A Parent’s Guide to Helping Children Succeed at Online Learning

Online learning is tough as school is out for millions of children nationwide in the wake of COVID as K-12 education shifts from the classroom to the internet. While many school districts are giving their teachers crash courses in online learning and parents are juggling work from home and now school from home. Nature cure family health is a holistic view of parenting. Parents also play a major role in ensuring that kids progress forward, in the midst of all that they have on their plate. 

Are you struggling to balance your day with supervising your child’s coursework? Try the suggestions that we teach in our family health clinic of natural medicine providing the parental guidance and input your child needs. These simple techniques can work within nature, to become nature cure family health.

Planning and Preparing

Your school may have sent your child home with devices and materials for completing their assignments. Nature cure family health is not just about taking supplements its also about communicating what needs you may have in your family. If they have not created a structure for you, please insist to have a structure in place before the school year commences. You’ll will need to provide structure and motivation for your children which is advised in our family clinic of natural medicine.

Follow these strategies to develop an effective structure:

1. Schedule your days. Stick to your usual routines as much as possible, including bedtimes and mealtimes. Let your child know you expect them to log in on time for classes each morning. Work while they are working and showing them how to effectively focus on tasks at hand.
   
2. Arrange your space. Designate an area just for school. It may be a room or a section of the dining room table as long as it’s quiet and comfortable. Stock up on supplies like notebooks, pens, and calculators. Place them in the middle of the table to make them accessible.
   
3. Limit distractions. Ban games and movies during class time. Keep in mind that some children may learn better with a little background music, don’t be afraid to allow some background noise. Many children work better with a little extra stimulus in the background.
   
4. Enjoy recess. Breaks and lunch hours are essential. Serve healthy food and provide lots of fun options for physical exercise. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are helpful during the day time create an excellent break time to stretch legs and take a break from studies.
   
5. Be social. How can your child maintain their friendships? Use technology for group study sessions, video chats, and virtual play dates. If you feel comfortable have small groups of play with friends. Making sure everyone washes their hands and maintains social distance. Online learning doesn’t have to be solitary.
   
6. Contact your school. Ask school officials and teachers about the most effective way to communicate with them and stay in touch regularly. Find out what resources are available for collaborating with other parents. Lean on your school officials, they are a resource and there to help you through this process. 

1. Use a timer. Time each study session. Try and shoot for 25 mins of focused time. Include the time to gauge for all subjects including reading. This will begin to teach focusing skills. They are given one task or one subject at a time to get accomplished.If you want combine instruction and then set the timer for the assignment. Have them try and make an effort without asking for help during that time. When the timer goes off allow them to ask questions, and help the through any areas they are stuck. Use Youtube for instruction of subjects that you may be less comfortable.  

Basic Study Skills

In our family clinic of natural medicine we encourage you to teach your child to learn effectively. Strong study skills will be a valuable asset online, offline, and in their future careers. Nature cure family health involves teaching families tools to help them succeed with many of life’s challenges.

Strengthen study skills with these techniques:

1. Give practice tests. Many studies show that testing yourself is one of the most productive ways to learn. Design questions together. Treat quizzes like a game to reduce anxiety. Test your child ahead of learning the subject matter to see a baseline, and then afterwards so they are able to see progress in their learning. This can gain confidence as well as self esteem.
   
2. Conduct reviews. Prepare for tests by going over past material on a regular basis. Your child is more likely to forget their lessons if they cram at the last minute. Try to chunk the various concepts, use flash cards, various mnemonics to help memorize subject matter, and repetition to encourage learning.
   
3. Create outlines. Identify key facts and major themes. Building a framework increases reading comprehension and strengthens writing skills. It also encourages critical thinking. Highlight key terms for memorization, while keeping learning in an organized format which assists both you as well as them.
   
4. Proofread and edit. Review your child’s completed assignments before they’re submitted. Make revisions together until they’re comfortable doing it on their own. Allow them to Make mistakes, discuss the errors, and make sure they under the corrections before turning in the assignments.
   
5. Evaluate your progress. Give your child constructive feedback. Discuss teacher comments and test results. Ask your child to describe their strengths and weaknesses. Set specific goals like reading a certain number of pages each day or looking up unfamiliar vocabulary words. Allow them to collaborate with you on setting goals so they can hav ownership over the progress.

Passion Projects

Take advantage of the opportunity to spend more time with your child. In our family clinic of natural medicine, we encourage parents to spend quality time with their children to help build their immune system. Even though it may be a challenging experience, this is an excellent opportunity to share and how with your child. In teaching families nature cure family health we encourage families to create happy memories and nurture their personal interests.

Consider these ideas and better your childs online learning:

1. Browse for resources. Even if field trips are on hold, there are vast collections online for any subject your child loves. Delve deeper into dinosaurs or sports nutrition. Use various mediums such as books, digital activities, videos, coloring, etc. to keep the education interesting.
   
2. Be selective. At the same time, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by your choices. Start out with a few reliable sources or ask your child’s teacher for recommendations. For example, you might want to explore the PBS Parents Play and Learn App for younger kids and Great Courses for their older siblings. Sometimes less tradition curriculum can assist in concepts such as Montessori or Waldorf style curriculum.
   
3. Show enthusiasm. Make learning a fun activity that draws you closer together. Reward your child’s efforts with prizes like stickers or baking their favorite dessert. Try to use food sparingly as a reward system. Hang their artwork on your refrigerator door and applaud when they read you their book reports. Make sure to show as much positive reinforcement as possible through the process. 

While circumstances may change, the importance of education remains the same. In our family clinic of natural medicine, we help your child to gain knowledge and skills that will enable them to have a positive impact on the world. Be patient with yourself and stay connected as you make the transition to online learning. Do your best and forget the rest. We are here to support you through the process of balancing life and helping your children learn.