Keeping your children focused on their online schoolwork during the pandemic

It is definitely challenging to keep children focused on their online schoolwork. Unfortunately, this is the situation facing parents whose children are attending school virtually.  The younger children are, the more impossible it is for them to do schoolwork successfully online. Frankly, they simply need an adult sitting right beside them as they work. On top of this, you need to provide them with frequent screen breaks. And we do realize that many parents are not able to give children the online help they need. If you have a kindergartner to second grader and have found a solution to this problem, please let us know and we will share it with our readers.

Fortunately, there are things that parents can do to keep children in third grade and beyond focused on their online schooling:

1. Provide them often with detailed praise for the job they are doing. This will really encourage them to keep working.
2. Consider giving them rewards if they are actually remaining focused such as visiting safe family or friends or going on walks or to parks.
3. When their teachers give them brain breaks from the screen, be sure that they are not going on another device. Instead, make a list with them of fun activities that they can be doing during this time such as doing a puzzle, playing a board game, painting, coloring or going outside. The list can be endless. 

Parents should send questions and comments to dearteacher@dearteacher.com or to the Dear Teacher website.

©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2020