How to Help Your Children Take Online Courses

If you suddenly find yourself burdened with everything that’s been going on in this world lately, be reminded that you’re not alone. Many parents like you are facing the same dilemma brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Now that many schools will be having classes online, it’s up to the parents to provide a wholesome learning environment for their children and at the same time take the role of teachers at home.

Schools may have closed their doors to students this year but they’ve provided alternatives for them to continue learning. Thanks to the vast catalog of courses online, children can learn without leaving the house and exposing themselves to the threats of the virus. As parents, you’ll find the guide below to taking online courses for your kids helpful.

Provide a conducive learning area for your child

Having a specific area in the house for learning will keep your child stay focused. It could be an empty or seldom-used room in the house away from distractions like the TV. If you can convert a corner in your child’s room into his or her learning area, that’ll be good, too, as long as there are no toys around.

Follow a strict schedule

Just like in a regular school setting, your child must have a schedule when it comes to studying time. Try to ask yourself when is the best time for your child to come online and attend classes. Can he or she study independently or need help from a family member? If your child needs help, you can set a time when you or somebody older is available to assist. On the other hand, if you have a middle or high schooler, you can ask them first when will be the most appropriate time for them to learn online. They’re more independent learners and letting them choose their schedule will motivate them to study.

Once you have the schedule ready, post it where everybody can see it. Above all, make sure that everybody sticks to it.

Minimize distractions

Children are easily distracted and they naturally have a poor attention span. They love playing video, computer, and mobile games, accessing their social media accounts, watching TV, and play with their toys. You may consider making a list of things that distract your child and keep them away from his or her learning space.

Another thing you should be worried about is online distractions. Your child will be using the computer and connecting to the internet during online lessons. To minimize distractions, you can block apps like games during study time or turn off the router once you’ve downloaded the tasks for the day.

Look for accessibility features

Most devices like mobile phones and laptops are equipped with built-in assistive technology. For instance, a student struggling with reading can use a read-aloud or text-to-speech feature. On the other hand, a speech-to-text feature can help those struggling with writing.

It also helps to adjust settings on your device to facilitate learning. For example, if watching YouTube videos, you can adjust the playback to slow down or change the settings to show closed captions for your child to understand better.

Keep in touch with your child’s teacher

In online education, many schools refer to parents as learning coaches. As such, you must keep in touch with your child’s teacher not only to know his or her progress but also to learn from each other. You can contact teachers via phone, text, or email while some schools even have video conferencing. If you need to ask a teacher something, don’t be hesitant to do so. You can also ask ways on how to reinforce your child or suggest ideas to the teacher on how to make your child motivated. Remember that you’re partners in providing the best education for your child especially this pandemic.

Everybody has doubts about learning online especially those who’ll be doing it for the first time. Rest assured that you have nothing to worry about. Effective online learning can be made possible as long as everybody works together.