In the last few weeks, we have all become full-time teachers. You will find that although rewarding, this job is hard. Learning all the new terms like scaffolding and digraphs is like a foreign language that even Google Translate can’t comprehend. But this is our new normal and we graciously welcome you to the profession.
For some of you, this is going to be easy. You already know what to do and how to do it but for the majority of the country, it just got real. Navigating new technology and keeping everyone focused can be a chore. But don’t worry I’ve got your back. I have 5 tips that will make learning at home simpler so you can relax and your child can be successful.
Just Read
Reading is one of the simplest and most important things you can do for your child’s education, ever. When I say reading I don’t mean, sounding out words, word parts or any part of phonics. I don’t mean reading skills like comprehension or context clues. I am talking about the actual art of just reading. The art of reading builds cognitive, social and emotional development skills. Reading cannot be taught, the true benefits of reading only come through experience. Your child becomes a better reader through these experiences.
Your child needs to hear good examples of fluent reading on a regular basis. If you are not a good reader, don’t worry listening to reading online is a perfect substitute. According to Beth Rogowsky, an associate professor of education at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. The benefits of reading are the same whether you are reading or being read to.
Twenty minutes is the magic number. Reading to your child for just 20 minutes a day exposes them to 1.8 million words a year. There are several ways you can expose your child to reading. Listening online, reading out loud to your child, having your child read to you or a sibling, or letting your child read to themselves are great ways to expose them to reading.
Designate A Space for Learning at Home
At school, your child has a designated desk or a seat at a table. This is the place where your child sits when the teacher is giving instructions. At school, your child’s teacher also has a hub where all the supplies, like pencils, and markers are kept. You will need to create these spaces in your house.
In our house, we use the dining room table as our designated space for learning at home. We also have a small desk in the corner that we use as our hub for pens, pencils, paper, and supplies of all sorts. You’ll need to make room for these two spaces in your home. These two spaces accomplish 2 things: 1 creates a space for your child to learn and focus 2: Cuts down on all that “I can’t find” this or that business. Your supply hub can be a simple as a school box with pencils and markers in it. Be sure to keep this box in the same place. Stopping to look for supplies will break your child’s focus and will undoubtedly get on your last nerve.
Set a Timer
My children’s school district is assigning 90 minutes of instruction a day. Some kids could sit and do the whole 90 minutes without a problem, I don’t have kids like that. For my two boys that is not anywhere near realistic. I break up this time into 20 minutes intervals. Yes, I know this is actually 100 minutes. Breaking up the time into smaller bits limits the amount of time they need to focus on one thing. This increases how much they retain and limits the stress of trying to get all the assignments done at once. Yes, this means it will take longer, probably much longer. If you have younger children you may need to break those times into even shorter intervals.
I set a timer for 20 minutes and let them get to work. I check in on them a couple of times to make sure they stay on track. Once the timer goes off it’s time to stop working and take a break. The most important part of using a timer is to be sure to stop when the timer goes off. During the breaks go outside, play a game or just take a bit of downtime. Set the timer for breaks too, this way when the miner goes off your child will know its time to get back to work. If your child needs more work you can try out these interactive websites or these printable worksheets.
Reach out to your child’s teacher
If you need help reach out to your child’s teacher. They are so willing to offer guidance. They understand that this is hard for all of us. I feel like I have reached out to my child’s teacher every day this week. To me, my questions and specific request are important but we have to remember that our children’s teachers have 20-30 other parents who feel there questions and requests are also important. So please be patient and know that even though they are working from home they are still working very hard.
Give Yourself Grace
The most important tip of all the tips I am giving you is this one, give yourself grace. Maybe you didn’t read to your child today, it’s okay you can read tomorrow. You didn’t get through all the assignments, it’s okay, reach out to your child’s teacher and let them know what’s going on. No one is mastering learning from home right off the bat, not even me and I have taught for years. This new temporary normal is something we will all have to all get adjusted to. During this time just remember we are all stressed or nervous or afraid so be kind to each other. We will get through this learning at home journey but it will take time and patience.
We are all in this together
Reading for 20 minutes is the magic number, designate a space for learning at home, set a timer, reach out to your child’s teacher for help and give yourself grace. We are all in this together. Be patient, be kind, enjoy this special time with your kids and give grace in abundance. Be Blessed.
