Try these important things to assist your child in online learning

The sudden closure of schools due to the outbreak of a global pandemic has been challenging for students, teachers, and parents. All of a sudden, schools in many countries have been shut down to prevent Coronavirus's spread among students. 

It has been months that children are sitting at home, and nobody knows when they will be able to go to school once again. So, the only option left with schools to continue education is on the digital platform. 

Tips for preparing your child to make the most of online classes

For small children, online learning is an entirely new experience as it is for most teachers. It also requires excellent participation and cooperation from the parents and other family members to convert the homely atmosphere into a classroom environment. 

Your child may also face certain difficulties while attending online classes in the initial stage. Accessing several digital platforms requires practice and patience. What are the things that you can do to help your child utilize the online classes delivered by his teachers? Here are some tips to make your child a better online learner:

1. Create an educational space- Even if you cannot transform an entire room into a study room, there has to be a quiet, clutter-free space with sufficient air and sunlight. This will help your cute child to stay focused and attend his classes peacefully. 
2. Plan a schedule- Setting a routine for your kid is one of the most important things. As there is no school bell, you have to plan everything. Feeding or bathing your child in between short breaks may not be a wise decision. So, once the school finalizes the timing for classes, fix the timings for other activities accordingly. A good schedule is one that allows the person to take multiple breaks, and sufficient rest, to complete all schoolwork. 
3. Minimize distractions- Home is full of distractions, and if you too are working from home, you know what we mean. Adults have preoccupations like cooking, cleaning, babysitting, and attending to multiple household chores. Kids, too, face interference from sources like siblings and pets. Computer games and social media are the two biggest online distractions. Reducing these diversions will help your child to a great extent. 
4. Use a calendar- Maintaining a calendar near the study table will ensure that you do not forget anything. From dates for online tests to holidays to submission dates of assignments or other significant events, mark everything on the calendar when you are notified. Remind your child to refer to the calendar daily.  
5. Ensure he completes the work- Every evening, sit with your child and ask him to learn his lessons. If he faces any obstacles completing assignments, lend a helping hand. Go through the messages sent by his teachers regarding homework assignments. 
6. Give a separate device- It becomes problematic both for the parent and the kid to share the same method. Your child will have to check and respond to messages on WhatsApp and sit for his classes every day. So, if you have an extra phone or laptop at home, it'll keep things sorted. Imagine how messy it'll be using the same WhatsApp account for your personal and professional contacts and your child's school contacts. This will make it almost impossible for you to keep track of all school activities and handling documents sent by teachers.
7. Check internet connectivity- Poor internet connection is the most frustrating thing while trying to complete an online task. If your child constantly gets logged out during classes or if he is unable to see and listen to the teacher properly, you must do something about it at the earliest. A good internet connection will give your child happy learning experience. 
8. Interact with the teacher- Usually, the teacher gets to interact with each student on a personal level as kids spend long hours at school. With that being out of the question, teachers and students cannot know each other the way they should. So, you should communicate your child's strengths and weaknesses with his teachers as very little can be understood on a virtual platform. 
9. Create a learning network- You'll have to remember that your child is unable to play and spend time with friends. Connect him with his friends, form a collective group where he can discuss studies, and have fun with friends. 
10. Use resources- The school provides plenty of resources for students to learn at home. You need to download the resources provided by your child's teachers and make them available to him. There are also useful educational websites and video tutorials YouTube from where you can clear your child's doubts and enlighten him. 
11. Make him exercise and get sufficient sleep- The two best friends of our mind are sleep and exercise. When we groove and move, our attention, memory, and problem-solving capacity improve. Physical activity is essential for reducing stress, preventing anxiety, and maximizing productivity. Similarly, taking a short power nap in the afternoon will help your child concentrate on studies in the evening. 
12. Take care of your kid's mental health- It is natural for young children to get bored sitting in front of the system every single day. Problems like network issues increase their frustration. It would be best if you also looked after your child's mental health. We all know that it has supreme importance. Instead of pressurizing him, chat with him, tell him stories, and play productive games with him to boost his interest in studies. 

Conclusion:

The bottom line is to remember that we all need some time to get accustomed to a new routine or lifestyle. Stay patient and give that time to your child to adjust to the 'new normal.' Soon you'll see that he has started enjoying the process. Despite the hindrances, virtual learning has terrific advantages as well.