Tarnow Articles

boy in school

Here are some ways to help your child adapt to their 'home' classroom.

 

  • Strengthen your WiFi signal at home
  • Create a private room for your child to learn in
    • Have your child do their school work in a different room of the house (or a different house, like a grandparents, if possible)
    • Help them differentiate between “home” (relaxation, TV, video games, etc.) and “school” (work, focus, etc.)
    • Reduce distractions
  • Create a learning pod
    • Create a small group within the pod
    • Have an adult who is good with children lead the group
    • Pods should be cooperative with children’s friends
  • Have P.E. everyday
    • Before or after school, make sure your child is engaging in physical exercise
    • The best time is before school, since exercise gets the brain better prepared to learn
  • Make plans for the evenings or weekends as a family
    • Give them something to look forward to
    • Otherwise, the lines between weekday and weekends get really blurred
  • Set your child up for sleep success
    • Change sleep patterns (up to a week in advance, if possible) so when school starts the body is ready to work
  • Help kids go back to school during the first week with special breakfasts
    • Donut Monday or Kolache Tuesday
    • This is a reward for positive behaviors, waking up on time as expected, and no negative mood
  • Do a test run on the computer so your kids know what to expect
  • Create a visual calendar in the workspace for daily routine
    • This includes food breaks and energizer activities
    • This helps define expectations and reduce anxiety for what’s next
  • If the school does not offer social time, help your child create it with school friends.  Examples:
    • Online games like Heads Up
    • Tuesday social night with pizza
  • Engage in Sunday night reviews with your child where online school grades and assignments are reviewed and upcoming activities are discussed in terms of preparation needed
  • For those children with anxiety, consider looking at pictures of teachers on the school website and reviewing last year’s pictures of friends to recall names and faces.