mini-tutorial that will come in handy if you’re not around during live sessions. Also, teach them how to reconnect if the connection gets interrupted, how to mute the microphone (to avoid any embarrassing background noise), how to use the interactive features, and so on.They may be little geniuses on social media, but a new online environment that’s so official may have them confused.
In addition, teach them how to use email and chat messages to address a teacher and their colleagues. These are great skills that will come in handy in a world that’s quickly moving online.
Wrap Up
Before we end the online school discussion I want to make sure you’re not the kind of parent who would turn into a teacher. I know it can be frustrating, but your job is to help them understand the environment and how to use new communication methods.
This way, the kids will have the right tools to ask questions and express their confusion on a topic in class. Keep in mind that it’s in your child’s interest to have the lesson and difficult points explained by a professional educator.
Oli Kang is a working mum who has a passion for teaching and all things educational. With a background in marketing, Oli manages the digital channels and content at Courses AU.
