By Christa Protano
Truer words have never been spoken, as many parents find themselves juggling remote learning and working from home once again. Whether you are monitoring your preschooler’s virtual learning or fully leaning in to homeschooling, we can all agree that setting our children up for success is a common goal. Read on for our top three tips for getting the most out of learning from home this semester.
Tip #1: Designate a Learning Space
Try to mimic a classroom setting by giving your child their very own workspace. For little ones, it can be helpful to have a small desk and chair that allows for their feet to touch the ground. This will — hopefully — limit the wiggles. Gather new school supplies and have them readily available at their spot. Also make sure the space is free of distractions, such as toys and food. If you have two children learning remotely, it may also be helpful to have them work in separate rooms.
Tip #2: Plan Ahead
For at-home students, planning ahead means getting dressed and brushing their teeth — the more routines you can encourage and keep now, the easier it will be when its time to head back into the classroom. For parents, get ahead of the game by prepping lunches, filling water bottles and having snacks readily available so you don’t have to scramble when they are hungry or thirsty during school hours. Don’t forget a healthy meal plan for yourself, too!
Tip #3: Have the Right Tools
During the early school years, a big focus is on developing and sharpening those ever-important fine motor skills. That’s why we love the Let’s Learn Series, a collection of wipe-clean activity books that your child can use over and over again. Each book comes with a dry erase marker and 18 oversized pages of activities such as tracing, counting, pattern making, matching, connect the dots and more. Adorable themed characters guide your child through colorful mazes and places while strengthening their pen control and handwriting skills. Each book also includes advice for helping your child hold their writing instrument and suggestions for other interactive activities to do beyond the book.
