3 Ways to Help Your Kids Stay on Top of their Studies During the Pandemic

Learning from home may be a safe way to help kids continue their schooling through the pandemic, but it sure isn’t easy. 

As caseloads rise across the country, parents whose schools have closed may be grateful that they don’t have to worry about their kids getting sick at school — but they may also be worried about the long-term impact of learning online, a format that many students are struggling to adjust to.  

If you are looking for ways to help your kids stay on top of school during this difficult time, here are three things that can help. 

1. Create a Dedicated Learning Zone

One of the challenges of working from home that both children and adults are experiencing is the particular kind of exhaustion and lack of focus that comes when your workspace is also where you spend your leisure time. 

This can make it feel like you’re always working, even when you aren’t and can make it a lot easier to procrastinate.

Not everyone has the space to set up a home classroom, but designating one table or work surface as the “work area” and encouraging your child to think of it as their school desk can be a way to create a learning zone where zoom lessons and homework take top priority.  

2. Hire a Tutor

Teachers are doing everything they can to deliver high-quality instruction during the pandemic. But there are limits to how much can be accomplished online, especially in areas where schools are already under resourced. If you are worried your kids are falling behind in their studies, hiring a tutor can be a great way to supplement their learning.

The best tutors have expertise in their subjects, and can apply cutting-edge methodologies to difficult subjects like math and reading. Because they work with kids on a one-on-one basis, they can help them make progress toward learning goals at their own speed. 

You may be surprised at how many options there are for flexible in-home tutoring in your city or region. Many tutoring services have worked hard to adapt their learning approach to the pandemic, including by offering online services or giving you the option of joining a learning pod so your kids will be able to experience in-person learning in a safe and controlled environment. 

3. Set Realistic Goals

With the midpoint of the semester now passed, it’s clear that we simply cannot pretend that virtual learning is as effective for all students as learning in person, and asking kids to meet the same learning objectives that would have been expected of them pre-COVID is simply unrealistic. 

In the long run, it will be far better for children’s morale to set learning goals that are achievable under the current circumstances, rather than pretending that the unique challenges of the 2020-2021 school year can be overcome through sheer grit. 

Many educators are warning that kids who are already struggling with school face a real danger of falling behind in the online classroom, and meeting the challenge of online learning requires creativity, extra resources, and a lot of patience. 

The good news is that creating a learning zone in your home, hiring a tutor, and setting concrete but realistic goals have been shown to have a real impact on learning outcomes.