Distance learning is underway! This new educational environment may be challenging for some families, and if your child is losing the will to stay focused, you aren’t alone. Caregivers are now taking on more responsibility for their children’s learning than ever before, and of course, many are not trained in this practice like our beloved teachers are. That being said, you can become the “learning coach” you were meant to be with the help of this list of tips we compiled that will get you and your kids on the right track this semester.

1. First and foremost, you must set up a “learning space” for your children. Remove all distractions and clutter, so they have their own personal space to do work. Even if this space is simply the kitchen table, make sure to remove plates, cups, salt shakers, etc. from the area so they can focus. Try adding background noise such as soft music to enhance learning! But this learning space doesn’t end with physicalities; think about the digital environment, too. For example, your child might have their iPad open to take notes, a phone playing background music, a web browser open with multiple tabs open for search, communication, and related learning resources, a digital calendar with upcoming due dates for important assignments, etc.

2. Everyone does better with a schedule, after all, we are creatures of habit, and having repetition will ensure schoolwork gets done. Make a daily schedule that works for your family and each individual child and stick to it.

3. Exercise and break time is essential to our mental health. Make sure your kids are getting exercise throughout the day!

4. Did you know that your devices can be toggled to make learning easier? There’s a text-to-speech option, speech-to-text option, slow down playback speed on YouTube videos, closed captioning, etc. Use these to your advantage for kids who struggle in one area or another.

5. Offering incentives to learning can help the student who lacks self-motivation. Propose points, challenges, visible markers of progress, etc.

6. Encourage a growth mindset by helping them think about why they’re learning. Ask alternative questions to “What did you learn today at school.” This will help with promoting self-direction in your student!