Top Ten Tips in Supporting Your Child Through Remote Learning

1. Use a schedule. Miss Frizzle needs a schedule in this house. We love to just really cross things out that we have finished. Lit article. Finished. Dog Pee Mopped Up. Sharpie it out. Tacos Ordered. You get my drift. If you don’t have a schedule to go by, write one of your own instead. Even if your district isn’t doing remote learning, it’s fine to write down 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of bike ridin’, 20 minutes of dishwasher unloadin’.

2. Separate your kids (for the most part). I don’t know what kind of Brady Bunch you are working with, but Marcia and Jan need to go their separate ways. Big time. I initially thought, we would all Little House on the Prairie together, gather wood, do math facts. No. That shit is for the birds. Put them in separate rooms, with separate pandora playlists and sit in the vicinity of the one who hates you the least for the time being.

3. Do the hardest task first (probably writing). I will have parents send me messages later in the day that they are having trouble motivating their writer at 4:00. Sweetie, aint nobody want to write at 4:00. Now some of this can’t be helped. We have Momma’s going back to work. I have a Momma who works in the medical profession and she has been clocking into work this whole time. If that is you, just do it as early as you can. Have them say their story out loud to you and then go to town on the paper. Relax on the editing a little bit, especially if blood sugar is low. First drafts should be free flow and happy, not laced with Ewwww David commentary throughout. If you have to point out punctuation, because your Type A heart can’t take it, make sure you hand them a juice box at the same time, or deliver it better than my husband does, when he says what have you guys even done all day. Let that writer know, you are the editor that is 100 % in their corner.

4. Break the rules during work time. It is hard for your kiddo to work away from school and super distracting. Take advantage of the change of scenery by giving them a change of scenery. If it’s a nice day outside, have them write at the top of their play set if they want too. Hand them a chocolate cookie during math fact time and whisper I bet Mrs. Grant never let you do that. Gym class can include all the pushing and shoving they want. Just close the door and say you phoned the principal, but nobody answered. Hey, at least you tried right.

5. If you have a reader who needs to practice reading out loud which is basically all of them. Do what I do, and have someone (I have my Mom, sorry you need your own listener) call in and face time with them a few times a week. I have both kids read to her from a book of their choice and she listens patiently while my son tells knock, knock jokes and changes the face filter about 2387874 times. My daughter then poorly plays her instrument for her and poof band practice is done. This is super helpful, when I am at my wits end with google meets and math assistance. My mom used to call and say, “Payson, where is Mom?” Now she knows I am in the bathroom leaning through the open window, eating chocolate chips and humming to Chris Stapleton. Let that listener, Grammy, Auntie, whoever, take over for a minute and sub in with your reader. Everyone will benefit.

6. When your kids hit a hurdle in their learning, whether it’s a math problem or a word work situation they just can’t hack, back off and see if they can help each other. Now if you smell blood, or hear a blood curdling scream, run back in for assistance, but I have found 9 times out of 10 , they will rescue each other from water when things get ugly.

7. See if they can join the google meets. I know sometimes the google meet will seem like an argument with the Kardashian sisters mixed with a tiger share by Carole Baskin, but they NEED it . However, chaotic is appears. It is good for kids to see each other and their teacher and feel that sense of community, how ever loud it may be. If your childs’ teacher offers another google meeting, in a quieter setting, totally take them up on this. I got the idea from my friend and co-worker Tracey to do one-on-one sessions or buddy reading sessions. Every Thursday I listen to readers for 15 minutes and I find those shy kids who say NOTHING on google meet, really love this time and get to practice reading skills that Mom or Dad may not have time to listen too during the day. I will usually “flip” the screen and pull up an Epic book and have my reader practice reading it. If you know your child’s level, Epic has a reading level section with a ton of resources for you to choose from. Often times ,when I let my second graders pick a text, they will say oh Mrs. Grant that is a read to me book we can’t do that. But then, like the witch I am, I turn the volume on mute and all of a sudden, they can read it. Muahahaha.

8. Reward them for their hard work. This might feel icky, but you best believe teachers are doing it in the month of May. Tell them if they finish their work, they will earn trampoline time, 20 minutes of screen time, 30 minutes to watch Despicable Me, whatever the carrot may be. We all need a little motivation sometimes, especially in the months of May and June. I have become super desperate at times and offer something up for the whole week of good work, I put a wrestling figure in my amazon cart, or a new set of scrunchies my daughter wants and it sits in that cart until all said work is done.

9. Modify, Modify, Modify. If you have a learner at home who needs certain things at school to do his/her best, don’t expect them to transport out of their own awesome bodies and into a brand new cookie cutter body. If they have trouble with fine motor, help them write, if they need to take motor breaks at school, they are still needing them at home. If they have emotional outbursts in the office every Thursday, don’t expect them to be a happy burst of energy all day long. Adapt for them, the best way you can, in whatever way you can, but don’t expect perfection.

10. Remind them how amazing they are. This is hard work. For you, for them, for all involved. In my mind, we are going back to school in the fall, come hell or high water. We are going in there, in masked gear, or scuba suits, but we may have times when remote learning is again necessary and you want them to feel like they can do it. You want to be able to remind them that this is hard, but they can get through the hard, like they did before. That they have the tools and the goods and the attitude to keep going in an upwards direction. When they remember that feeling of getting through the muddy water and coming up over the hill, unscathed, they can use that resiliency and stubbornness and perseverance their whole life. So in that sense, thank you virus, thank you killer hornets, you came for us and were still climbing the hill.