Tips for both parents and teachers on how to make it through remote learning

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – From Curriculum Creator to Principal, Education Expert Lisa Collum joined Good Morning San Diego to discuss how to make our quarantine hHomeschool a success. 

Tip #1: Establish a schedule and routine
We all need routine, especially kids. We have to remember when they were in school, they have a set schedule they follow each day. Every kid knows their reading time, their lunch time, their recess time etc. They know the routines of what to do for each class and throughout the day. They need this at home too. Although they may never realize it or admit, having a schedule to follow and a routine each day makes everything better for kids. So create a daily schedule. Set times for breakfast, reading lesson, math lesson, lunch, science lesson, etc. I highly encourage building in tons of breaks. I would suggest one between each subject. This will help break up the day and allow them time to stretch and recharge. Try to create the schedule together. This way the kids can have input and feel like they are a part of it. Once you have the schedule, post it up in the house somewhere. Just like it is posted in the classroom. Refer to it throughout the day and make sure you “train” the kids on the different times and what they should be doing. This will make life easier for you and them!

Tip #2: Think about the whole day
When planning to work from home and scheduling out the day, think about the whole day. So many parents want to just schedule the school time each day. Online school usually does not take as long as a regular school day. Most kids are done within 3-4 hours (depending on the grade level). Even with breaks built in throughout the day, most kids will be done working by 12 or 1 each day. That still leaves another 6-8 hours before bed time. If we think about the whole day, we can build a schedule and routines from morning to night. It is hard for kids to be in one place all day, every day. Especially if they don’t have anything specific to do. For working parents, the afternoon time after school can be difficult if the kids have nothing to do. My suggestion is to schedule out the whole day. After school, assign times for arts and crafts, screen time, board game time, outside play, chores, dinner, etc. This way they know what to do all day. It also helps if you have various activities lined up so they don’t get bored and can change activities every 30-45 minutes.

Tip #3: Change the environment
It is hard for kids to be at home all day. You want to make sure you are constantly changing the environment. For example, do not have them work at one spot all day long when completing school work. Create “centers” around the house. For example, designate the dining room as the math center, the living room as the reading center, the porch as the science center, etc. Allow them to move around the house to work. They will go to different areas of the house to work on different subjects. Kids love this! It allows them to change the environment and move around. You can continue with this for after school activities as well. For instance, set up an arts and crafts area with baskets of supplies. That way they know each day for arts and crafts time they work at that area and have all of the supplies ready to use. This is all part of establishing a routine. If they know where to go and when, it makes it easier for everyone.