How to keep remote learning strong during these last weeks of school - and kids engaged over the summer

Spring has sprung, and as the temperature climbs, it seems students’ motivation drops.

As we collectively approach months of remote learning, parents around the Triangle are asking “How do we keep this up?” Parents are exhausted, and kids seem to be losing interest.

The best formula for school success is parents and teachers working together and keeping lines of communication open. Rest assured, teachers are working hard to keep things interesting for students — planning backyard scavenger hunts for science, leading virtual field trips, and holding themed dress-up days, like favorite sports team day.

Working from home while caring for your children and monitoring schoolwork can be hectic and overwhelming at times. On top of parent stress, children are navigating a huge transition from the classroom to various levels of distance learning provided by schools. The change in routine and structure can be difficult for children, especially as the weeks continue. To increase your child’s willingness to engage in school work, there are a few strategies that might help.

Some schools have provided suggested daily schedules for school work, with live instruction, videos, and independent work assigned. Others have provided flexible activities to keep students learning at their own pace. Regardless of your child’s distance learning situation, maintaining a loose schedule each day is helpful.

Start the day as you normally would for school: wake up, eat breakfast, brush teeth, and get dressed. Continue the day with scheduled times to complete school work, broken up with breaks, lunch, and downtime. Breaks should include time to be active and get outside whenever possible. Keeping the schedule consistent is helpful, but not always possible. A written schedule or check list each day might be a nice visual reminder for children, especially when the schedule fluxuates a bit from day to day.

Is it OK to bargain or bribe your child to do school work? Yes, but be thoughtful in your approach. Children may need a little more external motivation than they normally might to keep going with distance learning. When developing an incentive system, keep it simple, but be specific and stick to it! Use your child’s daily checklist to track progress and determine the level of completion that warrants a reward. Start at a level in which your child will find success. You can raise the bar as needed, but initial success is important to gain buy-in from your child. Consider the type of incentives that would appeal to your child, but don’t overdo it. Use experiences versus things like toys or money. Experiences could include things like a movie night, breakfast for dinner, a picnic lunch, a special craft, or staying up 15 minutes later in the evening.

And when school does quietly come to an end this year, what’s the best game plan for summer learning? At St. Timothy’s School, we recommend a “little and often” approach. Fifteen minutes of academic practice each day is enough for many elementary aged students. Consider alternating days of reading/writing and math.

While the current circumstances will certainly shape the future in ways that we cannot yet predict, children are resilient and educators around the world are already preparing for students’ reentry to school. They are adjusting curriculum, pacing, and review to ensure that students will gain the skills they need! The world will adjust and when we all come out on the other side, we will be ready to pick up and keep moving.