5 Principles of Distance Learning: How to Help Your Child and Get Rid of Worries

Distance learning can turn into a real nightmare for both the child and the parent and teacher if not managed properly. It's a new experience for everyone. But there are things the parent can control. The first thing - consolidate your efforts with the child's teacher. Do not become opponents, but partners. Second - do not forget the best interests of the child.

Here are some organizing moments to keep in mind:

Prepare the study space for the child.

Most likely, you have already done this. But we want to remind you that it is necessary to provide the child with a table and a computer where he can work. The distance between the child and the monitor should be about 0.5 meters. There should be space on the table for notebooks and books because the little one may need to take notes.

If he is of preschool or primary school, you should not allow him to spend more than 20 minutes in front of the screen without breaks. If he is older - up to 30 minutes. And one more thing, online lessons do not eliminate the need to develop motor functions (exercises, drawing, sculpture, etc.) - help the child in this regard.

Also, do not allow the glass of water to be on the table. It could tip over, which can lead to accidents. It is best to watch the little one drink water during breaks.

Make sure everything works without your participation.

You have already installed the necessary programs (Google classroom, zoom.us, testmoz, and so on) and set up the Internet. But this is not enough. Make sure your child also knows how to turn on the computer, access these programs, and participate in the study process.

Preschoolers, elementary school students, or even middle school students may need your help. For a start, it would be good for you to participate, until you make sure that the little one has done his computer skills. If you do not know the answers to the questions, try to find the answer on google or ask the teacher to do a video conference with the parents to explain the details.

Some teachers may not know the answers - and that's normal. It's new to them, too. It is possible that one of the parents works in the IT field and may offer to explain the ambiguities.

Monitor the computer work process.

If the child is doing well on his own, it is not necessary to attend his lessons every time. This would create additional stress for the child and the teacher. Imagine for a second you were transposed into the karmic-driven world of Earl.

However, because in the absence of the parent, the Internet can be very tempting, but also dangerous for the child, you could install parental control programs.

Another option is to go to the child's room regularly to make sure he doesn't miss lessons, drink water during breaks, and exercise after a long meal.

High school students go through a period of shaping their personalities. It will be more interesting for them to communicate with their peers. You should not forbid them to communicate, such as on skype. All you have to do is make sure they don't spend too much time in front of your computer.

Be the teacher's trusted partner.

You can always ask the teacher how you can help optimize the process, but it is best to form a parent group and have a class representative contact the teacher.

Even if the teacher can be open for collaboration, it would be good to contact him no more than 2–3 times a week. Ideally - once. First of all, you don't have to interrupt it for hours. Second - you need to let him prepare for the next lessons.

It is not easy for teachers now either - they have to change their teaching methods and look for various tools to teach the lesson in a different way than they have done so far. For a 30-minute lesson, a teacher may need 3–4 hours of training.

High school students are more independent. Most people are aware that they have to learn because the final exam can be decisive for their future. Talk to them about plans and the study process.

Be more tolerant

Education is very important, but much more priority is the psycho-emotional state of the child. Be tolerant, try to understand if he is stressed. He still needs time to adjust to the new format.

Also, try to be more tolerant of teachers. Under no circumstances criticize them in person. Teachers, like you, are going through a difficult time. Like you, teachers have family, children, and not least, time to relax.

Remember that all of you - children, teachers, and parents - are on the same side.