Recent events turned things upside down, and suddenly your home has transformed into your office and your child’s classroom.
If you have ever worked from home, you know the challenges of remote work. It is difficult to concentrate with all the noise and distractions around you. Still, you have bills to pay and regular paychecks arriving – pretty good motivation to keep going on and stay focused. It’s even tougher to remain concentrated in an online learning setting for your kids who will not see the fruits of their labor for quite a long time.
Getting used to a different learning style takes time and effort, and it’s not only your kids who need to adjust. You, as a parent, have the responsibility to help your children tackle the new classroom environment, and below are five tips to help your children focus during online classes.
Choose an Appropriate Space
Learning from a couch sounds cozy, but it’s not the best posture for your child and comes with many distractions.
Firstly, your kid needs a separate space for themselves. Secondly, they will need a desk – for a better posture and for having a consistent spot for learning, and most importantly, for better focus. It’s much better than a kitchen table or a couch cushion.
Your child will need consistency to remain concentrated, so dedicate a learning space to them that will have no other function but to allow them to study. Let them decorate and arrange the space accordingly to their needs so that your child feels comfortable in the chosen spot.
Keep Distractions to a Minimum
Your house is full of temptations and distractions that may reduce your child from being productive and focused. One of the biggest distractions they’ll have in an online learning setting is the family. Whether it’s your dog barking at a neighbor’s dog, your other child practicing their piano during their online class, or your spouse talking on the phone. Unfortunately for your other kids, your dog, and the spouse, online classes mean you need to stay quiet – doors can’t block all the noise, and even distant sounds can distract your children. While you can’t explain all these to your dog, ensure other family members remain quiet.
Other noise distractions to stay away from including a vacuum cleaner, TV, loud noises from your smartphone, and loud talk.
Distractions to keep away from your child’s room during online classes are – your dog or other siblings, TV, smartphones, or other electronic gadgets.
Help them Build a Routine
The arrival of online classes at your home means no more basic strict, and rigid schedules, and that can make your kids easily distracted. However, having a well-built routine in place will help your kids stay focused and achieve their learning goals; therefore, creating one for them is essential.
Tips to help build a schedule for your child:
- Create a schedule that includes dedicated time for breaks, meals, and rest.
- Include their hobbies and passions in their routine
- Plan family activities
- Dedicate time for physical activity
- Dedicate time to stress-relieving activities
- Ensure your child gets enough sleep
Having a schedule will help your child concentrate better, know what to expect from the day, achieve their goals, and feel less anxious.
Help Them Stay Organized
Nothing is more distracting and stressful than losing items and searching for supplies in a clutter. Unfortunately, your kids may not yet fully understand the importance of arranging their learning space, so you as a parent are responsible for keeping them organized to help them remain focused.
Talk with your kid about giving each item dedicated space within their learning space. You can even map out their learning space on paper and give things their spot. For example, you can draw their desk and assign a pencil box its dedicated space on the right side of the desk, shelf space for books, a second shelf to binders, the third one can be for glue, scissors, calculators, and similar supplies. Then, when they start searching for their items, all they will need is the map you drew to find them. Ensure they put things within their designated spaces to find them easily.
Take Breaks
The biggest drawback of online classes is the prolonged exposure to digital devices. Your child’s computer is now where they study, play, and connect – for most of the time, putting an extra burden on eyes, making them feel tired. Taking breaks is essential to keep your child focused and allow their eyes to rest as well as their minds. Include regular intervals in their schedule to move them away from digital devices, meaning that there’s no scrolling of social media feeds during these breaks.
In Conclusion
Adjusting to a new learning environment can get a challenging task to tackle for your kids. The lack of focus is one of the biggest challenges of online classes, so helping your children concentrate is crucial. We hope the tips above will help your kids succeed at online learning and remain focused. Staying concentrated in an online learning environment is difficult even for adults, so make sure your kids know it’s normal. Let them know they can come to you for help and support whenever they have difficulty concentrating.