Tips for Keeping Your Student Motivated During Remote Learning

Students love to be social and see their friends, and school is one of the main places they do this. Many students also learn better through in-person instruction. Shifting to remote learning has been a major change, and it can be challenging for students to stay focused and get their work done when everything is virtual. Students can also become tired of the monotony of it all, since they’re used to moving around during school and being in a different space than home.

With the uncertainties of COVID-19, many schools have shifted back to remote learning through the holidays. Here are a few tips for keeping your child motivated and focused while they’re learning from home:

· Talk about expectations. Acknowledge that remote learning is different and can be hard sometimes. Ask about their thoughts, concerns, what they like, and what they don’t like. Talk about why doing their best is important and how they’re building the skills that they will continue to use in other grades and beyond. Then, come to an agreement about some expectations, such as getting daily assignments done, telling you if there is something they are struggling with, or behavior while online.

· Let them decorate their space. Give them a space that is their own and where they feel comfortable. Hang up some new pictures, get colorful supplies, or let them pick out new headphones. Just make sure there isn’t anything that will be too distracting to them.

· Set goals. Work with your child to determine what they need to get done. Creating checklists can be helpful because students can mark off each task and see their progress. It can allow them to stay focused on specific priorities as well. Use a dry-erase board or fun markers.

· Provide incentives. Motivate your child with something that is meaningful to them. Perhaps that is picking a movie the family will watch, deciding on a dessert to make, having some extra free time after dinner, or doing a one-on-one activity with mom or dad. Give them something to work toward that they’re excited about.

· Encourage effort. Learning remotely can be tough. Praise your child’s efforts, not just their grades. Maybe they didn’t get a perfect score, but let them know you saw how hard they worked and that they were trying. Realize that their grades may not be as high as they were with in-person learning, but they are doing their best given the situation.

· Be supportive. Give your child some control over their day. While setting a schedule and routine is important, let them decide what tasks they want to work on while doing independent activities. Allowing them to have some autonomy can be motivating. Make sure they know what needs to be completed, but let them work in whatever order they choose.

· Build confidence. If there is a concept they are struggling with, try to help them understand it better. Sometimes explaining it in a different way can make something click. Consider signing them up for tutoring where they know they’ll get one-on-one attention with subjects they find challenging so they can perform their best in school.

Let your child know that no matter what, you’ll get through things together. Tutoring can be a great way to overcome any gaps in their learning and reinforce key concepts. It can also take some of the stress off of parents to act as a teacher as well. Contact Crafting Scholars today about setting up a plan that fits your child’s needs.