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.